DIY ATO Auto Top Off for 40 bucks. Siphon method. Electronic free. :P

Great thread

I just completed my own DIY ATO. I used a plastic 40lb cat litter container instead of the 5g bucket (I cleaned it thoroughly). Can't wait for the silicon sealant to cure so I can test it all out!

Thanks for sharing this!

 

This reminds me I never got back on here to say how this worked for me.....in short, it didnt.

So i took the bucket that i made and ran a line out of the bottom and have that too a float valve like linked below.....that has been working flawlessly since day one.

Aquarium Maintenance & Plumbing: Eshopps Auto Top Off Float Valve

 

Old thread Bump for skurious

Can you update/add pic's of your mod of this? TIA

 

No problem,

Basically i took a 10 gallon rubbermaid container, drilled a hole through it and put in the adapter valve that goes to 1/4" tubing. the tubing then runs to my eshops ato and tops off my tank. works great and i dont have to worry about a pump failing.

THe rubbermaid is on a shelf thats maybe 4 ft up or so. I put a valve on the line after it comes through the wall so i can shut it and not have the ato dump water when im water changing or whatever. I also have to close the valve just a little when the container is full, i think the pressure was too much for the ato to stop it from flowing out too much. I dont have to open up more once the container drops water level a bit... it just keeps working.

heres some pictures.

This is the picture on the outside of the ato container.



The valve on the inside on the container, you probably cant tell from the pic. but it screws in and then i just siliconed around it on the inside and outside.



And this is the Eshopps ato unit, the line goes in right where my thumb is.

 

I had the bucket successfully working for maybe a week. it finicky and a pain, so i went this route and i couldn't be happier. Probably not much more cost to go with eshopps

 

Thanks a ton for the update, alas, I was really hoping to get this thing running by this weekend and now I gotta order a part!lol Thanks for the quick update, I'll wait and do it right.