Getto ATO (auto top off)

so you guys should know by now when i get bored i do diy so here's something i saw on another fourm and knew i would need some thing like it when i go on vacation so it 's cheep and was easy to make.

Here's what happened when i got bored last week
http://www.3reef.com/forums/i-made/diy-hob-fuge-63086.html

And now for my ATO

What You Need

Regular 1 gallon water jug (you can use larger)
Air line tubing i got 8'
Air pump (i did'nt get mine yet)
someting to control the amount of water entering tour tank ( you could just tie knots in the line)
knife
pen



regular 1 gallon jug notice the cap it's not the screw in one i dont if the screw in ones would work


here is a 4ft section of my air line i bought 8' and cut it in half (8-4=4)


second 4 ft section


now take the pen and punch 2 holes spaced about 1/2"


inlarge the holes with the knife (place the tip of the knife in the hole and spin the knife)


make it big enough to just bearly fit the air line tubing in


do the same with the second hole


both lines in


now pull one through the hole a little longer than the jug (so it toutches the bottom of the jug)


pull the second one about 3" out


place the lines into the jug and cap it


place both in


jug caped with air lines in


now one line is going to be pumping water OUT and one would be pumping air IN (basic concept is the jug gets pressurized and the only place for the pressure to go out is through the only line not getting stuff in. now since that line is in the water the water is pumped out to relive the pressure)

Also notice one line longer than the other the reason being one line is lower in the jug than the other shorter one will be pumping water out longer one will be pumping air in


now i tested mine took off the cap and filled tap water


filled with some water (when used in the tank it has to be filled with RO or treated tap water (or what ever you use for top offs)


now since i dont have my air pump as yet i blew on the longer end where the air pump would be

Well there you go total cost $10-$20 depending on what air pump you buy

Air line $2
water jug .50
Air pump ?

and i leave you with some pictures of my new addition my nem being hosted by my false percula pair in my 10 gallon

 

Cool idea!

Just a suggestion, you may want to target feed your anemone with some silversides until it regains color - it looks bleached, it should be darker than that.

 

yea i got him yesterday and have been feeding him he ate 2 silversides (cut in half) allerady o look at my filter intake in that pic his tenticles toutch it every now and then but bt grts sucked in sometimes is that ok he takes them out after a while though

 

Keep the tentacles away from the filter intake, many an anemone have been lost due to being sucked into a PH or filter intake.

 

very cool DIY...I'm more worried at this point with that Fillet Knife you were using but seriously, yeh you really don't want a shredded nem in your tank!

 

yea the nem moved closer so i turned the pump off and it about a foot in an hour i'm happy where it is now

i've had that knife for about 5 years and it has gone through hundreds of mackrels and snappers but only went through me 3 times and is kept razor sharp

 

ONLY??????

 

MMMMMMM... grilled yellow tail snapper and king mackerel.

 

ok next week i'm thinking air driven skimmer

 

got my pump yerterday and have been playing around with it most of the time it gets over pressured and pops the top and i need a way of controling the amount of water entering the tank

o and i need this project done before the 23rd when i go on vacation