Where Do You Keep Your Water Level

[JayP]

I'm working on my budget friendly DIY ATO system. I'll be sharing the details soon, but wanted to collect a little data. I've modeled a first draft of the float switch and water tubing mount. It's not elegant, but it's functional. In the future I'll design it to be universal, aka adjustable, but for now, the prototype is designed for my 10mm glass tank and the water level I maintain. I try to maintain my water level about .75" from the top and wondered what others do. Also, let me know in the comments what color you prefer for something like this; black, white, or something else.

 

[Koan]

Nice!

Some budget friendly ATO reservoir options

 

[JayP]

Nice!

Some budget friendly ATO reservoir options

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Nice find! The reservoirs do seem to be the expensive piece to this. The prices I saw for dedicated ATO reservoirs was crazy. I ended up getting a couple of THESE for nearly double the price of the one you linked. Dimensionally it does fit my cabinet a little better, but it doesn't have a handle.

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

Nice!

Some budget friendly ATO reservoir options

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Also cheap: I just use an IKEA Samla 6gal Storage Bin for ATO on my experiment tank:

$7 For an ATO storage that's lasted for almost a full year with no issues! Doesn't look great, but usually ATO's go in the stand.

For nicer ATO options I like the Trigger Systems Crystal ATO reservoirs.

 

[gnatster]

1 Gallon Cambro food service containers here. My tanks are small.

 

[Koan]

Yeah they're ugly as sin but it's for the fish room I like the reinforced drillable air vent in the back, convenient to enlarge enough to run both the tubing and the switch wire, separate from the fill cap

Another part to think about is the floating-gunk guard , this is how Tunze does it

 

[Pepere]

All of my tanks are framed tanks with canopies and twin wall polycarbonate lids.

I fill the tank so the waterline is hidden by the frame.

By the end of the week before doing a water change the water level is still hidden by the frame.

In my case, no need for or benefit from an auto top off.

 

[JayP]

All of my tanks are framed tanks with canopies and twin wall polycarbonate lids.

I fill the tank so the waterline is hidden by the frame.

By the end of the week before doing a water change the water level is still hidden by the frame.

In my case, no need for or benefit from an auto top off.

I get that. In fact when I was thinking about the design of the mounting bracket, rimmed tanks came to mind and my thought is that many with rimmed tanks probably also have lids and an ATO isn't a big need. This is primarily for those going topless, but I even do that with my current rimmed 40 gallon breeder and it needs at least a gallon top-off each week. My rimless 49 gallon takes over 2 gallons top-off per week. Of course, it's not quite as bad during the warmer higher humidity months.