# Need help: DIY Auto Top off (gravity)



## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

I am not sure how to go about starting one. All I have is a valce that I siliconed the connectors. I need an ATO at least a simple one for my nano. I was thinking of an opened top gravity fed (I ha ve a sort of IV pole that I can clamp to the stand) and have a hose go int hrough the back utility opening into the tank. I seem to lose about 1 cup of water every 12 hours. this would make disappearing for a weekend difficult. If I used a 2L bottle, that should give me enough water for a few days. 

Question: Does anyone have access to IV tube clamp? it is used for slowing the drop rate.


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## Kajendra (Dec 12, 2010)

Sunstar said:


> I am not sure how to go about starting one. All I have is a valce that I siliconed the connectors. I need an ATO at least a simple one for my nano. I was thinking of an opened top gravity fed (I ha ve a sort of IV pole that I can clamp to the stand) and have a hose go int hrough the back utility opening into the tank. I seem to lose about 1 cup of water every 12 hours. this would make disappearing for a weekend difficult. If I used a 2L bottle, that should give me enough water for a few days.
> 
> Question: Does anyone have access to IV tube clamp? it is used for slowing the drop rate.


1 cup per 12 hours :|
how hot is your tank :S?

A simple design could be having a reservoir holding water and the tank.
The key is to place the resevoir such that the bottom of the resevoir become the lowest you want your water... well roughly...

The idea behind this is that gravity pulls water equally so if you connect a tube with a siphon and have a tall but narrow glass tube of water connected to a really wide but fairly tall tank. The water level in both containers would be the same.

If you could have the container hanging on the side and fill that up with water as you need to then you could fill up your tank.

There are probably actual guides online that connect to a water line and can drain but idk if this is what your looking for.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

tank is around 79f. there is a fan that is keeping the lights cool so evap happens


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

I'm going to use a pet water bottle auto top off until I can do an electronic system.


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

I would think and inverted bottle would do the job. This is how animal waterers work.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Kajendra said:


> 1 cup per 12 hours :|
> how hot is your tank :S?


I lost 1 gallon in 7 hours last night. With all the lights off. Open top tanks with good circulation can evaporate a lot, especially if your place/room is dry.

Sunstar, do you have a valve for regulating air? You can use them for regulating drip rates - I used to do this with drip acclimation.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

Eric, Yes. I have something rigged up in the bathroom with a bowl that I used to measure the last top off. Been keeping an eye on the time when I add water ot get an idea of waterloss. So right now, a bowl is under the drip so I can try to figure out how much is dripping per hour.


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

Sunstar said:


> Eric, Yes. I have something rigged up in the bathroom with a bowl that I used to measure the last top off. Been keeping an eye on the time when I add water ot get an idea of waterloss. So right now, a bowl is under the drip so I can try to figure out how much is dripping per hour.


Except your bowl will also be evaporating so it will not be quite precise. maybe use some seran wrap over it.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

right now after an hour and a half the bowl is too fu ll, so I need to lower drops still


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

what is the point of this?
why cant you fill it to the top when you do your regular water change


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

the point of this is going away for a day to my mothers (ie over night). evap on the tank is a lot. the tank is in my bedroom and I do not like people other than me in there.


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

Sunstar said:


> the point of this is going away for a day to my mothers (ie over night). evap on the tank is a lot. the tank is in my bedroom and I do not like people other than me in there.


oh i mean does it actually evaporate that much? oh never mind i read your earlier post more carefully

also how do you sleep with a tank in your bedroom? every type of filter/airpump seems to be too noisy for me.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

The filter is not too bad, the fan inside drowns it out. And as it is, I sleep with a fluffy blanket and a pillow on my head because the building is noisy for the most part. It sounds like a computer. Otherwise I was hesitent on putting one in there. the original fan sounded like a freight train. filter's are nothing to that old wreck of a fan.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Sunstar, I assume the fans are off at night?

If you get about 250 ml of evap a day, I'd just set up a slow drip with 400 ml or so - enough to last you a day and a bit. And in your tank size, unless you're at max already, <half a liter won't overflow your tank even if it does dump in at once. And it won't make a dent in your salinity much either - in fact, you could probably get away with just dumping in the top off water you'd need for the day or so you're away before you go, and topping off normally again when you get back.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

I haven't got enough powerbars yet to work out fans being on with the lights. They DO keep those lights epically cool. before the fan touching the balast was an owie. not so much now.I figure that might aid in life expectancy of the bulb.

I keep the water high so it doesn't slurp down the overflow. I am trying to figure out how many drops persecond/minute I need to keep it relatively stable.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

Ta DA! Hope it works!


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## Kajendra (Dec 12, 2010)

Looks nice 
This depends on how far down the tube is...
The stand you use looks like those hospital IV bag holders :/

Would the water have to go all the way below the tube before any water starts to go through did you set to drip at a certain rate?


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## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

Kajendra said:


> Looks nice
> This depends on how far down the tube is...
> The stand you use looks like those hospital IV bag holders :/
> 
> Would the water have to go all the way below the tube before any water starts to go through did you set to drip at a certain rate?


I think the idea with the gravity feed devices is that they only drip water into the tank when air can escape UP the airline tube into the bottle creating an equilibrium in the tank.

I am interested to see if this works as well as people say it does.


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