ATO flooding reservoir with saltwater

[sticknstring90]

Recently turned on a Prism ATO unit with the reservoir being a 5g commercial water container (plastic) after about 15 min after installation I noticed water around the tank. The ATO had some how sucked salt water I to the reservoir and was actively flooding it. Had anyone experienced this issue? Or know how to prevent it?

 

[ColoredRock]

Move the output tube above the water line to break the flow.

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

Your are creating a syphon. Do not raise the output tube anymore. Your problem is with the sensor location/positioning.

You need to move that sensor down. Waaaayy down. Safety sensor on that unit is about a 1/2 inch below the cap. You need to have the primary sensor (about halfway up from the tip) placed slightly lower than the last weir.

Then lower your heater way down so it's still submerged and doesn't burn out and fry your tank.

As it sits you have a tank full of stagnate water that doesn't surface skim at all. Simply lowering your sensor with avert lots and lots of problems you have yet to encounter, but could.

 

[sticknstring90]

Your are creating a syphon. Do not raise the output tube anymore. Your problem is with the sensor location/positioning.

You need to move that sensor down. Waaaayy down. Safety sensor on that unit is about a 1/2 inch below the cap. You need to have the primary sensor (about halfway up from the tip) placed slightly lower than the last weir.

Then lower your heater way down so it's still submerged and doesn't burn out and fry your tank.

As it sits you have a tank full of stagnate water that doesn't surface skim at all. Simply lowering your sensor with avert lots and lots of problems you have yet to encounter, but could.

Thanks for the detailed response! I made some changes as you suggested. Pushed the heater as low as I could reach and moved it horizontal. I pushed the prism sensor down another 2 inches. Should I go lower? I didn't really understand whT you mean about stagnent water not skiming. Can you elaborate? TiA!

 

[sticknstring90]

Move the output tube above the water line to break the flow.

Thank you for the advice!

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

Thanks for the detailed response! I made some changes as you suggested. Pushed the heater as low as I could reach and moved it horizontal. I pushed the prism sensor down another 2 inches. Should I go lower? I didn't really understand whT you mean about stagnent water not skiming. Can you elaborate? TiA!

Yes.

When you overfill (as you are/were doing), it negates the weirs and turns your system into a single chamber.

So everything that goes over a weir just floats on the surface. It's not quite sedentary and stagnate, but none of your filtration will work efficiently, if at all. Basically all the floating nasties keep floating. This is because the first wire has to force the water into the second chamber from the bottom up so that all of the nasties go through filtration chambers, past your heater, as well as helping keep bubbles out. Give me a minute and I'll post a picture illustrating the correct level in a return chamber as well as the flow path in an AIO.

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

I'm that manner, the filthiest surface what is what gets skimmed off and filtered, etc.

Over filled you send a lot of clean water through filtration and leave behind ick. Not to mention anything that floats will keep floating, forever.

There was a thread a while back that I made these pictures for. Dude had been 6 months and his tank was still cloudy with floating loads of bits of white from dry rock that was still in his system.

Lowering the return chamber level cleaned his water up in less than a couple.days.

 

[Tcook]

Once you do what Townes has shown you your output tube will then be above the waterline in its current position. Do not lower the output tube back down to the water surface. You probably understsnd that concept but just throwing it out there.

 

[sticknstring90]

Yes.

When you overfill (as you are/were doing), it negates the weirs and turns your system into a single chamber.

So everything that goes over a weir just floats on the surface. It's not quite sedentary and stagnate, but none of your filtration will work efficiently, if at all. Basically all the floating nasties keep floating. This is because the first wire has to force the water into the second chamber from the bottom up so that all of the nasties go through filtration chambers, past your heater, as well as helping keep bubbles out. Give me a minute and I'll post a picture illustrating the correct level in a return chamber as well as the flow path in an AIO.

Oh! So the rear chamber was too full, indicating a tank that is too full?

 

[sticknstring90]

I'm that manner, the filthiest surface what is what gets skimmed off and filtered, etc.

Over filled you send a lot of clean water through filtration and leave behind ick. Not to mention anything that floats will keep floating, forever.

There was a thread a while back that I made these pictures for. Dude had been 6 months and his tank was still cloudy with floating loads of bits of white from dry rock that was still in his system.

Lowering the return chamber level cleaned his water up in less than a couple.days.

 

[sticknstring90]

Oh wow! OK that makes so much sense now. Is there a fill line inside the rear chamber I can reference? Or is this a trial and error sort of thing?

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

Oh wow! OK that makes so much sense now. Is there a fill line inside the rear chamber I can reference? Or is this a trial and error sort of thing?

No line, just slightly lower than the lowest weir.

 

[sticknstring90]

No line, just slightly lower than the lowest weir.

Thank you so much for the dedicated help! I'll be sure to pay it forward when I'm smart enough to help someone else kn s subject

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

After you understand and follow the above instructions, you need to make sure that the fill hose end from your reservoir is above the waterline. That way it will not siphon your tank water back down. You will get some splashing as it fills though. To avoid this you can use the IM Hydrofil ATO bracket. This is what I use on my AIO's with the Reef Breeders ATO, it has it's own siphon break built in.

HydroFill Ti Auto Top Off Return Bracket

The Universal ATO Return Bracket is the fastest and simplest way to complete your ATO return system. Simply position and anchor to your aquarium. The cell cast acrylic body and custom made “J” tube keeps your ATO return line stationary and kink-free. The low profile keeps the return bracket...

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