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A Simple Guide To Automatic Aquarium Top-Offs
Automatic top-off systems are the best way to create a consistent water level in your aquarium. A consistent water level will stabilize your water parameters, providing a stable environment for your animals. An auto top-off will also save you time and make it easy to maintain your water level during a vacation. Added benefits include improved protein skimmer performance and more accurate supplement dosing.
Here is a detailed list of the benefits of an auto top-off:
Increased Stability – Maintaining water levels is critical to keeping your water parameters stable. When water evaporates, it alters many water parameters. Simply put, when the water evaporates, there is less water and the same amount of everything else. This means that when water evaporates, the concentrations of calcium, ammonia, nitrate, phosphate, and salinity all increase. Adding an auto-top-off can reduce these fluctuations and provide a more stable environment for your animals.
Less Maintenance – Using an auto top-off is easier than manually replenishing water daily. When an average-sized reservoir is used, most people will go a week without needing to refill it. A larger reservoir will allow you to go even longer between refills. This is great for aquarists who travel frequently.
Consistent Water Level – Some aquarium equipment, such as protein skimmers and surface skimmers, may not function well when the water level changes. Adding an auto-top-off can ensure this equipment functions optimally.
Simple Supplementation – Auto top-offs can automatically dose certain supplements. Simply add the additive to the top-off water, and then small amounts of the additive will be added throughout the day. Some additives that work well with auto top-offs include Seachem Flourish Excel, Seachem Kalkwasser, and Brightwell Aquatics PhosPhatE.
Videos Demonstrating How an Auto Top-off Works:
- The JBJ Auto Top-Off (a MarineAndReef.com YouTube Video)
- The IceCap ATO (YouTube Video)
The number one concern with auto top-offs is the failure to turn off. If this happens, the salinity in your tank could drop significantly, harming the animals. Water could spill onto the floors, ruining them and possibly becoming an electrical hazard. Any additive added to the auto top-off would be overdosed. Additionally, you’ll want a unit that's low-profile and low-maintenance. With this in mind, here are five of our favorites at different price points.
IceCap ATOs – The IceCap ATO EZ System is an easy-to-use pump-and-sensor combo that offers peace of mind when replenishing evaporated water into an aquarium. Its twin optical sensors extend the device’s life and reliability by reducing the frequent powering on and off of the refill pump. This system also includes a third (safety) sensor that provides another level of security to prevent overflows.
JBJ Nano ATO - The JBJ Nano ATO Advanced Auto-Top-Off System is a successor to one of the most popular ATOs of all time. This simple and highly affordable unit comes in at half the price of some of the other ATOs, and it has a very low-profile sensor ideal for placing in small compartments of all-in-one nano aquariums such as the Coralife BioCube.
Tunze Water Level Controllers
The Tunze Osmolator 3 Water Level Controllers are some of the safest ATOs available. It utilizes an electronic eye sensor to monitor water levels and a backup float switch sensor with an optional audible alarm. The controller protects the quiet metering pump from running dry and reports an empty storage tank. Two magnetic holders for sensors, multiple mounting brackets, and a pump are included. LED indicator lights on the Osmolator will let you visually see if there are any issues with your top-off system. This ATO can be used with the Tunze Controlled Power Socket.
Neptune Systems ATK V2 Automatic Top-Off Kit
The Neptune Systems ATK V2 Automatic Top-Off Kit integrates with the Neptune Apex Controllers or can be used on its own. It uses dual optical sensors and a backup float, along with other features such as pump timeout, to ensure the unit is super reliable. The ATK is a more expensive option, but it's definitely worth it if you want more features or already have an Apex Controller.