How to DIY top up system?

[terryansimon]

I myself am a student. I merely drew a conclusion since you're always asking for cheap stuff. (=

[serkp78]

Hi, all.

Take it easy man, i appreciate all the suggestion & help u guys put in. It will help me in a way or 2..Thank you folks.

[ervine]

There is a cheap alternative for an auto topup system but not very nice looking unless got sump and cabinet to hide. Get a container and place it higer then the tank to fill(preferbly sump). Drill ahole and connect a toilet float valve (got those new small ones). adjust the float to the disired height and when the water level drops, the valve open to allow water to flow from the top up container to the tank. when the desired height is reached, the valve shut and flow stop.

In fact you can DIY that too! Use a piece of styrafoam for the float, then fashion a lever that will pivot onto on of them luohan tank divider sucker things... attach the tube where the divider should be and there you have it...

Seen it before in one of the tank of the month's over at RC...

If you want to go the electronic way... try here

This was my previous post on it, but the pictures all gone since the last forum migration

[SBS_Transit]

the link u gave us, all the pic spoilt ???

can repose pic ?

[CalciumReef]

SBS_Transit....pls read what other say carefully before making any comments.Ervine has mentioned that the photos has been lost due to the last server migration.It might be lost forever unless he keeps backup.

[mv3i]

I have the PICS .... pls check out this link

AUTO TOP UP SYSTEM

[CalciumReef]

Two float switches will be much safer as snails tend to climb onto the float switch unless you can keep anything away from triggering it on accidently.

[alvy]

actually the snails problem is an urban-fishy legend!! why would you have snails in your last compartment (since it is where the water will flucuate)?? No livestocks should ever get to the last compartment!! if you have snails there then BEWARE!! snails are pump-busters!! you shouldn;'t have snails there and you mustn't let them go there in the 1st place!! having an extra float switch is a nice feature. Redundancy is not exactly critical for topups as compared to return pumps!! the payload for a faulty return pump is MUCH higher than one forgeting to topup water for a day or two!

[CalciumReef]

My sump different mah....plus i have loads of extra snails....so no choice but to put them in sump....

[Achilles Tang]

So far the only thing that may represent a threat to my TUBBY float switches is the polyfilter pad that floats on my water surface of my sump's last compartment.

Having two float switches placed at both ends of my sump has prevented the accidental triggering of the topup pump due to the floating polyfilter pad being stuck next to it.

[ervine]

actually the snails problem is an urban-fishy legend!!

That is so not true!!! It happened to me!!

A snail got loose from the refugium, climbed into the last compartment, climbed up the pump's wire, climbed onto the float switch and nearly killed the tank... luckily I found out quickly

SBS: Yah, the backup that I had went down along with my own computer crash... so no pics liao...

[Cookiemunster]

but the TUBBY is so expansive !!!

I did not see your post here before I replied to your pm. SBS actually asked me to sell him parts to build the TUBBY.

MY GAWD! pls man. The whole world has already been saying that all components is available in Sim Lim Tower. Just go there and buy the parts yourself. Some Mr 'Noor' already did a breakdown of my parts used and listed it as $60. However he did not include the custom float acrylic float switch holder, workmanship and time spent to build it and getting it factory made.

If you even tried to build anything close to a auto top up you will realise you need at least 5 hrs of non stop work. Thats how long it took me when I built the DIY in the beginning.

If you are not intending to buy it, then pls do not condemn it. Especially when I try to price it as reasonably as possible.

Have you considered also I have to pay for the warranty? If any defects or spoilt parts who pays for it? Giving 30 days warranty is no joke. How many aquarium products you see for sale provide 30days warranty? pumps? Lights? Ph meters? Electronics stuff are very unpredictable, it can be well designed but defects do occur and I have to bare the cost of repair and replacement.

Plus the TUBBY is not a DIY. Please get that right. How can you compare a AquaC Skimmer with a DIY skimmer and say its expensive? Anyway what price would you price it at to say its cheap? $100? $80?

A skimmer is only pieces of plastic glued together and then sold for hundreds. Why do you not consider that expensive? Schemetics are already online on how to build one. All you need is plastic and glue what could be simpler as sherman put it.

How much do you pay for a pump? Or for lights? These are even simpler in components. Do you expect delivery for a ehiem pump priced at $180?

Do you call any LFS to ask them to deliver a pump or a set of lights to your house? And even then is warranty provided for the items you buy?

Sherman:

obviously you know nuts about DIY. Please do not embarass yourself here by giving all the comments. Loupgarou asked me to help him build the system you mentioned and I told him I would not do it because it was too simple and not justifiable for me to charge money for doing it.

For your information, he was keeping a freshwater tank which is why he did not need a TUBBY and could just top up straight from the tap. Hence thats why he needed an alarm system and not a top up system.

Anyway, I also gave him the breakdown of parts he would need to help him to DIY it himself. Stop provoking me. Just because I told everyone to be careful about the live rocks you were selling the last time, this is not the way to get back at me. Be a gentleman and admit you were conning newbies by selling PURE WHITE rocks and passing them off as live and selling it at $7/kg. I came down with a friend all the way from hougang to bukit panjang and he is ready to be my witness. This will get us no where so lets stop stepping on each other.

I know there will always be someone who will say something without thinking. Just like what happened to AT when he was selling T-shirts or to a few reefers I know who used to be selling frags of sps at $10 and even expected to do delivery. The thing is, please try to be more sensitive and reasonable.

[Nic a Jon]

I will buy the TUBBY anytime even tho I can get the parts for $60 at SimLim tower. The TUBBY is a factory assembled product, not some DIY without warranty stuff.

Would anyone out there be willing to produce the same equivalent water top up system at below $100 ..come with warranty, and most important safety, I can take a few sets .

For those who can DIY, u may think that the TUBBY is expensive, go ahead DIY one but make sure u know what u r doing n not get hurt in the process.

To commission some one to do it at below $100 and getting the same finished product as the TUBBY, IMO think not possible.

Where got labour charges so cheap..this is not Thailand or China.

U need many hours doing it.

come on, so give cookie a break

[Tango_Liverock]

I am using a MAC 3 Level Regulator for auto top up.

Workable. Need more room for the float to move. The water level cannot be controlled as precisely. I would probably get TUBBY if I am not using this. I got it much earlier.

A. Electric Cable

B. Counterweight (Optional)

C. Core Hitch (Cable Coupling)

D. Core Hitch Holder

E. Moplen Single-Piece (Monoblock) With Double Sealed Chamber

F. Sphere (Ball)

G. Microswitch

H. Sphere (Ball) Race

[[JS]]

tubby is a good buy

no need to go down to slt and search like hell......

and the workmanship is good

thx to cookie moster ......

[silver2578]

The tubby is not a DIY product. But a product designed and engineered by our fellow reefer for fellow reefers whom may not be familiar with "simple" circuitry that would save us the trouble and hassle of toping up the evapourated water in our precious treasure box of marine life.

"simple" circuitry equates to amateurish adventures in eletrical designs. Which, in turn results in probably cheap and workable solutions in the arena of topping up water effortlessly.

HOWEVER, "simple" circuitry also results in Critical safety issues that would not have been discovered without strong groundings in electrical fundamentals.

Are you gonna save 40 bucks today by using cheap and failable components from Sim Lim tower that doesnt come with decents specifications, and cause 240V to leak into ur marine tank tommorrow?

no, killing ur corals and fishes may not be the ur biggest loss. What if you or ur loved ones places his/her hands into the water?

I am not against the DIY way of implementing Electrical devices.

But i am For the reefer Cookiemunster who has provided a SAFE solution for pple whom may not be from an electrical engineering background or do not want to waste time/effort in building a DIY auto water topup system that may not/ May not work out well.

Just wanna highlight the importance of safety and applaud the efforts of cookiemunster

And lastly, IF u Must DIY ur Own auto Water-top up system, at least, pass ur schematics to Cookie. I'm sure he'd be more then happy to verify the flaws that u might have missed.

[serkp78]

Hi Guys,

If i wanted to get the done up auto top up from tubby, where can i get it n who shall i contact to? Thanks....

[rockfish]

I myself am a student. I merely drew a conclusion since you're always asking for cheap stuff. (=

somme ppls are filthy rich while some are just poor fellows trying to keep up to their hobby.

guys .. there's nothing wrong being poor and try to have a hobby that are more expensive. while some ppls that are more fortunate to be born with a silver spoon ... some of us are not ..

so those rich ones out there that are really against poorer ppls trying to cut cost by DIYing their own equipments... think again ... at least they put their blood and sweat into making the whole thing while some just spend money to get wat they wants...

sometime mid of this yr i saw some ppls calling those that DIY their own stuff... cheapos...

WHATS SO WRONG WITH THAT??

[rockfish]

those who are not willing to make and rather buy stuff from others .. well u have to pay ur price ... there is no such thing as materials cost only ...

those ppls that diy things for u dun need to eat izzit .. ?? thier time put into making those things .. ??

i just wants to say this... cookie muz .. u have my support ... !!

and to those guys out there ... if u are not willing to pay the price .. shut up and find it some whereelse... or if u are really that great ... try making one urself..