Problem is I am a student on a budget and I don't have a sump so how should I put my ATO in if I have a hood on my tank or is it possible to put it in with the hood

Thanks

I'd be more concerned with where you're going to put the protein skimmer and heaters and filter socks and media reactors and stuff :) I'd get a sump!

I would probably upgrade later but as of now i have a place to put the things i need just don't know how to put in my ATO

Michael

I've been running sumpless for years, since day one. Someday...... perhaps..... I'll also have a sump, basement is the plan. In the meantime, my ATO is fairly simple with a minimum of electrics, lots of clutter around the tank though without sump, the industrial look is where it's at! 7 gallon glass winemaking carboy on a stand next to the display. An air pump on a timer pressurizes the carboy via tubing through rubber stopper. Rigid tube to bottom of carboy (also through stopper) feeds fresh water through a mechanical furnace humidifier float valve into the tank.

Some dated photos to illustrate, I shortened the mechanical float valve by one or two chambers to reduce the footprint in the display. This has worked for me with minimum hassles for many years. Relatively fail safe since the top off is a mere trickle & there's just sufficient air pressure in the carboy to keep the water moving on demand. If you keep the top off container smaller, there's even less chance of a flood. The 7 gallons keeps my 77 gallon tank topped off for 7 days.... lucky 7!

There's also a gravity feed variation of this scenario. If you can mount the top off container above the display, all you need is the mechanical valve & some tubing.

Carboy containing DI water & tubing. Sometimes I mix Kalk or Alk into the top off water.
https://tsl4pa.bl3301.livefilestore....boy.JPG?psid=1

Mechanical float valve. Not sure how you can work your hood around this, but I don't really see that you have another option other than drilling your tank.
https://tsl4pa.blu.livefilestore.com...lve.JPG?psid=1

thanks this was really useful

Hello i have another question for all of you, i am planning on getting a HOB Skimmer (octopus) and wonder how often do you guys clean the collection cup as later on i will be gone for two weeks vacation and there is no one home i am worry the cup will overflow, is it ok if i do not empty it for two weeks?

Thanks

Every tank will be different, and different at certain times. 2 weeks might be ok, or 2 days.

any other opinions on wht i can do with my skimmer if i am on vacation? Would the cup be able to hold two weeks worth of stuff?

Options are chance it, turn skimmer off, or figure out how to drain potential overflow into something else. Like I said, it could go 2 weeks or 2 days. If something happened to die, probably closer to 2 days. If it's a new tank with nothing in it, maybe 2 months. It depends.

Or get friends/family to check on the tank or a professional aquarium company.