Water Topoff

Nullig · #1 05-13-2003, 09:15 PM

Has anone ever tried suspending a bottle of topoff water upside down right at the waterline to provide topoff during weekends or holidays away from your tank?

Noel

Aquattro · #2 05-13-2003, 09:32 PM

That is sort of the principal of the Nurce system, and there are some DIY links available on the net. Search for "nurce" water topoff", "reef diy" etc, and you find it.

Nullig · #3 05-13-2003, 09:43 PM

The "Nurce" doesn't really work that way, it's a siphon... and it's no longer available (guess they couldn't patent the idea).

Noel

Delphinus · #4 05-13-2003, 10:16 PM

It's still kind of basically the same idea. When the water level is high enough to cover where air would enter the topoff reservoir, no more air can enter, thus no water can exit. When the water level drops below that point, air can enter, and thus water can exit.

To be honest, it's a neat idea, but I tried to go this way once (a sort of DIY "Nurce"), and I found nothing really worked to my satisfaction ... I'll take a float valve over a siphon/gravity feed any day.

Aquattro · #5 05-13-2003, 10:26 PM

To be technical (and maybe anal) the Nurce works exactly the same. It just has more parts.

EmilyB · #6 05-13-2003, 11:06 PM

My Nurce sucks so bad it is sitting in a corner and Barry is topping off with a jug every night....it just kept losing siphon all the time.

Jack · #7 05-13-2003, 11:30 PM

Tony said it best. Float valve.

I know you can get the Kent ones at J&L for something like 26$. This is what I will be doing shortly as I'm using the "jug" technique right now... which btw sucks.

Tman1973 · #8 05-14-2003, 12:19 AM

Hey Guy's

I just made a topoff last week. All I did was run to the hydroponic store and pick up a water float valve for $12 and a small bulkhead with a nipple on the end for $2.

Drilled a hole in the botton side of an old salt bucket, installed the bulkhead. Mounted the float valve in my sump, ran a small airline between the two and wella.

It's working great and all I need to do is fill the 5 gallon some RO water and I'm set for about a week with my current rate of evaporation.
I'm toying with the idea of puting a mini jet in the bucket and a bit of Kalk to keep up my levels. I'm just not sure if the float valve will clog up.

The whole thing is simple and it works well.

Trev

Aquattro · #9 05-14-2003, 12:34 AM

Float valves work great, but remember; if you don't have a sump, they can be intrusive in a display tank....