Jestersix

Apex, Excuse #12,349

Jeff Rehling

Jeff Rehling

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So I discovered when I put my MP-40 in feed mode, it eventually triggers the Tunze ATO to pump in water. Not so much to register as too high on the sensor, but it does have an effect. I'm thinking about the exponential savings in water usage through the ATO as well as not having a worry about salinity!

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Why does slowing down your pump affect your ATO? Your ATO sensor is in the display tank? Should be in the return pump chamber of your sump.
 
I suspect the MP-40 is pushing some water into the overflow. When it goes to sleep for food, less water goes down and the return pump area goes down slightly. I believe that's what triggers the Tunze. I haven't bought an Apex (YET).
 
So your ato kicks on when the vortech is in feed mode, how is this an issue? Your system has a little extra water until it evaps. What is your system volume? Is it small enough that this would affect salinity (smaller than 40g)? If not, I wouldn't worry about it at all.

However, having a apex would avoid it. Feed mode shuts off return, vortech and ato. Problem solved.
 
it's a 105. i agree, it's not a big deal. Just another reason for me to try to justify the controller.

Yes mike, feed mode would be programmed to leave the ATO off until a period of time elapsed.
 
I think you're really overthinking this. If your ATO fires when feed mode happens and you add water to the tank, your tank has more water, probably not a significant amount difference to affect salinity by a bit. Now throughout the course of the day your tank will evaporate water, but sure it has a little more so you know what? Your ATO won't trigger as often throughout the day. Whether your tank adds a little water during feeding time or at some other unspecified time is irrelevant, it's not like you are adding more water to your tank throughout the day.

That said, never understood the reasoning for a feed mode on pumps, don't you want the food moving around the tank? I mean I get not wanting it in your sump to filter it out, but let it flow around the tank, make your fish work for it.
 
sfsuphysics said:
I think you're really overthinking this. If your ATO fires when feed mode happens and you add water to the tank, your tank has more water, probably not a significant amount difference to affect salinity by a bit. Now throughout the course of the day your tank will evaporate water, but sure it has a little more so you know what? Your ATO won't trigger as often throughout the day. Whether your tank adds a little water during feeding time or at some other unspecified time is irrelevant, it's not like you are adding more water to your tank throughout the day.

That said, never understood the reasoning for a feed mode on pumps, don't you want the food moving around the tank? I mean I get not wanting it in your sump to filter it out, but let it flow around the tank, make your fish work for it.
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I use feed mode when I add stuff for my LPS to eat too. I don't use feed mode on any of the pumps, just shut them off.

My return shuts off, Skimmer drops to 20% and stay there for 10 min after the return kicks back on (to avoid overflowing from raised water level in sump), ato shuts off until Skimmer goes back up to normal flow and in tank pumps shut off until 5 min after the return kicks on.
 
I'm a huge fan of controllers, but this is a pretty thin excuse for an Apex. Then again I don't turn down my powerheads when I feed unless I'm spot feeding an acan or something that day.
Instead you should use the justification that they're just awesome fun. Normally I use pretty as an excuse with reef equipment, but not unless you repaint them in this case. The gray is probably close enough though, it should be easy to cover the orange with red, a little spot of brown and green in the corner, maybe a black outline somewhere and you would be all set.
 
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