For some reason I’ve been having some issues with my current ATO setup:
IM Nuvo 14 with a high and low float switch in the return chamber. They’re hooked to my Apex with standard coding.
I don’t have time to futz with it and it didn’t matter when I had a larger tank and sump. However, with the new tank, there’s not much buffer for if the ATO fails either way.
I’ve been reading through different forums and manuals for ATOs and think I’ve narrowed down to the Tunze 3155 or the AutoAqua Smart ATO micro.
For the tunze:
- 99% of owners swear by it. It seems the go-to choice.
- I like the float switch failsafe if there’s a sensor failure.
- the only issue I’ve read is that it sounds like it runs for a bit upon powering on. Not an issue if I had a sump, but in the current tank, not a ton of space for an extra dump when not needed. Had anyone else experienced this? It sounds like it can be a cup worth of water.
- pump is noted as 110lph at .9m and sounds like it’s adjustable. Seems to be a slower flow rate than the micro - which is a plus for my small tank.
Smart ATO micro:
- I like the small size.
- from the manual, it sounds like the only failsafe is if the pump runs 3x longer than normal. If that’s the case, not entirely comfortable with it.
- manual says pump is 280lph (no info on head correction)
Any thoughts? Cost between the two isn’t an issue for me. I just want to get the more reliable one.
Thanks!
IM Nuvo 14 with a high and low float switch in the return chamber. They’re hooked to my Apex with standard coding.
I don’t have time to futz with it and it didn’t matter when I had a larger tank and sump. However, with the new tank, there’s not much buffer for if the ATO fails either way.
I’ve been reading through different forums and manuals for ATOs and think I’ve narrowed down to the Tunze 3155 or the AutoAqua Smart ATO micro.
For the tunze:
- 99% of owners swear by it. It seems the go-to choice.
- I like the float switch failsafe if there’s a sensor failure.
- the only issue I’ve read is that it sounds like it runs for a bit upon powering on. Not an issue if I had a sump, but in the current tank, not a ton of space for an extra dump when not needed. Had anyone else experienced this? It sounds like it can be a cup worth of water.
- pump is noted as 110lph at .9m and sounds like it’s adjustable. Seems to be a slower flow rate than the micro - which is a plus for my small tank.
Smart ATO micro:
- I like the small size.
- from the manual, it sounds like the only failsafe is if the pump runs 3x longer than normal. If that’s the case, not entirely comfortable with it.
- manual says pump is 280lph (no info on head correction)
Any thoughts? Cost between the two isn’t an issue for me. I just want to get the more reliable one.
Thanks!