I am setting my ato up for a different setting. I have Kalk in my ATO and want to stabalize my PH. it sits good all day and drops at night, so I am thinking I would like my ATO to only work between 8:30pm and 7:00am does this code look like it will work?
FALLBACK OFF
If Sw1 OPEN Then OFF
IF TIME 7:00 TO 20:30 THEN OFF
OSC 00:00/15:00/45:00
Defer 005:00 Then ON
Defer 000:10 Then ON
Youve got two defer statements both for on. Was one supposed to be a defer off statement?
In order to truly check this, I also need to know what the flowrate of your pump is and you typical daily evaporation loss.
Anyone who cannot cope with mathematics is not fully human. At best he is a tolerable subhuman who has learned to wear shoes, bathe and not make messes in the house. -robert heinlein
My flow rate is a max 115 gph or so from the pump, and I use maybe 10 gals avert week or 2
The defer was to delay start and prevent short cycles while running
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The If Swi1 and If Time statements must come after the OSC line. OSC has both ON and OFF states, so those If statements will be ignored the way you have it.
You cannot use two Defer ON statement in one outlet program. As zombie asked - is one intended to be Defer xxx Then OFF?
Please do not send me PMs with technical questions or requesting assistance - use the forums for Apex help. PM me ONLY if the matter is of a private or personal nature. Thanks.
I am just a bit confused there. If the float switch triggers, between the hours of 8:30 PM and 7:00 AM, then turn on the pump. Should I scrap the OSC and defer commands?
I just created a how to guide that goes into a very reliable version of what you are trying to do here. I have the link below. I would strongly recommend getting a lower flowrate pump like an aqualifter or peristalic dosing pump. the one you have is going to add kalk way to fast to the point that you may be killing corals (believe me I have done it before when I used a pump about the same size).
http://forum.neptunesystems.com/show...5978#post35978
I tried aqualifters (3 different on a JBJ ATO) and they were by far the worst most useless pumps I have ever run since I started salt 25 years ago. I would rather hand dose than use them. But I guess I will just go with this code
Fallback off
If time 07:00 to 20:30 then off
If sw1 open then off
That should accomplish the task right?
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Originally Posted by Railcar79
That will not work. There is nothing to turn on the outlet.
This is a very basic nighttime-only ATO program with debouncing of the switch and a high pH shutoff.
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Swi1 CLOSED Then ON
If Time 07:00 to 20:30 then OFF
If pH > 8.30 Then OFF
Defer 000:30 Then ON
Defer 000:10 Then OFF
Please do not send me PMs with technical questions or requesting assistance - use the forums for Apex help. PM me ONLY if the matter is of a private or personal nature. Thanks.
I have to agree with you about Aqualifters. I've had nothing but problems with them.
Please do not send me PMs with technical questions or requesting assistance - use the forums for Apex help. PM me ONLY if the matter is of a private or personal nature. Thanks.
Ok. Thank you Russ, I am still figuring coding out. Some days my old timers and float swiches seem so much easier. One of these days, I will figure out feed timers...lol
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Technically, yes this will work, but you are going to end up with a lot of kalk being dumped in at 20:30 after having no top-off all day. I would make it OSC-based with a switch over-ride (as opposed to switch-activated).
180g reef with all the bells and whistles
I took my standard code last night and manually shut off the ATO system all day and only let it run at night. on the 3 day graph it looks MUCH better, that is why I am looking at only allowing it to run at night.
72 hr graph.jpg
When you let it run normally (all day) about how often does it turn on, and for how long?
180g reef with all the bells and whistles
this is the best I can do for you there. I work away from home and I dont get alot of time to observe the systems functioning.
ato chart.jpg
from what I can see anywhere from 5-15 seconds 21 times yesterday
Is that over the whole 24 hours or just overnight, with no topoff during the day?
180g reef with all the bells and whistles
That graph was for the 2 days before going to nighttime only
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Looks like its basically coming on every hour. To avoid kalk overdose once the ATO is allowed, I would run it as an OSC statement, with a float switch and if time over-ride. Something like "Fallback OFF", "OSC 000:00/000:10/029:50 then ON", "If Sw1 OPEN then OFF", "If Time 07:00 to 20:30 then OFF". This will allow the ATO pump to run 10 seconds every 30 minutes, EXCEPT if the float switch says the sump is full, and EXCEPT during the daytime. Hope that makes sense. You will have to keep a close eye on it for a few days, you might need to adjust the OSC statement up/down depending on your needs. I really can't recommend float-activated kalk dosing... theres so much that could go wrong, its just too dangerous.
180g reef with all the bells and whistles
Unfortunately it is my only option for now, and using float based dosing, the tank has ran great for a couple years, just trying to smooth the curve a bit
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+1 I have a how to guide on this topic that Russ is reviewing and will be released soon after. Ill link it when its open to everyone.
Anyone who cannot cope with mathematics is not fully human. At best he is a tolerable subhuman who has learned to wear shoes, bathe and not make messes in the house. -robert heinlein
What is the code you have been using for the past few years?
180g reef with all the bells and whistles
Last few years I used a JBJ ATO. I finally caved and got my 2nd controller (first one was a huge mistake). I know the apex can do a lot, I just can't seem to tell it what I want it to do and have it work.
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My code above should give you a safe way of doing what you are looking for, you just might have to adjust the times to suit your needs. You wouldn't be able to simply take something like the JBJ and put it on a timer, because when the timer activates it, it's going to make up 12 hours worth of evap with kalk all at once which is way too much. That's why I changed the code to OSC based.
180g reef with all the bells and whistles
So If I were to go with a dosing every 6 hours (to cut down on kalk getting dumped in all at once) would this be better?
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Sw1 CLOSED Then ON
OSC 0:00/5:00/355:00 Then OFF
If pH > 8.30 Then OFF
Defer 000:30 Then ON
Defer 000:10 Then OFF
That won't work. OSC has hard on and off states, so it will ALWAYS override any statement(s) listed above it. Also, your OSC... Then OFF does not make sense for this application - you have it programmed to be OFF for 5 minutes and ON for 355.
Fallback OFF
OSC 0:00/5:00/355:00 Then ON
If Sw1 OPEN Then OFF
If pH > 8.30 Then OFF
Defer 000:30 Then ON
Defer 000:10 Then OFF
Now, the OSC will try to turn on the outlet for 5 minutes every 6 hours. But that will only happen if the switch is open (ATO is needed). If the switch is closed, then nothing will happen. If the switch is open when the OSC turns on the outlet, and then the switch goes closed as top-off kalk/water gets, the outlet will shut off - so, only enough will be added to raise the switch.
Please do not send me PMs with technical questions or requesting assistance - use the forums for Apex help. PM me ONLY if the matter is of a private or personal nature. Thanks.
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