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Thread: ATO turned off if salinity is low

  1. #1
    New User Whitey1973's Avatar
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    ATO turned off if salinity is low

    Hi all I'm new to apex, I fact so new I've only just ordered it today!! I have a question about auto top off, as evaporation takes place there is the need to top up with RODI water..... but what if your salinity has dropped, maybe because you are wet skimming or salt creep, can apex stop adding RODI water??

    Thanks in advance


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  2. #2
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    You would need the salinity probe and a pm2 the you can also check salinity as well and do something based on those readings

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  3. #3
    New User Whitey1973's Avatar
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    Yeah I will have the salinity probe with it, but can my apex see that my salinity has dropped and not add RO water?


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  4. #4
    Frequent Contributor zombie's Avatar
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    Yes. You just need to add one line at the end of the ATO code. Replace 33.0 with the conductivity you want (I suggest 1-2 ppt below the lowest you see recorded in your fusion graph) and replace cond with your cond probe name. Make sure you have an email alarm at the same level so you know when it stops pumping.

    (Existing code)
    If cond < 32.0 Then OFF

    You might be an engineer if...You have no life and can prove it mathematically.

  5. #5
    New User Whitey1973's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by zombie View Post
    Yes. You just need to add one line at the end of the ATO code. Replace 33.0 with the conductivity you want (I suggest 1-2 ppt below the lowest you see recorded in your fusion graph) and replace cond with your cond probe name. Make sure you have an email alarm at the same level so you know when it stops pumping.

    (Existing code)
    If cond < 32.0 Then OFF

    You might be an engineer if...You have no life and can prove it mathematically.
    Thanks zombie


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    I also did the same thing with my ATO. I added a line "If Salt < 34.5 Then OFF" today. I'm not really sure what will happen over time.

    My salinity probe failed and Neptune RMA'ed me another probe, but for the month I was without the probe I didn't realize that my salinity was falling so much. I tested weekly with the Milwaukee Digital Salinity refractometer but i found out that it has a +/- .002 accuracy which would mean your 1.026 reading could be between 1.024 and 1.028. And it didn't help that I wasn't calibrating the Milwaukee every time I was using it.

    After calibrating my new probe with the Neptune calibration fluid and I checked the solution and my probe was reading 34.9. But when I put the probe in my tank and it would read 33.1. After reading the comments above I too noticed salt creep in places and my skimmer is on the wet side. Could that be a contributing factor to why the salinity went so low?

    After calibrating the milwaukee I was seeing 1.025 SG and then toggling the range in the Milwaukee from Specifc gravity (SG) to PPT my result would be 33. I didn't realize how big of a range specific gravity is when compared to PPT. 1.026 SG can be anywhere from 34.4 PPT to 35.7 PPT.

    Needless to say, I may be adding more salt water weekly or better yet making it automated.
    If I programmed a PMUP pump to add salt water to the sump like below:
    Fallback OFF
    Set OFF
    If ATO_LO OPEN Then ON <--- If my ATO sensor low is dry then ON
    If ATO_HI CLOSED Then OFF <--- If my ATO sensor High is wet then off

    If SALT_RL OPEN Then OFF <--- If my saltwater reservoir is low or empty don't run the PMUP pump. Also send me an alarm.
    If Salt < 34.5 Then ON <--- If my salinity probe is below 34.5 then on.
    If Salt > 35 Then OFF <--- If my salinity probe is above 35 then off.
    When On > 005:00 Then OFF
    Defer 000:10 Then ON
    Defer 000:04 Then OFF

    Does this make sense to you all? Can this work or would I run into other problems?

    thx

  7. #7
    Frequent Contributor zombie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by skynite View Post
    I also did the same thing with my ATO. I added a line "If Salt < 34.5 Then OFF" today. I'm not really sure what will happen over time.

    My salinity probe failed and Neptune RMA'ed me another probe, but for the month I was without the probe I didn't realize that my salinity was falling so much. I tested weekly with the Milwaukee Digital Salinity refractometer but i found out that it has a +/- .002 accuracy which would mean your 1.026 reading could be between 1.024 and 1.028. And it didn't help that I wasn't calibrating the Milwaukee every time I was using it.

    After calibrating my new probe with the Neptune calibration fluid and I checked the solution and my probe was reading 34.9. But when I put the probe in my tank and it would read 33.1. After reading the comments above I too noticed salt creep in places and my skimmer is on the wet side. Could that be a contributing factor to why the salinity went so low?

    After calibrating the milwaukee I was seeing 1.025 SG and then toggling the range in the Milwaukee from Specifc gravity (SG) to PPT my result would be 33. I didn't realize how big of a range specific gravity is when compared to PPT. 1.026 SG can be anywhere from 34.4 PPT to 35.7 PPT.

    Needless to say, I may be adding more salt water weekly or better yet making it automated.
    If I programmed a PMUP pump to add salt water to the sump like below:
    Fallback OFF
    Set OFF
    If ATO_LO OPEN Then ON <--- If my ATO sensor low is dry then ON
    If ATO_HI CLOSED Then OFF <--- If my ATO sensor High is wet then off

    If SALT_RL OPEN Then OFF <--- If my saltwater reservoir is low or empty don't run the PMUP pump. Also send me an alarm.
    If Salt < 34.5 Then ON <--- If my salinity probe is below 34.5 then on.
    If Salt > 35 Then OFF <--- If my salinity probe is above 35 then off.
    When On > 005:00 Then OFF
    Defer 000:10 Then ON
    Defer 000:04 Then OFF

    Does this make sense to you all? Can this work or would I run into other problems?

    thx
    I would not go about raising the salinity that way. What I would do instead is use an OSC statement that is supervised by salinity to deliver a very small amount (like half a gallon per 100g of tank max) each day until salinity is back where you want it and then remove that PMUP from the saltwater reservoir entirely. After that point, whenever you clean your skimmer cup, just add the same volume manually back to the tank.

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  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by zombie View Post
    I would not go about raising the salinity that way. What I would do instead is use an OSC statement that is supervised by salinity to deliver a very small amount (like half a gallon per 100g of tank max) each day until salinity is back where you want it and then remove that PMUP from the saltwater reservoir entirely. After that point, whenever you clean your skimmer cup, just add the same volume manually back to the tank.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
    Thx Zombie, thats a good idea this way I know how much to add. I'm just surprised how I got so far off when not running the salinity probe. Makes me think that the Salinity refractometers aren't all that reliable even if you calibrate every single time and especially if you don't calibrate but once a month. Seems to me that the Neptune Salinity probe is very accurate.

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