However, new technologies and manufacturers are now making available low cost and reliable ATO systems. I knew that we would not be able to add RODI top off water often enough (especially if we went away for vacation) to maintain stability I made it a priority to get an Automatic Top Off (or ATO) System to automate freshwater replacement.ĪTO’s have historically (in the marine aquarium hobby) been complicated, bulky, unreliable, and expensive. The challenge is adding the water back often enough to not cause swings in salinity. The solution to the freshwater leaving by evaporation is simply to replace with more freshwater (in our case – RODI water). Over time, as more had more freshwater leaves the tank, the salinity of the water in the tank will rise.
Water that evaporates from a saltwater tank is fresh (pure) water the salt and minerals in the saltwater are left behind. With marine aquariums, the impact of evaporation is greater. With a freshwater tank, when water evaporates, it’s not too big of a deal since what is left is still freshwater – there is just less of it. One huge difference between freshwater aquariums and saltwater aquariums is the effect of evaporation and the tank’s stability. I will be following up with a detailed review of the Aqamai KPS wavemaker in the future. There are cheaper circulation pumps that are constant flow, but I wanted a wavemaker that is programmable so I can adjust to the tank’s needs as it evolves. This wavemaker provides flow up to 1,050 GPH, which should be plenty of flow for an EVO 13.5. You can break the day up into 15 minute increments and customize each time slot for the flow pattern (Constant Flow, Wave, Smooth, Radom, Feed, Night) and intensity (as a percentage up to 100%). However, the Aqamai KPS is able to be programmed for a number of intensities and flow patterns that can be varied throughout the day. There are cheaper circulation pumps that are suitable for a nano aquarium. I think fish will be fine with just the stock EVO pump, but most corals will need some additional flow to stay happy and healthy. My ultimate goal for this nano marine aquarium is to house not only fish but also a few corals. However, I believe they are still good value for the added convenience and stability each offers. If you are on a budget, I’d consider all of these as ‘optional’.
WAVEMAKER STOCK UPGRADE
Beyond the basics that I covered in Part 1 of our EVO 13.5 series, I have a few other upgrade products that I wanted to include in our build.
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