- Hey, it's Thomas here.
And today we're gonna be taking a look
at the Tunze Osmolator 3155, Auto Top Off.
If you want an ATO that has been proven to
be the most reliable by countless rivers,
and earn that BRS recommended badge,
with multiple levels of redundancy
to make sure your tank stays topped up,
your floors stay dry with flexible setup options
for reefers that need higher flow rates,
or wanna skip the reservoir altogether
and go direct from their RDI system,
then check out the Tunze Osmolator 3155.
I don't know if you've seen them,
but there are more
than 380 reviews on the BRS website,
and a five-star rating.
That's basically a standing ovation.
There are not many products out there,
that get that kind of response
from the reefing community,
with that kind of a track record,
so, good job Tunze.
Let's take a look at why.
Staying on top of evaporation by hand can be challenging
especially in our high flow reef tanks,
but it is critical for maintaining stable water parameters
and preventing equipment like return pumps,
from running dry, which is why ATO Top Offs
have become such a stable piece
of kit for reefers.
And while there are a number
of great ATO solutions available,
one of them has a long track record
of being safe, reliable and flexible enough
for even the most discerning reefer,
keeping tanks topped up, parameter stable
and making sure floors stay dry
with built-in redundancies
and quality components made to last the life
of your aquarium.
It should come as no surprise
that the Tunze Osmolator 3155 is still one
of the most trusted and used ATO solutions available.
Not only is it BRS recommended,
but it has over 380 reviews and a five-star rating
which is a testament to its more than decade
long track record of performance and reliability.
It's also one of the most flexible ATOs with
optional components that allow you to use any pump you want
or even a direct feed from your RDI filter.
But before we dive into all that,
let's get it out of the box.
In the box you'll find the water controller 5017
with included optical sensor
and float switch.
The magnetic mount along
with an optional magnetic mount and guard shield,
the pump, the tubing and tubing bracket,
the instructions
and a pair of adhesive Velcro strips,
and the power supply.
Don't let those bare wires fool you,
set up is really easy.
First attach the optic sensor
to the magnetic mount pointing downwards,
then attach the float switch pointing upwards,
next attach those bare wires
from the pump to the wire clips,
then the tubing to the pump,
place it in your reservoir,
and attach the tubing to your sump
or aquarium using the tubing bracket.
Finally attach the magnetic mount with the optical sensor
at the water level that you'd like to maintain,
plug it in and you're off to the races.
The Osmolator uses that optical sensor to detect when
the water level has lowered,
and activates the pump once the water reaches
the optical sensor.
Again it shuts the pump off super simple.
Just be sure to keep that outlet to
from the ATO pump above the maximum water level
in the reservoir to prevent accidental siphoning
or pick up a siphon break
and install it just above the max waterline
inside of that ATO reservoir.
There are a number of safety measures
in place to keep your tank safe
from overfilling, your pump safe from running dry
with audible and visual alarms to notify you
if any of these safety measures are tripped.
Most importantly for many of us,
if the optical sensor would have failed in the on position,
then the float switch will trip and shut off the pump,
saving your tank from potentially overfilling,
and by extension it's saving you from wet floors.
There is also a 10 minute maximum run time
that will automatically shut off the pump
if it runs for longer than 10 minutes,
which might seem like a long time,
especially if you have a smaller tank,
but with the DC pumps adjustable flow rate,
you can actually turn the flow rate
on the pump down to keep that 10 minute timer
applicable for your smaller tank.
You can find the knob to adjust the flow rate
along with another hidden feature
under the cover of the water controller.
You'll see the word Nano on the far left
and Max on the far right,
when turned all the way
to Nano the flow rate is at its minimum,
and naturally Max is the maximum.
If your tank is on the smaller side
and you're unsure, start at Nano,
see how long it takes to refill and adjust as needed.
You can also adjust the audible alarm by using the jumper
on the left to choose which parameters trigger the alarm,
or remove the jumper altogether
to bypass the alarm completely,
although I highly recommend you don't bypass it completely
for obvious reasons.
Like any piece of gear on your reef
keeping it clean and staying on top
of maintenance is important to keep it running perfectly.
This is especially true for any mechanical float switch
since soil creep and precipitate can gum them up,
and prevent them from doing their job.
Like I mentioned earlier,
the Osmolator is also customizable and has two options
for reefers that have more specialized needs.
If you have a very large system,
or have a long way to pump water
and the included pump isn't quite enough,
you can pick up the switched socket outlet
that will allow you to
use any pump of your choice.
Just make sure that that adjustable flow rate knob is set
to max on the controller, when you're using another pump.
For those who wanna skip the reservoir
and have their RDI top up their take directly,
Tunze also has a quarter in solenoid
that will fit the bill.
I will caution you though
there are extra steps you will wanna take
any time you're using a never-ending water supply
just to be on the safe side,
not realizing the risks
of a never ending water supply is a big fail.
And while starting with a solid reliable ATO
is the first step.
There are a few other things
you definitely wanna consider.
You can check them out and a lot more
in this video right here,
Ryan and Randy go over the top ATO fails.
Lots of people make them.
I made a bunch of them for a while,
and I felt pretty silly
after seeing that, cause some of them you,
you'd think you'd pick up on,
but, sometimes it takes,
a video just to let you know.
So you don't have to make that mistake
and end up with either wet floors or overflow tank,
or a tank with pumps running dry,
and all kinds of stuff.
So have a watch.