Jestersix

Favorite ATO for big tank: Tunze V3 vs ATK vs ReefATO

H2OPlayar

H2OPlayar

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Hey Bar,

My float sensor on my Tunze 3155 (What a model name! Fancy branding is not the German way clearly). I really likes the robustness of the Tunze system, but there have been some advances. Neptune, Red Sea and Tunze all make a newer version.

Anyone have any reason to get one over the other? I am already in the Neptune ecosystem, but the Red Sea has some neat features like a built in thermometer and the Tunze is likely rock solid again with an advertised quieter motor.
 
The engineers are in control of the products at Tunze, not the marketing folks. Some pros and cons to this approach.

I run the RedSea ATO at the IM 150 for over a year and it works well. Temp is not needed but otherwise very interesting data on evaporation etc.

However, I returned this ATO when running it also in the nano tank - with a proper sump - as the pump continued to stop working for no clear reasons other than potential air bubbles. And their outstanding customer service could not help (irony), and I have used the 3155 instead.

I do not know if I would buy any of the Neptune stuff anymore but I am camp Hydros so clearly biased.
 
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H2OPlayar said:
Tunze 3155 (What a model name! Fancy branding is not the German way clearly)
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Reef Beef did a funny bit about this on Sunday :D

I have never had a bad ATO or ATO go bad (knock on wood) or a big tank so I am not much of a reviewer. I have the newer Tunze ato and it is fine. Quiet. I like the use of RODI tubing. The wires are nice and pliable. I wonder if I should be cleaning the sensor every once in a while? There is a detachable covering over the sensor so cleaning it with a finger nail in 2 seconds is not possible. I do worry a little about brittle stars living behind the detachable covering and what issues that may cause.

I replace ATO's after a few/several years. Prior to Tunze, I used micro atos off the shelf at Aquatic Central.
 
Patio said:
Reef Beef did a funny bit about this on Sunday :D

I have never had a bad ATO or ATO go bad (knock on wood) or a big tank so I am not much of a reviewer. I have the newer Tunze ato and it is fine. Quiet. I like the use of RODI tubing. The wires are nice and pliable. I wonder if I should be cleaning the sensor every once in a while? There is a detachable covering over the sensor so cleaning it with a finger nail in 2 seconds is not possible. I do worry a little about brittle stars living behind the detachable covering and what issues that may cause.

I replace ATO's after a few/several years. Prior to Tunze, I used micro atos off the shelf at Aquatic Central.
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Good point on noise. The red sea is a bit louder. Tunze is more quiet.
 
I currently have the Neptune ATK. It’s not loud, but was quite finicky with getting clogged and not filling when the level was below the sensor. I drilled it out some, that alleviated the clogging problem. The sensors need a quick wipe every once in a while to function

Prior to that I had a tunze ato on my old tank. Never had an issue for the 10 years I had it. Just replaced the pump once. It never over or under filled. The only annoying thing was the loud buzzer when the float valve activated. Not sure if that is a feature in the new version.
 
I buying for a future build and I’m going with the Tunze V3. I currently am running a Neptune FMM with two of the newer magnetic optical sensors.
 
My LFS here sold me on the Red Sea, with telling me how many pumps of the V3 they sell from them burning out. They were Red sea hands down. I like the solid state sensor tech, and will let you know how it goes for setup.
 
H2OPlayar said:
My LFS here sold me on the Red Sea, with telling me how many pumps of the V3 they sell from them burning out. They were Red sea hands down. I like the solid state sensor tech, and will let you know how it goes for setup.
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I went with the red sea and have been very happy with it aside from the temp sensor. I mainly ignore it as it reads a deg or 2 off from my inkbird which I have compared with my thermopen and pretty much reads the same. If you're lazy like me and put off refilling your ATO it gives you a warning when the res is low and another warning when it's completely out (unit knows by the pump running for a certain amount of time and no change in water level sensed. If this happens and the pump times out from running too long while refilling, you have to go into the app and hit resume and it will run to refill again. If you let your water level get too low, it can take multi interventions of pressing "resume" until the system can go back into nominal auto mode.
 
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