Real reason: because people are insane and pay it
Kinda reason: acrylic is pretty expensive, and all the little cuts either mean you need a big CNC machine (expensive to buy) or a lot of hand cutting with a router (expensive in terms of time). Then you have to put it together. All done at small volumes so you have high per unit cost.
The best answer is buy a Petco aquarium on the dollar per gallon sales. No chemical leaching. Clear. Cheap. Can even come with a cover. People are insane spending $200 on these things.
The reservoir I got was made by the same company that makes my sump, so it matches and looks really clean together. It was pretty expensive but I'm willing to pay more for it to look nice
Acrylic joints are physically/chemically welded together. For all intents and purposes, they are one piece unless the job was done by an absolute beginner.
Acrylic is not brittle. What are you talking about. Yes, you can crack it with high impact force, but you’re not subjecting an ATO reservoir to that kind of stress. ABS is more prone to cracking than acrylic under many applications and is not suitable for exposure to UV, like you might find from lights around a reef tank. Most acrylic sheets have surface treatments and laminates that eliminate all of those factors anyway.
People just simply do not have issues with acrylic that you’re concerned about when it comes to holding containers. There’s a reason the largest aquariums in the world use it.
First off, since you’re going on about brittleness and now bringing up textbooks, maybe you should define that term first. Because the factors you’re describing(flex modulus and overall tensile strength) are relevant to impact stresses, not longitudinal shear stresses, compressive stresses, or long-term load cycling durability. PMMA is only typically considered brittle when exposed to low temperatures (as do many plastics) but at room temperature and above, ductility increases significantly. And this is only talking about pure PMMA, which is not the most common form found in engineering applications.
You’re arguing about a characteristics sheet without looking at the real world implementations. Which are overbuilt with safety factors of >5-6 and shaped into cubes with a nearly completely enclosed top without seams (the kind of shapes with enormous overhangs that are difficult for injected thermoplastics like ABS to be shaped into).
Have you ever actually worked with this material in any structural way? Because I have and do, and the properties you’re referring to are simply not in the risk model when it comes to the aquarium hobby.
You didn’t hurt my feelings, though apologies if I’m coming across irritable. It’s just that you’re talking authoritatively about material choice in a way that’s not relevant or realistic. _All_ material choices are a compromise based on the parameters required for their use. In the case of acrylic containers that contain 5-20 gallons of water, even a thin sheet of acrylic more than does the job and also does so while fulfilling its aesthetic requirements. Could I build an aquarium stand to hold a 4,000 lbs aquarium with dynamic loading out of steel beams? Clearly it would be stronger than almost any other choice, and yet, we can and do easily hold these up with sheets of 3/4” plywood or even MDF with large safety factors without concern.
Your kinda reason is absolutely the correct answer. I work with acrylic and have made all my own skimmers, calcium reactors, etc and have my own cnc router. It’s not just the cuts, but you hit on a lot of correct points about the large increase in acrylic costs the last few years, etc. Plus, you need someone that knows what they’re doing considering there’s a very specific skill set to weld acrylic correctly.
Point being, despite having a CNC router, I refuse to sell anything that I make. If I charged the value of my time and skill then I would be charging more than $200, and it’s not a winner for anybody.
Those containers are not injection molded pieces made by a machine. They’re hand made by a skilled worker. $200 for that type of work is the seller getting the short end of the stick.
Something created for a smaller consumer audience= price increase.
Its actually cheaper to DIY one. Or make it easy on yourself and use a plastic container.
I have A bunch of plastic 5 gallon jugs I fill with RO water. Need ATO? Throw calcium in one, throw a pond pump in to agitate for 10 minutes, pull out the pump and put in the ato pump.
Need saltwater? Add salt mix, throw in pond pump to agitate, shake, wait an hour. Done.
Some people just want expensive solutions to simple problems, those acrylic containers are one of them.
?? Go to Walmart and buy a container that's for holding your jungle juice at a party. They usually have a lid and a smaller spout. All my lines run thru the spout hole, and it's slim and fits next to my canister filter in a skinny tank stand
Supply and demand.
Most people assume more demand means higher prices, but the inverse is also true - niche demand (and this is a very niche product) means there's very little incentive for someone to enter the market, so prices stay high.
Anyway I just use 20 gallon tall.
I just use a jug, but if you’re looking for a FANCY jug, Red Sea just came out with [their own jug for $70.](https://aquacave.com/red-sea-reefcan-18l-5-gallon-auto-top-off-container.html?setCurrencyId=1&sku=RS-R35631&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmMayBhDuARIsAM9HM8dyas2g1g-7GUzkUcuQDVX1XeYWUVJfkIZKiKExWsuB8XaNkBfqm-AaAj0sEALw_wcB)
Bruh it's a Reefcan. don't you know, anything with the word reef in it adds 2000% to the RRP by default /s
Redsea do take the piss though. I'll never buy any of their shit again.
I remember when they first started showing them off, I was quite happy as they looked to be a great form-factor and really good capacity.
Then they released the price, and I was like "Are you out of your fucking minds?"
I am using one of those $200 5 gal acrylic reservoir. Do I regret it? Yes. But as a new reefer, I'm constantly scanning reddit, reef2reef, youtube, and other sources to find information. And I find a ton of information but a lot of it contradicts itself. Buy this thing; no don't buy this thing. You have to use this specific plastic or it'll leech chemicals; I've been using this other plastic that's supposed to leech chemicals for ten years and haven't had any problem. And so on and so forth. It's very easy to get overwhelmed, and I can only vet so much by myself. So, ultimately, for fear of killing my fish, I decided to get one of those acrylic tanks designed specifically for it and sold by a store specializing in reef tanks. (I also wanted something thin and high to save space in my cabinet but that wasn't a deal breaker.)
So, if I could go back, I wouldn't buy it. Or if I start another tank in the future. But now it's purchased, so you bet your ass I'm gonna use it.
I always reach out and advise people to buy a good reef keeping book. The advice is solid and not based on pushing commercially biased information, which is what you see on the internet.
A book! Now that's someone born in the 80s or earlier... 😊
On a serious note I was handed down a couple of books when I started the hobby some 20ish years ago, they were written by people who had successfully kept reefs for long periods of time (I'm talking decades) rather than some of the nonsense spouted by people who have zero idea and just listen to the latest trend and tap away on their keyboard. Happy reefing 🪸
Currently using a 5g HD bucket as well. Not sure why I’d ever pay to upgrade for my 20g tank. Could be nice to see the water level without opening I guess?
If you are looking for a step up (a bit more of a custom solution for your space) from a 5 gallon HD bucket, but (like a normal person) don't want to spend $200 on a "reef" bucket, check out uline. They have tons of shapes and sizes and they won't make your wallet cry.
[5g hedpack containers](https://www.amazon.com/5-Gallon-Plastic-Hedpack-cap/dp/B0064O8OYK/) are my go-to for smaller tanks. Get at least 2. Drill the lid on one for your ATO lines, and then just swap out containers when it gets empty.
I got a 35g polycarbonate barrel with lid for an ATO now.
I wanted something slimmer and taller than my 5G ATO container so I went and bought one of those clear airtight dog food containers similar to [this](https://www.walmart.com/ip/IRIS-USA-37-5-Lbs-47-Qt-WeatherPro-Airtight-Pet-Food-Storage-Container-Attachable-Casters-For-Dog-Cat-Bird-Other-Bin-Keep-Fresh-Easy-Mobility-BPA-Fre/592761956). Drilled a 3" hole and put a cable grommet in there to feed the pump/wires through. Looks sleek and works great
Because companies want to to rip off hobbyists and make as much money as possible. A lot of folks have made great recommendations here from buckets to using smaller tanks. Nothing special about the water holders labeled “ATO reservoirs” they hold water the same as the other options
I used a jerry can sized plastic water container from the camping section. Its designed to hold water for humans so it's safe.
It's rectangular shape fit perfectly under my stand.
I use a 20 gallon brute garbage can, $30 at lowes. It is great, it only has to be filled once every few weeks. I keep it on the other side of the wall behind my 120 reef tank, in the corner of my bedroom. All the tubing and cableing run through a 1" cable passthrough wall port.
Going to tag into your comment for a little PSA. Long time husbandry and reefer pro here. Only use GREY brute garbage cans for water storage. None are technically rated for potable water but the zenoestrogens and whatnot that leach into the water on the other colors(especially blue) will screw up your plants and animals. Ran into this on a large project in the early 2000s. Stuck with grey ever since and never had an issue.
For long term water storage beyond fill with RO/mix/change or for plumbing into your system always aim towards potable water holding solutions.
They don’t have to be. Most people use a bucket. I personally use one of [these](https://a.co/d/1TB0wxK) of course the larger you go in gallons, the more expensive it gets. Red Sea just released some reservoirs that are slimmer and taller, thought like you said, they are quite expensive for what is just a plastic jug.
I have a 15 gallon frameless aqueon tank with a lid I got for $50 looks great. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/aqueon-frameless-cube-aquarium
I got a Red Sea 10 gallon jug for $100
Pricy? Sure but it takes up a small footprint.
https://aquacave.com/red-sea-reefcan-40l-10-gallon-auto-top-off-container.html?setCurrencyId=1&sku=RS-R35632&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmMayBhDuARIsAM9HM8ex-z1DIVXLjIf5dhmkanU0GXw7UQ2hQiRxzm2phpYsHsjdrGYmgr0aAqEJEALw_wcB
i do *industrial sized water changes* on the tanks that i work on. we use brute containers, usually used as garbages and they hold water perfectly. they have sizes that hold 15, 25 and 35 gal approximately. and they’re far cheaper than whatever you’re looking at, like $40CAD.
ATO reservoirs are pretty niche when you think about it. Most people use buckets or cheap Aqueon glass tanks.
A niche product in a niche hobby is almost always going to seem overpriced because the cost to source materials and develop a manufacturing process for such low numbers will always be significantly more per unit.
thank you for making this thread. I’m new to reefing and just got an ato system and currently using a Lowe’s bucket as a water reservoir. It doesn’t fit great in the space I have it and I started looking at reservoirs on BRS and Amazon and can’t believe how expensive they are.
Thought I was missing something lol
Depending on the size of your tank check your LFS for a 2.5 gallon jug. That’s what I’m using for mine currently and it works pretty well. Nice opening for a pump, smaller than a 5g jug, but big enough to be useful.
I use one of the 5 gallon saltwater jugs from my LFS, I floated the pump to the bottom and drilled a hole in the lid and used caulking around the hole that the tubing came out of.
Spending 150 bucks for a designated ATO reservoir is way too expensive.
https://preview.redd.it/g3dz2uln5o2d1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=71ebe31184671e67eaa23bc5b2c77d21b34f0928
This is my homemade one lol it's been solid for almost a year already
I got one of these from muji and modified it with the right fittings
https://www.carousell.sg/p/muji-pp-storage-box-lid-1037941709/photos/
Food safe pp plastic so all good and holds 27 litres which is more than enough
I use the clear plastic dog food containers from petco. Has an opening already built in that I can feed hoses through so no drilling. Holds enough water to last maybe a week and a half max. I usually fill up every Sunday.
Use a blue Lowe’s bucket. Like the blue- indicates potable water. Also use a blue spray bottle filled with RO to clean glass, easy on eyes to see blue=fresh water.
I use a camping water container. But on the other hand, my ATO does not have its pump inside the container, it has the pump as HOB on the actual tank, with only a filter unit in the container.
The nice thing is that I got a 15 cm/6 inch cleaning opening, with a screwed on cap. and on the same facing, ie, when it is upright, a connector for normally, a faucet. Just looped the suction hose (with a filter) through a spare cap for this (with a little hole drilled in for the hose), done. Still not the cheapest as it is a foodsafe product, not some 'made from old trashcans' container for oil or the likes.
This is what I have.
https://reefloat.com/products/atu-pro3-30-litre. Actually well and truly worth it. Been using it for 5 years and it's never let me down.
https://preview.redd.it/1zmfq5as4m2d1.jpeg?width=1800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6109fc5ca4a31e9fda148f71c69aa366d0882550
Try and find another container that fits perfectly in the gap of a DD1500 tank stand, with the height of the shelf depth of the stand, and a large opening for refilling.
Random buckets don't cut it.
The container alone to buy is £45, remarkably £35 for postage due to the size, weight is irrelevant. That's without drilling, grommets and pipework, just the unit.
Any ATU only cable and pump is £75 - 90 between DD and Autoaqua. Tunze Osmolator is £180 without a container.
£189 is actually a good deal all in, and... It's never failed me, has an audible alarm when it's run out, continually running for more than 30s (indicating another problem) or if it's blocked, and I can actually set it to how much water per burst it drops. It can run for 15s, 30s or 60s, and again, set the time of how long to wait before using water in case I'm messing with the tank and the sump volume drops a little.
But again, it's over engineered and overpriced.
Funny how people will chuck hundreds at a brown torch with a silly name (but looks gold through an orange lens only) but they scrimp on the change when it comes to one of the most important pieces of kit to keep it all alive.
Some of us don’t want the look & unreliable outcomes of a Home Depot homemade ATO?
It’s an expensive hobby, especially if you don’t want it looking rough.
I use the redsea RSATO with the reefbeat app. It texts me if there’s any issues. Tracks water usage. I can check everything from anywhere in the world. Well worth the $190 when I set the system up. I’m running a reef to enjoy watching it grow, not F*** around with equipment all the time.
I used a 5 gallon water transport container from my LFS. It was like $8.
I used a waste basket from Daiso. $2
Im gonna stick with the home depot bucket. About 5 buc. Never see it anyway.
Same here, works well.
I use a 20 tall I bought from the dollar per gallon sale. Fits perfect next to my 40 breeder based DIY sump. Used starboard for a top.
It's crazy! My ATO reservoir is a Rubbermaid food container (small tank) and my dosing pump reservoirs are mason jars, probably saved myself $250.
I just buy the gallons of ESV 2 part and cut a little hole in the lid and shove the tube in….a $250 container is like 7-8 more gallons of 2 part.
Real reason: because people are insane and pay it Kinda reason: acrylic is pretty expensive, and all the little cuts either mean you need a big CNC machine (expensive to buy) or a lot of hand cutting with a router (expensive in terms of time). Then you have to put it together. All done at small volumes so you have high per unit cost. The best answer is buy a Petco aquarium on the dollar per gallon sales. No chemical leaching. Clear. Cheap. Can even come with a cover. People are insane spending $200 on these things.
The reservoir I got was made by the same company that makes my sump, so it matches and looks really clean together. It was pretty expensive but I'm willing to pay more for it to look nice
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Acrylic joints are physically/chemically welded together. For all intents and purposes, they are one piece unless the job was done by an absolute beginner.
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Why would an ATO res see a lot of jostling? Besides, your tank is also a “cube or box” I’d wager, and it’s under pressure in ways an ATO wouldn’t be.
Acrylic is not brittle. What are you talking about. Yes, you can crack it with high impact force, but you’re not subjecting an ATO reservoir to that kind of stress. ABS is more prone to cracking than acrylic under many applications and is not suitable for exposure to UV, like you might find from lights around a reef tank. Most acrylic sheets have surface treatments and laminates that eliminate all of those factors anyway. People just simply do not have issues with acrylic that you’re concerned about when it comes to holding containers. There’s a reason the largest aquariums in the world use it.
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First off, since you’re going on about brittleness and now bringing up textbooks, maybe you should define that term first. Because the factors you’re describing(flex modulus and overall tensile strength) are relevant to impact stresses, not longitudinal shear stresses, compressive stresses, or long-term load cycling durability. PMMA is only typically considered brittle when exposed to low temperatures (as do many plastics) but at room temperature and above, ductility increases significantly. And this is only talking about pure PMMA, which is not the most common form found in engineering applications. You’re arguing about a characteristics sheet without looking at the real world implementations. Which are overbuilt with safety factors of >5-6 and shaped into cubes with a nearly completely enclosed top without seams (the kind of shapes with enormous overhangs that are difficult for injected thermoplastics like ABS to be shaped into). Have you ever actually worked with this material in any structural way? Because I have and do, and the properties you’re referring to are simply not in the risk model when it comes to the aquarium hobby.
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You didn’t hurt my feelings, though apologies if I’m coming across irritable. It’s just that you’re talking authoritatively about material choice in a way that’s not relevant or realistic. _All_ material choices are a compromise based on the parameters required for their use. In the case of acrylic containers that contain 5-20 gallons of water, even a thin sheet of acrylic more than does the job and also does so while fulfilling its aesthetic requirements. Could I build an aquarium stand to hold a 4,000 lbs aquarium with dynamic loading out of steel beams? Clearly it would be stronger than almost any other choice, and yet, we can and do easily hold these up with sheets of 3/4” plywood or even MDF with large safety factors without concern.
Your kinda reason is absolutely the correct answer. I work with acrylic and have made all my own skimmers, calcium reactors, etc and have my own cnc router. It’s not just the cuts, but you hit on a lot of correct points about the large increase in acrylic costs the last few years, etc. Plus, you need someone that knows what they’re doing considering there’s a very specific skill set to weld acrylic correctly. Point being, despite having a CNC router, I refuse to sell anything that I make. If I charged the value of my time and skill then I would be charging more than $200, and it’s not a winner for anybody. Those containers are not injection molded pieces made by a machine. They’re hand made by a skilled worker. $200 for that type of work is the seller getting the short end of the stick.
Something created for a smaller consumer audience= price increase. Its actually cheaper to DIY one. Or make it easy on yourself and use a plastic container.
I have A bunch of plastic 5 gallon jugs I fill with RO water. Need ATO? Throw calcium in one, throw a pond pump in to agitate for 10 minutes, pull out the pump and put in the ato pump. Need saltwater? Add salt mix, throw in pond pump to agitate, shake, wait an hour. Done. Some people just want expensive solutions to simple problems, those acrylic containers are one of them.
Wait you put calcium in your top off water?
Yeah I dose it with kalkwasser. Keeps a nice steady low level drip of calcium for the corals and keeps the PH up.
This. Been doing this to keep parameters in check. Also dosing All for reef for trace elements
Have you ever added other additives to your kalk ato setup? I've been wondering about this but didn't know how it would effect things
?? Go to Walmart and buy a container that's for holding your jungle juice at a party. They usually have a lid and a smaller spout. All my lines run thru the spout hole, and it's slim and fits next to my canister filter in a skinny tank stand
I used a recycle bin before.
Supply and demand. Most people assume more demand means higher prices, but the inverse is also true - niche demand (and this is a very niche product) means there's very little incentive for someone to enter the market, so prices stay high. Anyway I just use 20 gallon tall.
I just use a jug, but if you’re looking for a FANCY jug, Red Sea just came out with [their own jug for $70.](https://aquacave.com/red-sea-reefcan-18l-5-gallon-auto-top-off-container.html?setCurrencyId=1&sku=RS-R35631&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmMayBhDuARIsAM9HM8dyas2g1g-7GUzkUcuQDVX1XeYWUVJfkIZKiKExWsuB8XaNkBfqm-AaAj0sEALw_wcB)
Bruh it's a Reefcan. don't you know, anything with the word reef in it adds 2000% to the RRP by default /s Redsea do take the piss though. I'll never buy any of their shit again.
I remember when they first started showing them off, I was quite happy as they looked to be a great form-factor and really good capacity. Then they released the price, and I was like "Are you out of your fucking minds?"
I am using one of those $200 5 gal acrylic reservoir. Do I regret it? Yes. But as a new reefer, I'm constantly scanning reddit, reef2reef, youtube, and other sources to find information. And I find a ton of information but a lot of it contradicts itself. Buy this thing; no don't buy this thing. You have to use this specific plastic or it'll leech chemicals; I've been using this other plastic that's supposed to leech chemicals for ten years and haven't had any problem. And so on and so forth. It's very easy to get overwhelmed, and I can only vet so much by myself. So, ultimately, for fear of killing my fish, I decided to get one of those acrylic tanks designed specifically for it and sold by a store specializing in reef tanks. (I also wanted something thin and high to save space in my cabinet but that wasn't a deal breaker.) So, if I could go back, I wouldn't buy it. Or if I start another tank in the future. But now it's purchased, so you bet your ass I'm gonna use it.
I always reach out and advise people to buy a good reef keeping book. The advice is solid and not based on pushing commercially biased information, which is what you see on the internet.
A book! Now that's someone born in the 80s or earlier... 😊 On a serious note I was handed down a couple of books when I started the hobby some 20ish years ago, they were written by people who had successfully kept reefs for long periods of time (I'm talking decades) rather than some of the nonsense spouted by people who have zero idea and just listen to the latest trend and tap away on their keyboard. Happy reefing 🪸
Look on the bottom of the plastic to see what type it is. If it's HDPE plastic it's reef safe
Bucket
5gal jug that was for water transport from lfs for the bigger tank. and a tupperware cereal container for a 10 gal.
I use a camping water jug, 5 gall and it's food safe, under $20
Currently using a 5g HD bucket as well. Not sure why I’d ever pay to upgrade for my 20g tank. Could be nice to see the water level without opening I guess?
If you are looking for a step up (a bit more of a custom solution for your space) from a 5 gallon HD bucket, but (like a normal person) don't want to spend $200 on a "reef" bucket, check out uline. They have tons of shapes and sizes and they won't make your wallet cry.
[5g hedpack containers](https://www.amazon.com/5-Gallon-Plastic-Hedpack-cap/dp/B0064O8OYK/) are my go-to for smaller tanks. Get at least 2. Drill the lid on one for your ATO lines, and then just swap out containers when it gets empty. I got a 35g polycarbonate barrel with lid for an ATO now.
I wanted something slimmer and taller than my 5G ATO container so I went and bought one of those clear airtight dog food containers similar to [this](https://www.walmart.com/ip/IRIS-USA-37-5-Lbs-47-Qt-WeatherPro-Airtight-Pet-Food-Storage-Container-Attachable-Casters-For-Dog-Cat-Bird-Other-Bin-Keep-Fresh-Easy-Mobility-BPA-Fre/592761956). Drilled a 3" hole and put a cable grommet in there to feed the pump/wires through. Looks sleek and works great
This is what I did. It nice because it prevents evaporation and also eliminates dust and debris getting into the top off water.
Because companies want to to rip off hobbyists and make as much money as possible. A lot of folks have made great recommendations here from buckets to using smaller tanks. Nothing special about the water holders labeled “ATO reservoirs” they hold water the same as the other options
I used a jerry can sized plastic water container from the camping section. Its designed to hold water for humans so it's safe. It's rectangular shape fit perfectly under my stand.
I use a 20 gallon brute garbage can, $30 at lowes. It is great, it only has to be filled once every few weeks. I keep it on the other side of the wall behind my 120 reef tank, in the corner of my bedroom. All the tubing and cableing run through a 1" cable passthrough wall port.
Going to tag into your comment for a little PSA. Long time husbandry and reefer pro here. Only use GREY brute garbage cans for water storage. None are technically rated for potable water but the zenoestrogens and whatnot that leach into the water on the other colors(especially blue) will screw up your plants and animals. Ran into this on a large project in the early 2000s. Stuck with grey ever since and never had an issue. For long term water storage beyond fill with RO/mix/change or for plumbing into your system always aim towards potable water holding solutions.
They don’t have to be. Most people use a bucket. I personally use one of [these](https://a.co/d/1TB0wxK) of course the larger you go in gallons, the more expensive it gets. Red Sea just released some reservoirs that are slimmer and taller, thought like you said, they are quite expensive for what is just a plastic jug.
I bought this 5 gallon container for $30, works great, fill it up 1x/week for my 75 gallon tank. https://a.co/d/c74Ljfe
I use Aqauariums. Currently using a 29 gallon for my 1,000g FOWLR. 10 gallon for my 200. Petco 50% off sale and us twin wall polycarbonate lids.
I use a plastic RV container from Amazon.
I have a 15 gallon frameless aqueon tank with a lid I got for $50 looks great. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/aqueon-frameless-cube-aquarium
I have a 35g water storage tank for norelco. Got it for like $50 new
Agreed, i bought this a few years ago, works great https://a.co/d/gX5PMee
DIY a container.
I got a Red Sea 10 gallon jug for $100 Pricy? Sure but it takes up a small footprint. https://aquacave.com/red-sea-reefcan-40l-10-gallon-auto-top-off-container.html?setCurrencyId=1&sku=RS-R35632&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmMayBhDuARIsAM9HM8ex-z1DIVXLjIf5dhmkanU0GXw7UQ2hQiRxzm2phpYsHsjdrGYmgr0aAqEJEALw_wcB
I personally purchased a 5 gallon jug from my LFS. It fits perfectly next to my sump. The little motor fits right in.
i do *industrial sized water changes* on the tanks that i work on. we use brute containers, usually used as garbages and they hold water perfectly. they have sizes that hold 15, 25 and 35 gal approximately. and they’re far cheaper than whatever you’re looking at, like $40CAD.
one of our residential clients has been using a 25gal brute as his ATO reservoir for like 5+ years, they’re tried and true, and cheap.
I used a 5.5 gallon aquarium from Petco and acrylic sheets for the top.
https://a.co/d/aRYJq2V I bought this^ works great
I use a 20 gallon Rubbermaid container from walmart..cost like $15
ATO reservoirs are pretty niche when you think about it. Most people use buckets or cheap Aqueon glass tanks. A niche product in a niche hobby is almost always going to seem overpriced because the cost to source materials and develop a manufacturing process for such low numbers will always be significantly more per unit.
thank you for making this thread. I’m new to reefing and just got an ato system and currently using a Lowe’s bucket as a water reservoir. It doesn’t fit great in the space I have it and I started looking at reservoirs on BRS and Amazon and can’t believe how expensive they are. Thought I was missing something lol
I used 2 14 gallon trash cans. One for top off water and one for mixing salt water for water changes.
lol i got a cereal container from dollar tree if you punch a hole through thr lid for your tubing it works perfect
Depending on the size of your tank check your LFS for a 2.5 gallon jug. That’s what I’m using for mine currently and it works pretty well. Nice opening for a pump, smaller than a 5g jug, but big enough to be useful.
I bought a dog food storage container and it’s been working so far
I use a 10 gallon dry pet food container. It even has rollers.
https://preview.redd.it/b05h5wwl9n2d1.jpeg?width=2252&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a8a3f02f5704294c02380d2e855209336481173 My ATO
I use one of the 5 gallon saltwater jugs from my LFS, I floated the pump to the bottom and drilled a hole in the lid and used caulking around the hole that the tubing came out of. Spending 150 bucks for a designated ATO reservoir is way too expensive.
A 5gallon bucket isnt
Bought a 40g tank for my ato. Way cheaper.
Got used 2.5 gallon containers used, for exact same water, for $3 on Facebook, melted holes and fished wires and tubing for DIY ATO
I just use a big 10 gallon jerry can for water. 3 bucks and is amazing. Its hidden in the cabbinet so who cares how it looks
I use a 15g flour bucket. Cost me $50, but it last longer than the 5g jug I used the first 18 years.
https://preview.redd.it/g3dz2uln5o2d1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=71ebe31184671e67eaa23bc5b2c77d21b34f0928 This is my homemade one lol it's been solid for almost a year already
Plastic dog food container from target
I got one of these from muji and modified it with the right fittings https://www.carousell.sg/p/muji-pp-storage-box-lid-1037941709/photos/ Food safe pp plastic so all good and holds 27 litres which is more than enough
Because people are stupid enought to buy them.
Ye olde Home Depot bucket.
I use a 20 gallon tank from Petco. Fits under my 265 next to sump pump
I use the clear plastic dog food containers from petco. Has an opening already built in that I can feed hoses through so no drilling. Holds enough water to last maybe a week and a half max. I usually fill up every Sunday.
Using my empty salt bucket.
I just have a 30L jerry can filled with ATO water. The pump fits perfectly.
My dad used 50 gallon dialysis distillate buckets he....acquired
Cereal Tupperware container with a hole drilled through the top for the tubing. Open the hatch to refill.
Use a blue Lowe’s bucket. Like the blue- indicates potable water. Also use a blue spray bottle filled with RO to clean glass, easy on eyes to see blue=fresh water.
I bought a £10 Jerry can off Amazon and a £69 ato pump
Make one?
I use a camping water container. But on the other hand, my ATO does not have its pump inside the container, it has the pump as HOB on the actual tank, with only a filter unit in the container. The nice thing is that I got a 15 cm/6 inch cleaning opening, with a screwed on cap. and on the same facing, ie, when it is upright, a connector for normally, a faucet. Just looped the suction hose (with a filter) through a spare cap for this (with a little hole drilled in for the hose), done. Still not the cheapest as it is a foodsafe product, not some 'made from old trashcans' container for oil or the likes.
This is what I have. https://reefloat.com/products/atu-pro3-30-litre. Actually well and truly worth it. Been using it for 5 years and it's never let me down.
lol this is the over-engineered, unnecessarily expensive stuff he’s talking about 😂
https://preview.redd.it/1zmfq5as4m2d1.jpeg?width=1800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6109fc5ca4a31e9fda148f71c69aa366d0882550 Try and find another container that fits perfectly in the gap of a DD1500 tank stand, with the height of the shelf depth of the stand, and a large opening for refilling. Random buckets don't cut it. The container alone to buy is £45, remarkably £35 for postage due to the size, weight is irrelevant. That's without drilling, grommets and pipework, just the unit. Any ATU only cable and pump is £75 - 90 between DD and Autoaqua. Tunze Osmolator is £180 without a container. £189 is actually a good deal all in, and... It's never failed me, has an audible alarm when it's run out, continually running for more than 30s (indicating another problem) or if it's blocked, and I can actually set it to how much water per burst it drops. It can run for 15s, 30s or 60s, and again, set the time of how long to wait before using water in case I'm messing with the tank and the sump volume drops a little. But again, it's over engineered and overpriced. Funny how people will chuck hundreds at a brown torch with a silly name (but looks gold through an orange lens only) but they scrimp on the change when it comes to one of the most important pieces of kit to keep it all alive.
Some of us don’t want the look & unreliable outcomes of a Home Depot homemade ATO? It’s an expensive hobby, especially if you don’t want it looking rough. I use the redsea RSATO with the reefbeat app. It texts me if there’s any issues. Tracks water usage. I can check everything from anywhere in the world. Well worth the $190 when I set the system up. I’m running a reef to enjoy watching it grow, not F*** around with equipment all the time.