Im a DIY idiot

[Amstar]

so I have all of the stuff to make the auto water top off system.  I cant get the darn thing wired right.

I bought a workhorse 5 ballast to get my actinics running on my retro fit halide lights.  Not only do I not know how to wire it, I think the ballast is the wrong one and will not work with the lights that I have.

So saying that, I have a 16 gallon bowfront that i have a hang on refigium.  I want to take a large sump (i have an extra refigium) and use this instead of the hang on.  with the tank not being drilled, whats the best way to be able to use this sump.  the inlet to the sump has I believe a 1 inch hole for a hose.  Is there anyway to just hang some pcv over the edge of the tank, start a siphon down to the sump then have a maxi jet do the water return through pcv? 

[Joel]

One option is a hang on over flow box. Next time you stop by the shop, ask me or Dan about this and We'll show you what one is and how it works.

The other option is to drill the tan but you will need to completly brake down the aquarium to do so.

Joel

[Amstar]

I will actually be breaking down here soon to move it out of my office room to make the room into a nursery, so drilling it would be a good option.

I thought about an overflow box but i thought they were huge and would take up alot of space especially in a 16 gallon nano.

the overall tank setup with the fish and corals is awesome, but the hangon refigium is not cutting it as far as taking out the extra nutrients in the water (i like to overfeed sometimes) 

[verper]

so I have all of the stuff to make the auto water top off system.  I cant get the darn thing wired right.

I bought a workhorse 5 ballast to get my actinics running on my retro fit halide lights.  Not only do I not know how to wire it, I think the ballast is the wrong one and will not work with the lights that I have.

If you need some electrical advice, just let me know.

[ohioreef]

Do you have pics of what you bought for your auto top-off? If so, email it to me and I will try to set up a wiring diagram for you.

[Amstar]

my top off switch



my pump, extension cord and water container

[Amstar]

old ballast  (8 wires)



old ballast housing



workhorse 5 ballast (5 wires)

[ohioreef]

The only thing I see missing from your ATO is a piece of rigid airline tubing to run down into your water container.

1) Take your extension cord and cut 1 of the wires. You want to do this at a point so the plug can reach the outlet and the float switch can reach the sump.

2) Take 1 lead from the switch and connect it to one of the cut ends of your extension cord.

3) Take the second lead from the switch and connect it to the other side of the cut wire on your extension cord.

4) Take a piece of rigid airline tubing and cut it so that it ends about 1 inch off the bottom of your water container.

5) Connect a piece of tubing to the end of the rigid tube and connect the other end to the input on your pump.

6) Take a second piece of tubing and connect it to the output on your pump. The other end outputs into your sump.

7) Mount the float switch in your sump.

Fill your container with water and add the pickling like. Let it settle for awhile.

9) Plug the pump into the extension cord and plug in the extension cord.


Whoila!!! Auto top off!!!

[ohioreef]

Here is a VERY crude wiring diagram!!

[Amstar]

makes sense.  now to cut the extension cord tonight.  I'll let you know how it goes. 

[verper]

You may be better using a relay.  Many of those floats are not rated for 120 volts.  Line voltage can make the float fail prematurely.

[Amstar]

and what the heck is that?

[slandis3]

I will try to get you a parts list on how i made mine using a relay. What it does it allows you to run 12v throught the float switch and controll the pump with 110v. Im not real good at explaining the tech side of it but its simple. When i get home in the moring i will try to find a diagram i used.

[slandis3]

here is the link i used. The only difference in mine and this one i didnt use the fance relay holder. http://www.aquahub.com/store/diygaquarium.html a little side note. i also did not use the gfci extension cord the use.

[ohioreef]

The float switch I got is rated for 120, but don't know about his. A relay would definately be safer, but a bit more difficult.

[Amstar]

this is all of the info that i have on the float switch.  it came from china. 

Use them with hydroponics, saltwater tank, freshwater tank, gardening, aquariums for power head control, pet bowls, fish tanks, filtration, heating, pumps, ponds, basement alarms, boats, air condition drain pans, pressure washers, carpet cleaning mach., reef aquarium, fluid control, ice machines, coffee pots, marine, automotive, automobiles, tropical fish tanks, evaporator coils, condensation line, in relays, or what ever your project may be. This is a mini float switch. Contains no mercury.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

①FST-45LPP-001 INTRODUCE


 
install : This float switch is easily installed at the top of a tank by means of a threaded union and washer incorporated in the body of the switch. .

how to working :The switch consists of a floating magnet and a miniature electromagnetic switch contained within the tube.

The electric circuit is normally open when the tank is full: Float up = switch open, no electrical flow.

As the water level lowers, the float sinks and the circuit closes. Float down = switch closed, active current flow.

Installing the float 180 degrees will reverse the electrical conditions to:

float up = switch closed. Float down = switch open.

The floats are available in two types of materials:

(PP) Plastic tube and float. Used for most water and mild chemical based applications.

(SS) Stainless steel tube and float. Used for harsh chemical and corrosive applications.


 
 
Material specification :

                                Float ball: P.P
                               Float body:p.p
                                Tempe Rating :-10----+105 ℃
                                Max Contact Rating :70W
                                Max Switching voltage :220VAc
                                Max Switching Current :0.7A
                                Wire Lengh : 450mm

[Bwlr]

This is for CF fluorescent lamps, right?


Black and white go to the power source. Black hot - White common

Here's another rough picture.

The end caps should only have 2 wires coming out of them.

[Amstar]

take a look at the old ballast housing.  all those wires go to one main wire which then plugs into the retro lights that I have.  the plug into the lights almost look like a computer plug in.  as soon as my camera is charged, I will take a pic of the end of the old ballast

[Amstar]

ballast housing wiring



The rest of the ballast housing wiring



the female end coming out of the ballast housing going to the actinics.  its plugs into its male counter-part



so on the ballast housing I have that the green and the white on the first picture above are for the actual power source for the ballast, they go to the plug in the wall. 

[verper]

Material specification :

                                Float ball: P.P
                               Float body:p.p
                                Tempe Rating :-10----+105 ℃
                                Max Contact Rating :70W
                                Max Switching voltage :220VAc
                                Max Switching Current :0.7A
                                Wire Lengh : 450mm

It looks like you can use line voltage with that one.  Just make sure your pump is less than .7 amps or 70 watts.  I would still go with a relay, but that is personal preference.

[slandis3]

If you dont go with a relay make sure your tank has a ground probe. If the swicth shorts out and sends 110v throught your tank it wouldnt be pretty.

[ohioreef]

FWIW, I don't have a ground probe on mine. Do make sure that you are plugged into a GFCI outlet!!

[slandis3]

FWIW, I don't have a ground probe on mine. Do make sure that you are plugged into a GFCI outlet!!

that works as well. Just make sur you have some type of protection.

[Bwlr]

Where does the black and white wires go?
Does it go to a normal 120v plug? Like the ones ones you find on a lamp or something.

If so, then I would take the small black wire and put a connector on it and connect to the switch, and connect the white wire to the other smaller white wire.
Then you can use the small red, yellow and purple (or whatever) on the other end to run to the other connector you have in your hand.
You need to know the pin diagram of that plug.

Man... this is hard to explain.

[Amstar]

okay with the picture right above.  the green wire with the eyelet and the white wire go to the plug that plugs into the wall, I belive the green was a ground and the wite one I have no idea.  the black wire from that bunch goes to the switch.  the rest of the wires that are going to the left are suppose to hook up to the ballast.  The old ballast I had doesnt work, and the new one, the workhorse 5 doesnt seem to have enough wires. 

plus this is just the ballast housing.  this isnt even the ballast.  the one wires go to the 120 wall plug in.  the rest go to the female plug that plugs into my retrofit.  all of the colored wires are suppose to hook up to a ballast.

[Bwlr]

the black wire from that bunch goes to the switch.

And the other side goes to the plug, right?

Black is the hot wire, white is the common, and green is the ground.

I'd use the small black wire to the other side of the switch.
Connect the big white wire to the little white wire.
Take 2 red wires from the ballast... like that litte picture I tried to make, and connect them to the red wire.
Take the other 2 red wires from the ballast and connect them to whatever color wire you want.
Take the yellow from the ballast and connect it to the yellow wire.

That's all you need. you won't need the other wires.

[Bwlr]

No... wait.
The small black wire doesn't go to the swich... the black wire from the ballast goes to the other side of the switch.
And the big white wire also goes to the ballast.

[Bwlr]

Here's another attempt at drawing...


That blurry mess above the yellow, red and white wires on the left are all the other wires... you won't need them

Does that help any?

[Amstar]

that makes alot of sense actuall.  let me put all of the wires together, tape everything up, screw the grounds to the ballast housing and fire it up.  I'll let you know.

[Amstar]

JACK POT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   

thanks for everyones help with the ballast wiring.  My actinics are up and running and everything looks great.  thanks again soooo much.

no onto the ato.  I looked at a hardware store for a relay, they didnt have one.  i make just go the route that i make sure its grounded.

[Secondgen]

Radio Shack might carry the relay you need.

[ohioreef]

He will need a relay and also some sort of low voltage ac/dc adapter.

[Amstar]

okay back to the lights.  this morning when the actinics kicked on, i heard something almost like a short circuit.  sounds like buzzing.  I looked up at one of the end caps and noticed orange bursts of light inside of it.  the end of the lamp was bright pink.  I unplugged everything and noticed that the end cap had a burnt smell to it.  I then replaced the end cap and turned everything back on.  again the end of the bulb lite up bright pink and the rest was a faint blue/purple.  alittle bit of buzzing going on in the end cap.

any ideas or should i just foget my actinics at this point.

[Bwlr]

Sounds like you lead wire to the cathode is shorting inside the base.
Copper wires do not stand up to salt creep.

Do you have another bulb to try?

[Amstar]

so your thinking it maybe the light and not the encap???  if so I have many extra bulbs on hand, that are new as well.  ill try that

[Amstar]

alright i scrapped the whole actinics on the my retro kit.  I put 10k bulbs (2 of them 175 watt) in the retro kit.  then with an extra set of vho's i put 4 110 watt vho actinic bulbs on the tank.  got the look and the whole lighting that I wanted.

[slandis3]

I have 14k blueline mh on my tank with no actinics and I think it has just the right amount of blue to it.