Add ATO

If you own a reef tank, an Auto Top Off (ATO) system is a must-have. This system automatically replenishes evaporated water from your tank. A water sensor is installed in your main tank, and when the water level drops too low, it activates a pump in a freshwater reservoir. This pump then pumps fresh water into your main system. 

Here is what you’ll need to get started:

  • Water Sensor was installed and configured.  
    TIP: If you have not configured your water sensor input, please follow the instructions.
  • ATO pump physically installed to either a Drive Port or a WiFi Outlet

Step 1: Create the ATO Output

  1. From the STATUS screen on your HYDROS app, top on the three horizontal dots to the right of the OUTPUTS label and select “Add New Output.”
  2. Tap on the + symbol at the bottom right of the page
  3. Type in the name of your new output and then tap “Create.”

Step 2: Configure your ATO

  • Type: Select ATO
  • Level Input: Here, you select the Water Sensor input.  If you created a sensor input, it would be listed here.
    TIP: To see a list of all inputs available on MULTIPLE devices, you must first create a Collective.  Otherwise, only inputs on the same device will show.
    WARNING: This input is required. If you leave this field blank, the output will automatically go into the “Fallback” state.
  • Output Device: Here, you select the location where the ATO pump is physically connected.
  • If Input/Depends On Unavailable: It allows you to specify what the ATO pump should do if the water sensor or output it depends on becomes unavailable.
    WARNING: If using a WiFi strip or WiFi outlet, this is NOT a “fallback” state.  If you are using an XP8 or a Drive Port, it IS the “fallback” state.
  • Power Safe Range: You can set a range of acceptable power usage and receive a notification if the consumption falls outside of this range.
    WARNING: This option is unavailable if the “Output Device” is assigned a WiFi strip outlet.
  • Power Notification Level: You can select the notification level that triggers if the power consumption falls outside the “Power Safe Range.”
    WARNING: This option is unavailable if the “Output Device” is assigned a WiFi strip outlet.
  • Active Modes: This allows you to select which mode this output will be operational in and which mode should turn OFF.
  • Depends On: This feature allows you to turn the output based on the status of another output.  To enable, select from the list of available outputs.  
    • Dependency Mode: This allows you to turn the output ON or OFF based on the other output.
      • OFF if OFF: Will turn the current output OFF if the output it depends on is OFF.
      • OFF if ON: Will turn the current output OFF when the output it depends on is ON.
      • ON if OFF: Will turn the current output ON when the output it depends on is OFF.
      • ON if ON: Will turn the current output ON when the output it depends on is ON.
  • Is Invisible: If you choose to hide the input from the status screen, it will only become visible on pages that have “Show Invisible” selected.
  • Use Advanced Settings: If you are an expert, this feature will allow you to tweak the output default settings to suit your system better.  See Appendix A below for more details.

Step 3: Save

  • Upload your changes to the cloud. 

Appendix A: Advanced Settings

Control has a wide array of outputs and each output is preconfigured to fit the needs of more users.  From delaying the start of a skimmer to ensuring that a fluorescent bulb does not turn OFF immediately after turning ON, the control will already know how to handle individual devices.  If you are an Advanced User, then you probably will want to tweak the default settings to something that better fits your needs.  Here is where you would make those more advanced adjustments.

  • If Input Unavailable: This allows you to specify how the outlet should act if the sensor is not found or missing
  • Minimum OFF Time: Allows you to specify what is the minimum time the outlet should be OFF
  • Maximum OFF Time: Allows you to specify what is the maximum time the outlet should be OFF
  • Minimum ON Time: Allows you to specify what is the minimum time the outlet should be ON
  • Maximum ON Time: Allows you to specify what ist he maximum time the outlet should be ON
  • Run Past Max ON time: This allows you to specify if you want the outlet to remain ON even if the “Max ON Time” has been exceeded
  • Notification Level: Allows you to specify the level of notification you want when any of the advanced settings have been exceeded
TIP: You will get notifications any time one or more of the advanced settings have been exceeded.  If you set Notification Level to NONE, then the particular outlet you configured will not send you any notifications.

Rename Output & Change Icon

  • From the STATUS screen, tap on the Output you wish to modify.
  • On the popup, tap on the “Gear” icon on the bottom right.
  • From the Output setup page, tap on the “Pencil” icon on the top left.
  • Type in the new name you wish
  • If you wish to change the default icon, tap “Change Icon.”
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