back-up reservoir topper offer design ??

I run an ebb and flow hydro set-up. 45 gallon res under a 3x6 foot tray. I recently had an accident. My res got too low, the pump failed, and I lost some plants. I was gone for 3 days and when I came back, the plants were fried. I'm now looking to set up a system that will top off my reservoir so that I can go away for a few days and minimize the chances of this happening again.

I'm looking for ideas.

Here's one current thought.

Put another bucket or cheap reservoir in the attic above my flower room and run a hose down to my 45 gallon reservoir that is under my 3x6 foot tray. Installing a float valve that will stop the water flow when the res is full. The only missing piece is an in-line electric valve that will open and close on a timer. This way I can open this valve at a time when I know that my tray is not flooding and, if it is low, the float valve will allow it to fill and then stop filling when full. Does a valve like this exist? Is this the way to accomplish what I am trying to do?

I have a hose in my flower room. It would be even easier if I could put a valve on my water line and not have to deal with another reservoir at all.

Any ideas?

All thoughts are welcome!!

Thank you.

you could instal the float valve lower in the res
when table is full where ever the the water line in you res is

yeah a simple float valve... how did they fry in 3days??? you probably had it broken before that and went unckecked. mine last for more than a week easy. what size pebbles of grorock you have

http://autotopoff.com/




Now, all you need is a small pump and a reservoir to hold the top off water. I used this for my 215g coral aquarium and it never failed in five years!!

Yeah a small tank and a pump. The big tank as a return pipe back to the small tank when it gets to the right hight. This is what I do and it work great.

You could buy a topoff kit from somewhere like aquahub, http://www.aquahub.com/store/product26.html, install it in your main res. Connect the float swithes to a small pump in a topoff res (roughneck tote, etc.).

If you put a timer on the pump connected to the kit (in yer topoff res) you could time it to only have power when you know yer not flooding, so it doesn't overflow.