Evaporation, O2 and small rooms

Cryptoblennie · 10/04/2011, 12:48 PM

Hi all,

Just wondering a few things; if you used a glass top, or cover on a 75 gallon tank, would that help eliminate some of the evaporation that takes place?

Given the above situation, As long as you were running a skimmer, would that be enough oxygenation of the water while using a glass top?

What are your thoughts about evaporation on a 75 gallon tank, with a 30 gallon sump in a 12x12 room? I am a bit concerned about water damage such as mildew and mold from that amount of evap. I currently run a 20 gallon tank and evaporate about 2 cups of water a day. To scale that up i would be evaporating 7 cups of water a day on a 75, that is a lot of water....

Thanks.

disc1 · 10/04/2011, 12:54 PM

My 75 loses a gallon sometimes 2 a day. If you have air circulating in the house then it shouldn't create a problem. The only problem would be if the air aound the tank stays stagnant and full of humidity.

Dazmguk · 10/04/2011, 12:56 PM

My 2 cents; yes the glass cuts down on some of the evaporation, but it doesn't oxygenate as well, even with the skimmer. It tends to lower your ph, as well as locking in the heat, so the difference between when your lights are on and off can be a couple of degrees. At least all of the above is what I found, which is why I removed my glass panels. I'm sure their are some that might disagree though?

izzy123 · 10/04/2011, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dazmguk

My 2 cents; yes the glass cuts down on some of the evaporation, but it doesn't oxygenate as well, even with the skimmer. It tends to lower your ph, as well as locking in the heat, so the difference between when your lights are on and off can be a couple of degrees. At least all of the above is what I found, which is why I removed my glass panels. I'm sure their are some that might disagree though?

Nope, your pretty much on the right track.
I use a lid on my 40G and for the longest time I have batteled the heat problem with my tank, and with that low PH......

I now run a fan over my 25G sump and all is well, the evaporation on my tank is about 0.5 gallon per day.

If you would run your tank with a lid (and you can afford it) I would suggest using a cooler.

Hope this helps

Ivan

Cryptoblennie · 10/04/2011, 01:06 PM

Thanks for the info guys. I was kind of leaning toward glass top=bad. A gallon or two a day in evaporation? wow. That is certainly good information to have. Thank you!

AquaticFins · 10/04/2011, 03:31 PM

I think humidity/moisture control is one of the most neglected aspects of this hobby.

In my opinion, you're absolutely right to be concerned about the long term effects of putting a half-gallon of water into the room every day.

There are positive and negative aspects of using a glass top; only you can decide if the positives outweigh the negatives for your situation...but I definitely would have a plan to deal with the evaporation either way.

In the grand scheme of things, a half-gallon of water is pretty easy to deal with. Depending on the climate where you live, a small exhaust fan/vent or dehumidifier will probably be plenty.

LJLawrence · 10/04/2011, 03:49 PM

are there better options than glass tops to help with evaporation? I tend to lose quite a bit due to evap as well(45gal tank currently open top). I was gonna get a glass top but maybe now should reconsider? What do you guys suggest? Want some kind of top to keep the fishes in when i eventually get them.

10/04/2011, 12:48 PM	#1
Cryptoblennie Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 47	Evaporation, O2 and small rooms Hi all, Just wondering a few things; if you used a glass top, or cover on a 75 gallon tank, would that help eliminate some of the evaporation that takes place? Given the above situation, As long as you were running a skimmer, would that be enough oxygenation of the water while using a glass top? What are your thoughts about evaporation on a 75 gallon tank, with a 30 gallon sump in a 12x12 room? I am a bit concerned about water damage such as mildew and mold from that amount of evap. I currently run a 20 gallon tank and evaporate about 2 cups of water a day. To scale that up i would be evaporating 7 cups of water a day on a 75, that is a lot of water.... Thanks.

10/04/2011, 12:54 PM	#2
disc1 -RT * ln(k) Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Little Rock Posts: 9,705	My 75 loses a gallon sometimes 2 a day. If you have air circulating in the house then it shouldn't create a problem. The only problem would be if the air aound the tank stays stagnant and full of humidity. __________________ David Current Tank: Undergoing reconstruction...

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10/04/2011, 12:56 PM	#3
Dazmguk Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 51	My 2 cents; yes the glass cuts down on some of the evaporation, but it doesn't oxygenate as well, even with the skimmer. It tends to lower your ph, as well as locking in the heat, so the difference between when your lights are on and off can be a couple of degrees. At least all of the above is what I found, which is why I removed my glass panels. I'm sure their are some that might disagree though?

10/04/2011, 01:06 PM	#5
Cryptoblennie Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 47	Thanks for the info guys. I was kind of leaning toward glass top=bad. A gallon or two a day in evaporation? wow. That is certainly good information to have. Thank you!

10/04/2011, 03:31 PM	#6
AquaticFins Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 887	I think humidity/moisture control is one of the most neglected aspects of this hobby. In my opinion, you're absolutely right to be concerned about the long term effects of putting a half-gallon of water into the room every day. There are positive and negative aspects of using a glass top; only you can decide if the positives outweigh the negatives for your situation...but I definitely would have a plan to deal with the evaporation either way. In the grand scheme of things, a half-gallon of water is pretty easy to deal with. Depending on the climate where you live, a small exhaust fan/vent or dehumidifier will probably be plenty.

10/04/2011, 03:49 PM	#7
LJLawrence Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Chester County, PA Posts: 14	are there better options than glass tops to help with evaporation? I tend to lose quite a bit due to evap as well(45gal tank currently open top). I was gonna get a glass top but maybe now should reconsider? What do you guys suggest? Want some kind of top to keep the fishes in when i eventually get them.