So where is all my water going?

MadSkillzMan · 07/23/2006, 09:04 PM

guys im really stumped here. My saltwater tank is losing amounts of water. Not huge, but its about 2 days worth in 12 hours. Its a 20g high.

Ive tripple checked my skimmer, my fuge, the area all around the tank..and i find no leak

I took a salinity test, and it was at 1.024 after top off, as it is always

So taht tells me no leak, but evaporation

Problem with that is, its not hot up here at all. In fact its rather nice. Its about 78 in the tank. Theres no huge lights, the top is covered well, and as proof, my FW tanks arent losing these amounts of water

IM just curious if theres something different about evaporation with saltwater. It doesnt dissipate this much even on the hottest days.

Wheres all my water going???

angelsj247 · 07/23/2006, 09:43 PM

it evaporates faster in heat, so summer days youll lose more

ACBlinky · 07/23/2006, 09:44 PM

I find my evaporation rates vary dramatically depending on the humidity. Have you been running a fan or air conditioner in the room that wasn't running before? New dehumidifier? Is the atmospheric humidity low where you are right now?

jdm01 · 07/23/2006, 09:45 PM

I have a 90 gallon. I am running metal halides. The tank temp is around 78 degrees give or take 2. I have a 5 gallon top off tank that I am refilling every 5 days or so. I am evaporating just under 1 gallon per day.

BONDQ · 07/23/2006, 09:45 PM

My guess is that your relative humidity is low right now, thus causing your increased evaporation.

Your evaporation is determined by a combination of relative humidity, air-flow, and air temperature.

MadSkillzMan · 07/23/2006, 10:22 PM

THANK YOU for an answer like that! i thought the weather around me had SOMETHING to do with it

but why isnt my other tank affected? though it is covered more and less flow

But yea we had a cold front come in, and our barometer is pretty high, but low humidity. Plus the fact i have a window fan. Its not blowing on the tank, but its bringing the outside air in

BONDQ · 07/24/2006, 12:51 PM

I would say that the covering and less flow are big contributors to the decreased evaporation there.

I hope your mystery is solved.

jerehmy · 07/24/2006, 12:57 PM

yeah evapotation works different all the time in my tanks, one day I will lose a gallon and the next day no eveporation.

Mother nature just likes to play games

ovrmyhdagn · 07/24/2006, 01:06 PM

I have to agree, humidity varies evaporation.

Fizz71 · 07/24/2006, 01:49 PM

There are sooooo many factors...covering it is one like was said although not as much FLOW as SURFACE AGGITATION...they usually go hand-in-hand but the more rippling at the surface, the faster it will evaporate. And the faster the air blows by the surface, the lower the humidity right at the surface so it will evaporate faster. That's why folks put fans on sumps to INCREASE evaporation since it helps reduce tank overheating in the summer.

So you have...room temperature, room humidity, room air flow near tank, amount of water exposure to the rest of the room, sur***e aggitation, hood temperature (lighting)...did I miss any.

--Fizz

07/23/2006, 09:04 PM	#1
MadSkillzMan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 282	So where is all my water going? guys im really stumped here. My saltwater tank is losing amounts of water. Not huge, but its about 2 days worth in 12 hours. Its a 20g high. Ive tripple checked my skimmer, my fuge, the area all around the tank..and i find no leak I took a salinity test, and it was at 1.024 after top off, as it is always So taht tells me no leak, but evaporation Problem with that is, its not hot up here at all. In fact its rather nice. Its about 78 in the tank. Theres no huge lights, the top is covered well, and as proof, my FW tanks arent losing these amounts of water IM just curious if theres something different about evaporation with saltwater. It doesnt dissipate this much even on the hottest days. Wheres all my water going???

07/23/2006, 09:43 PM	#2
angelsj247 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Joliet, IL Posts: 866	it evaporates faster in heat, so summer days youll lose more __________________ 2 perc clownfish, 2 peppermint shrimp, astrea, turbo, & nassarius snails, 20 lbs Live Rock Current Tank Info: 20gal FOWLR

07/23/2006, 09:44 PM	#3
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	I find my evaporation rates vary dramatically depending on the humidity. Have you been running a fan or air conditioner in the room that wasn't running before? New dehumidifier? Is the atmospheric humidity low where you are right now? __________________ "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen Current Tank Info: 150g mixed reef, 30g sump/refugium, LED lighting, 100lbs LR, coral beauty, flame angel, blue & yellow tangs, gobies, damsels, 6-line wrasse, lawnmower blenny, dottyback, clown pair, rabbitfish, shrimp, crabs, CUC.

07/23/2006, 09:45 PM	#4
jdm01 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Greenfield Posts: 904	I have a 90 gallon. I am running metal halides. The tank temp is around 78 degrees give or take 2. I have a 5 gallon top off tank that I am refilling every 5 days or so. I am evaporating just under 1 gallon per day. __________________ John Martin Current Tank Info: 29 Gallon BioCube

07/24/2006, 12:57 PM	#8
jerehmy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: san diego Posts: 511	yeah evapotation works different all the time in my tanks, one day I will lose a gallon and the next day no eveporation. Mother nature just likes to play games __________________ Fish are the best medecine for body and mind Current Tank Info: 55g, 40g, 29gx2, 60g, 10g African Cichlids (Breeders) 40g SW Reef with a 20g sump/refugium 75lbs prime LR Mag 9.5 SCWD and Remora skimmer, 2x96w PC's

07/23/2006, 09:45 PM	#5
BONDQ Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: So CA Posts: 621	My guess is that your relative humidity is low right now, thus causing your increased evaporation. Your evaporation is determined by a combination of relative humidity, air-flow, and air temperature.

07/23/2006, 10:22 PM	#6
MadSkillzMan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 282	THANK YOU for an answer like that! i thought the weather around me had SOMETHING to do with it but why isnt my other tank affected? though it is covered more and less flow But yea we had a cold front come in, and our barometer is pretty high, but low humidity. Plus the fact i have a window fan. Its not blowing on the tank, but its bringing the outside air in

07/24/2006, 12:51 PM	#7
BONDQ Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: So CA Posts: 621	I would say that the covering and less flow are big contributors to the decreased evaporation there. I hope your mystery is solved.

07/24/2006, 01:06 PM	#9
ovrmyhdagn Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 98	I have to agree, humidity varies evaporation.

07/24/2006, 01:49 PM	#10
Fizz71 FragSwapper Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: West Lawn, PA Posts: 5,800	There are sooooo many factors...covering it is one like was said although not as much FLOW as SURFACE AGGITATION...they usually go hand-in-hand but the more rippling at the surface, the faster it will evaporate. And the faster the air blows by the surface, the lower the humidity right at the surface so it will evaporate faster. That's why folks put fans on sumps to INCREASE evaporation since it helps reduce tank overheating in the summer. So you have...room temperature, room humidity, room air flow near tank, amount of water exposure to the rest of the room, sur***e aggitation, hood temperature (lighting)...did I miss any. --Fizz __________________ --Fizz Current Tank Info: Current system is 8x2x2 240g peninsula setup with a single "chamber" 100g sump in the basement with an RDSB. All corals are 100% home grown from frags of fellow reefers (low natural reef impact).