How much evaporation is to much

Hyde7278 · 12/29/2016, 06:46 PM

I have a biocube 29 with stock lighting and going by the line I made in my third chamber I'm having to top off with about 1/2 gallon a day. Does this seem normal or excessive?

I've checked the tank to make sure it doesn't have a leak and haven't found any signs of a leak.

Let me know how much your adding to your tank.

OldReefGuy · 12/29/2016, 07:06 PM

wow....thats quite a bit....

Butch01 · 12/29/2016, 07:10 PM

Evaporation isn't a matter of "too much". It is what it is. Unless you have a leak somewhere, you really can't control how much water is evaporated (other than sealing the tank). When the air is dry, as it is in the winter, it's going to evaporate more.

Hyde7278 · 12/29/2016, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butch01

Evaporation isn't a matter of "too much". It is what it is. Unless you have a leak somewhere, you really can't control how much water is evaporated (other than sealing the tank). When the air is dry, as it is in the winter, it's going to evaporate more.

That does make sense I have forced hot air heat so that prob contributing to the evap

Scorpius · 12/29/2016, 07:30 PM

Dry air will suck a tank dry figuratively.

Hyde7278 · 12/29/2016, 07:30 PM

After I add the water I check salinity and it right at 1.026 so it definitely is evaporating and not leaking

Ou8me2 · 12/30/2016, 01:51 AM

During the warmer months on my 75 I get about 1 gallon per day. Now that it's cold and the furnace runs it closer to probably 2 gallons per day. Dry air will cause more evaporation for sure. Also I have lots of surface agitation and a fan blowing across the top of the tank to lessen the heat of the 2- 400 Watt MH I am running.

I don't see it as a bad thing and it's kinda like doing small water changes per day since I'm adding fresh water.

I haven't seen any bad effects from it, but I do know I need an ato soon.

garethwood · 12/30/2016, 01:56 AM

my evaporation rate is at 10% weekly i have a reefloat ato and cant fault it : )

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

BlackTracet · 12/30/2016, 06:08 AM

Yes we really need to get mother nature on board with this evaporation issue. If only Trump had made it a campaign issue.

homer1475 · 12/30/2016, 06:37 AM

When I had my biocube I evapped about 5 gallons a week. 1/2 gallon a day is completely normal.

Hyde7278 · 12/30/2016, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homer1475

When I had my biocube I evapped about 5 gallons a week. 1/2 gallon a day is completely normal.

thanks for the reply atleast now i have a gauge from someone who had a similar tank

VGT · 12/30/2016, 10:13 AM

Have a 30G tank as well, and burning close to half a gallon during the winter. Humidity in the house is <30%. Perhaps I should get a larger tank to raise the humidity in the whole house

.

thegrun · 12/30/2016, 11:23 AM

The usual evaporation rate is around 1% per day, but variables in humidity, protein skimmers, air flow and lighting can cause swings between 0.5% and 2%.

scooter31707 · 12/30/2016, 11:25 AM

IMO, this is quite common during the winter months, as you crank on your house heat. I heard of some people using humidifiers to help with the evaporation.

Finney · 12/30/2016, 01:13 PM

My 40B/20L system is evaporating 1 gallon a day. I really wish I put a bigger top off container in the cabinet!

Sk8r · 12/30/2016, 01:30 PM

With a 54, I found about a gallon a day was a nice rate: drives a kalk feed really well.

kmbyrnes · 12/31/2016, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scooter31707

IMO, this is quite common during the winter months, as you crank on your house heat. I heard of some people using humidifiers to help with the evaporation.

This is funny.
Let me run ANOTHER appliance to evaporate water into the house to prevent evaporation from my tank!

lukewithcats · 12/31/2016, 09:06 AM

with it being winter you may have low humidity in the house from the heaters and that would cause excess evap. If you have any dehumidifiers hooked up to the heating you could turn them down and also adjust any air flow that may be blowing over the tank, the more air flow over the tank the more chance for evap especially dry warm air.

C Dog · 12/31/2016, 09:58 AM

I had a rimless BioCube 14g with a 150w MH. I was topping it off every 2 days or so.

LarryZ · 12/31/2016, 03:00 PM

I have a redsea max260 (69 gal, 36" x 18") and I have to add 2 or 3 quarts every day. I seem to have to add more during the winter. Probably because the humidity is much lower.

12/29/2016, 06:46 PM	#1
Hyde7278 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2016 Posts: 61	How much evaporation is to much I have a biocube 29 with stock lighting and going by the line I made in my third chamber I'm having to top off with about 1/2 gallon a day. Does this seem normal or excessive? I've checked the tank to make sure it doesn't have a leak and haven't found any signs of a leak. Let me know how much your adding to your tank.

12/29/2016, 07:30 PM	#5
Scorpius Stick Head Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Northwest Indiana Posts: 1,208	Dry air will suck a tank dry figuratively. __________________ Current Tank 65gal DSA rimless. Vortech MP-10 x4 Vectra M1. Kessil A360we x3 4-24in T5's. BRS 2 part LPS/SPS mixed reef. Will do ______ for Acropora.

12/30/2016, 06:08 AM	#9
BlackTracet Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 26	Yes we really need to get mother nature on board with this evaporation issue. If only Trump had made it a campaign issue. __________________ Reefer 250, BM Curve 5, 2 Ethereal LEDs. Yellow, blue, sailfin tangs, Clark clown, coral beauty, hawk, black cap, sand sifting star, torch, zoas, shrooms, LTA, cuc.

12/30/2016, 06:37 AM	#10
homer1475 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 5,313	When I had my biocube I evapped about 5 gallons a week. 1/2 gallon a day is completely normal. __________________ 80G SCA Build: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2560256 Originally posted by der_wille_zur_macht: "He's just taking his lunch to work"

12/30/2016, 01:30 PM	#16
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	With a 54, I found about a gallon a day was a nice rate: drives a kalk feed really well. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

12/29/2016, 07:06 PM	#2
OldReefGuy Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Granada Hills Posts: 542	wow....thats quite a bit....

12/29/2016, 07:10 PM	#3
Butch01 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Posts: 117	Evaporation isn't a matter of "too much". It is what it is. Unless you have a leak somewhere, you really can't control how much water is evaporated (other than sealing the tank). When the air is dry, as it is in the winter, it's going to evaporate more.

12/30/2016, 01:51 AM	#7
Ou8me2 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 743	During the warmer months on my 75 I get about 1 gallon per day. Now that it's cold and the furnace runs it closer to probably 2 gallons per day. Dry air will cause more evaporation for sure. Also I have lots of surface agitation and a fan blowing across the top of the tank to lessen the heat of the 2- 400 Watt MH I am running. I don't see it as a bad thing and it's kinda like doing small water changes per day since I'm adding fresh water. I haven't seen any bad effects from it, but I do know I need an ato soon.

12/30/2016, 01:56 AM	#8
garethwood Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 92	my evaporation rate is at 10% weekly i have a reefloat ato and cant fault it : ) Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

12/30/2016, 10:13 AM	#12
VGT Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: New Jersey Posts: 283	Have a 30G tank as well, and burning close to half a gallon during the winter. Humidity in the house is <30%. Perhaps I should get a larger tank to raise the humidity in the whole house .

12/30/2016, 11:23 AM	#13
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	The usual evaporation rate is around 1% per day, but variables in humidity, protein skimmers, air flow and lighting can cause swings between 0.5% and 2%.

12/30/2016, 11:25 AM	#14
scooter31707 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Virginia Posts: 4,971	IMO, this is quite common during the winter months, as you crank on your house heat. I heard of some people using humidifiers to help with the evaporation.

12/30/2016, 01:13 PM	#15
Finney Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Lynchburg, VA Posts: 20	My 40B/20L system is evaporating 1 gallon a day. I really wish I put a bigger top off container in the cabinet!

12/31/2016, 09:06 AM	#18
lukewithcats Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Posts: 19	with it being winter you may have low humidity in the house from the heaters and that would cause excess evap. If you have any dehumidifiers hooked up to the heating you could turn them down and also adjust any air flow that may be blowing over the tank, the more air flow over the tank the more chance for evap especially dry warm air.

12/31/2016, 09:58 AM	#19
C Dog Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: SWFL Posts: 532	I had a rimless BioCube 14g with a 150w MH. I was topping it off every 2 days or so. __________________ C Dogs 400+ Gallon Sun Lit Peninsula Reef

12/31/2016, 03:00 PM	#20
LarryZ Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Carson, Washington Posts: 35	I have a redsea max260 (69 gal, 36" x 18") and I have to add 2 or 3 quarts every day. I seem to have to add more during the winter. Probably because the humidity is much lower.