Is this rate of evaporation normal?

ValorG · 01/23/2013, 02:36 PM

I have a 75 gallon DT and 40breeder sump. I'm still cycling so I only have the lights on for a maximum of 1 hour a day for viewing and I am losing about 1-2 quarts of water a day. I do have everything running including protein skimmer.

This is my first salwater aquarium so I dont know if this is normal.

I have checked for leaks all around and I havent seen any water for days now.

downbeach · 01/23/2013, 02:42 PM

I have a 180 with a 40 gal. sump, and lose about 2 gallons a day.

thebkramer · 01/23/2013, 02:53 PM

I have a 55 no sump and lose about 1g a day
I don't have a top on my tank.. so I lose alot

so I would say.. yes.. normal

Cymonous · 01/23/2013, 02:55 PM

This sounds about right. This is why most hobbyists have an ATO. Is the DT open on the top? You also don't need to run your skimmer yet during the cycle.

MrTuskfish · 01/23/2013, 03:32 PM

I think 1-2 qts is on the light side of normal.

ValorG · 01/23/2013, 03:44 PM

Oh ok, thanks guys! Time to invest in an ATO system. :O

sleepydoc · 01/23/2013, 09:46 PM

... or you could wait and wish you did!

kriv4o · 01/23/2013, 09:59 PM

My 40b with a sump loses about a gallon a day when there is no lid on it.
My 10g nano loses 2/3 a quart a day with no lid.

MondoBongo · 01/24/2013, 06:17 AM

75 here with 30 gallon sump. I lose about 1 - 2 gallons a day depending on weather and humidity. In fact I can hear my ATO running as I type this.

keithhays · 01/24/2013, 07:14 AM

One way to determine how much you want to evaporate is whether or not you are dosing kalk in your makeup water. You'll want to evaporate about 1% of your actual water volume. Much less and it doesn't help a lot, much more and you will end up with high ph and you would have to use a different method. This one percent also gives you sort of an idea of how much flow you have in tank...all things being equal more flow equals more evaporation.

Your 75 gallon probably has about 60 gallons and your sump holds more like 20 gallons which would equal about a gallon water (1% of 80 = .8 gallons). I would increase flow in the tank to reach about a gallon.

h2hiero · 01/24/2013, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by downbeach

I have a 180 with a 40 gal. sump, and lose about 2 gallons a day.

Glad to hear this about the same as me did not know if it was completely normal but I guess it is

01/23/2013, 02:36 PM	#1
ValorG Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: NY Posts: 95	Is this rate of evaporation normal? I have a 75 gallon DT and 40breeder sump. I'm still cycling so I only have the lights on for a maximum of 1 hour a day for viewing and I am losing about 1-2 quarts of water a day. I do have everything running including protein skimmer. This is my first salwater aquarium so I dont know if this is normal. I have checked for leaks all around and I havent seen any water for days now.

01/23/2013, 02:53 PM	#3
thebkramer Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Clifton Park, NY Posts: 3,198	I have a 55 no sump and lose about 1g a day I don't have a top on my tank.. so I lose alot so I would say.. yes.. normal __________________ Rhonda There is NO such things as Dumb Questions!! There are However.. Dumb Answers!!! ;) ____________ Current Tank Info: 55g reef....Current Orbit SunPaq Lights, HOB Eshopps, HOB AquaClear 110, 2-1400 Koralia Powerheads & 1 Nano Koralia, 40+ lbs LR, 2" LS

01/23/2013, 02:55 PM	#4
Cymonous My Clown Attacks Me Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 2,105	This sounds about right. This is why most hobbyists have an ATO. Is the DT open on the top? You also don't need to run your skimmer yet during the cycle. __________________ 100 Gallon Long with 20L sump 10 Gallon Office Tank Current Tank Info: 2 False Percula Clowns, One Spot Foxface, Diamond Watchman Goby, Yellow Tail Damsel, Engineer Goby

01/23/2013, 03:32 PM	#5
MrTuskfish Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: The Wild Blue Yonder Posts: 8,887	I think 1-2 qts is on the light side of normal. __________________ If God didn't want us to eat animals, he wouldn't have made them out of meat. Steve Current Tank Info: 180, 2-240 FOWLRs, 240 reef

01/23/2013, 09:46 PM	#7
sleepydoc Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 3,907	... or you could wait and wish you did! __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 120 gallon, coast to coast overflow w/beananimal overflow. Waveline DC 10000 II return pump, 40 gal sump, Octopus XS200 skimmer, T5 lighting

01/23/2013, 02:42 PM	#2
downbeach Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Smyrna, Delaware Posts: 3,767	I have a 180 with a 40 gal. sump, and lose about 2 gallons a day.

01/23/2013, 03:44 PM	#6
ValorG Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: NY Posts: 95	Oh ok, thanks guys! Time to invest in an ATO system. :O

01/23/2013, 09:59 PM	#8
kriv4o Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Ocean Pines, MD Posts: 509	My 40b with a sump loses about a gallon a day when there is no lid on it. My 10g nano loses 2/3 a quart a day with no lid. __________________ 40b DT, with a 20l DIY sump 10g clam lagoon plumbed together with^ 10g stand alone NANO, JBJ 24g NanoCube rescue project

01/24/2013, 06:17 AM	#9
MondoBongo Obligate Feeder Obsessed Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,061	75 here with 30 gallon sump. I lose about 1 - 2 gallons a day depending on weather and humidity. In fact I can hear my ATO running as I type this.

01/24/2013, 07:14 AM	#10
keithhays Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Tennessee Posts: 1,259	One way to determine how much you want to evaporate is whether or not you are dosing kalk in your makeup water. You'll want to evaporate about 1% of your actual water volume. Much less and it doesn't help a lot, much more and you will end up with high ph and you would have to use a different method. This one percent also gives you sort of an idea of how much flow you have in tank...all things being equal more flow equals more evaporation. Your 75 gallon probably has about 60 gallons and your sump holds more like 20 gallons which would equal about a gallon water (1% of 80 = .8 gallons). I would increase flow in the tank to reach about a gallon.