Issues with water evaporation

[morberne]

I have a 150 gal tank with an overflow box going to a 40 gal sump that my wife and I finally put water in about 2 weeks ago and i cant seem to get the water level to stabilize.

Almost nightly the water level in the return pump chamber of the sump seems to drop so i have to reduce the return flow rate to make sure the pump has enough water and doesnt burn up. After a a couple nights i end up adding more water and turning the flow rate back up. So far i think i have added well over 10 gals in 2 weeks.

i dont have any leaks so the water loss appears to be from evaporation. we keep the temp in the house at 68 degrees and the water temp is set at 78 degrees. weather channel says humidity is high. is this kind of evaporation loss normal for this time of year?

the only other thing that i can think of that might be causing this kind of water loss is our live rock absorbing water but i would think that it would have absorbed all it can in 2 weeks and i cant imagine that it would absorb almost 10 gals.

 

[KStatefan]

10 gallons of evaporation from 190 gallon system over two weeks seems low. I loose about 1 gallon per day in my 100 gallon system in the summer and almost 2 in the winter.

1-4% per day would be normal.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Do you have an auto top off (ATO)? It is imperative in this hobby.

My 40 gallon with 20 sump evaps 5 gallons per week, so sounds like your evap is in the normal range.

 

[Quietman]

Yes that's normal.

My 40 gallon loses about 1/2 gallon per day in the winter and 3/4 gallon per day in the summer. My house is about 70-72 and the tank is 77-78 average up to 80 in the summer.

Do you have an ATO? That will automatically keep water level in the return section constant by drawing from a freshwater (RODI / Distilled) source to replace evaporation.

 

[morberne]

No we dont have an ATO. the location my wife wanted for the tank doesnt have a water source near by so i will likely just have to keep a pitcher handy so that i can add water daily. Thanks for the help.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

No we dont have an ATO. the location my wife wanted for the tank doesnt have a water source near by so i will likely just have to keep a pitcher handy so that i can add water daily. Thanks for the help.

I would highly recommend getting an ATO. I use a bucket that I keep underneath the tank and have it filled with RODI water. It's out of sight and out of mind.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

I have a 150 gal tank with an overflow box going to a 40 gal sump that my wife and I finally put water in about 2 weeks ago and i cant seem to get the water level to stabilize.

Almost nightly the water level in the return pump chamber of the sump seems to drop so i have to reduce the return flow rate to make sure the pump has enough water and doesnt burn up. After a a couple nights i end up adding more water and turning the flow rate back up. So far i think i have added well over 10 gals in 2 weeks.

i dont have any leaks so the water loss appears to be from evaporation. we keep the temp in the house at 68 degrees and the water temp is set at 78 degrees. weather channel says humidity is high. is this kind of evaporation loss normal for this time of year?

the only other thing that i can think of that might be causing this kind of water loss is our live rock absorbing water but i would think that it would have absorbed all it can in 2 weeks and i cant imagine that it would absorb almost 10 gals.

I have a 90 gallon tank and lose about 3/4 of a gallon daily. A lot more evaporates than you might think. This is why you might want to hook up an ATO. I put a Tunze Osmolator 3 on mine and man! I love that thing. I have a 10 gallon tank of fresh RO water under the display tank and the ATO sits in there.

 

[morberne]

I would highly recommend getting an ATO. I use a bucket that I keep underneath the tank and have it filled with RODI water. It's out of sight and out of mind.

we have an ro system with a deionizer under the sink so we can get water on demand. i just dont have it plumbed to the tank.

 

[get-salty]

Easy solution.
Get yourself an "ATO" or auto top off system.

a Tunze, the best ATO >

Osmolator 3 Auto Top Off

Next-Generation Auto Top Off System Stable Aquarium Salinity Level Plug and Play Convenience Compact All-In-One Design Built-In Safety Features Tunze has long been recognized for their auto top off systems and like its predecessors, the Osmolator 3 includes everything you need for...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

It is expensive, yes, but an ATO is a must have in the saltwater hobby, as we mainly use open top rimless tanks that dont have lids.
ATO system will keep your salinity stable.


Good luck and happy reefing

 

[Gumbies R Us]

we have an ro system with a deionizer under the sink so we can get water on demand. i just dont have it plumbed to the tank.

I don't have mine plumbed to my tank either. I just have a 5g bucket filled with RODI water and use a TUNZE osmolator that tops off my tank everytime it falls below the sensors line

 

[Quietman]

I have a 5 gallon bucket in a wicker basket next to my tank. You can get creative and hide the water source or put in a decorative glass vase or anything food safe or impermeable.

 

[BryanM]

No we dont have an ATO. the location my wife wanted for the tank doesnt have a water source near by so i will likely just have to keep a pitcher handy so that i can add water daily. Thanks for the help.

When I got a bigger tank (220 total gallons or so), I was shocked at the increase in evap.

You will make your life much easier with an automatic top off setup. Hopefully with room inside the cabinet/sump, but if not Bashsea makes some attractive looking ATO containers that can sit outside the tank. That, plus a tunze osmolator setup will keep the sump at the same level all the time, you just have to fill the ATO container up every 5-7 days.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I have a 5 gallon bucket in a wicker basket next to my tank. You can get creative and hide the water source or put in a decorative glass vase or anything food safe or impermeable.

Do you have a picture of it?

 

[morberne]

I appreciate everyone’s help. this has been driving me nuts. its good to know this is normal and how to resolve it so i dont have to watch the water level every day.

 

[Quietman]

Do you have a picture of it?

I didn't but easy enough to remedy. The lid was lost to ravages of time.

 

[get-salty]

Just get one of these. it is slim for space saving. you can hide it behind/inside the tank and itll be out of view.

ReefCan Auto Top Off Reservoir (10.6 Gal / 40L)

Maximize Efficiency in Your Reef Setup with the Red Sea ReefCan Space-Saving Vertical Design: Take advantage of unused vertical space in your aquarium cabinet, maximizing water storage without expanding your system's footprint. Clear Visibility: Easily keep an eye on your water levels with a...

www.bulkreefsupply.com