help help help !!!!!!!! --- water evaporation problem

[baustin12017]

i justt started a 55 gallon aquarium i am planing on making it A DISCUS TANK and my water has been evaporating at around 3/4s to1 inch a day is that normal and if not how do is top it please please help

 

[baustin12017]

i mean how do i stop it

 

[herp_mommy]

First, I would NOT recommend Discus. They are very sensitive fish and NOT a good choice for a first tank, second, to keep evaporation down you should cover the tank with a glass lid.

 

[baustin12017]

i have done that and it is not my first tank

 

[baustin12017]

but i have only had 20 gallons and 1 37 in the past

 

[DreD]

Check temperature of water

 

[baustin12017]

i have it around 82-83

 

[mfdrookie516]

Why so high? What's your room temperature? Have you verified that the tank is not leaking, as well as checked the filter for leaks?

FYI, in the future, it may be helpful to put a more descriptive thread title in order to get people who may be able to help to come look at your thread.

 

[baustin12017]

i just checked no leaks and thats the temp discus need it at to be healthy
also thank you i will put a more descriptive title inthe fututre

 

[anthonyi]

He is right bout the temp. I keep my tanks around 86 to 88. I've had discus for a longtime. High temps and low PH. Do you weekly water changes and you should be find with Discus. They are not as hard as other tell you. For a 55 gal. tank, I would keep know more than 4 discus. And add Driftwood. Helps with the PH. 6.0 to 6.4 should be your goal.

 

[baustin12017]

ok thank you for your advice

 

[DreD]

It's evaporating due to the temperature. Not much you can do about that. Perhaps the room they're in is really dry? If the water is evaporating that fast the room will get humid. As suggested before, put a lid over it and one that doesn't have lots of space for the water to escape.

 

[jsoong]

I will modify the title ...

A glass top is your friend. Not just a canopy, but a tight fitting lid without any gaps to keep the water in. Also, depends on your filter, you might want to keep it closed & sealed as well. <A open HOB with biowheel can give off lots of water ... a canister is sealed & you won't lose any water from it.>

 

[baustin12017]

i have a fluval 305 canister filter and plan on getting the ehiem pro 3 electronic next month

 

[BigJim]

+1 for the glass canopy. Make sure you use the plastic strip on the back and cut it to fit your equipment. When I was cycling my 40B at ~85 degrees with no lid, I was losing 1"+ of water per day. When I put the glass canopy in place, evaporation was cut to ~1/4" per week at ~80 degrees.

 

[dlwn88]

I will modify the title ...

A glass top is your friend. Not just a canopy, but a tight fitting lid without any gaps to keep the water in. Also, depends on your filter, you might want to keep it closed & sealed as well. <A open HOB with biowheel can give off lots of water ... a canister is sealed & you won't lose any water from it.>

I've read on here, at least in the salt water section that a glass top is actually "bad for pH." Something to do with good oxygen in the tank is how it was explained I believe. I'd imagine it'd be true for both fresh and marine then but I may be wrong. I removed mine because salt would always build up on the hinge.

 

[BigJim]

High CO2 levels in a tank can lower your pH. If you fill an aquarium so the water is touching the glass lid, you've limited the CO2 off-gassing process by quelling surface agitation. I do this intentionally in my planted tanks. If you leave the water level a little below the lid, you'll still get the surface agitation and I doubt any stock lid seals well enough to trap enough CO2 in that air gap to make a serious difference.

A trick used in the metal plating industry to limit evaporation is to put ping-pong balls in the tanks. It reduces the surface area of the air-water interface. I imagine it would work similarly in an aquarium, but it would limit your light and look kind of goofy.

You could also put a humidifier in the room with the tank. The more water you put in the air, the less it tries to suck out of your tank. It's probably not the most comfortable option though.

 

[OhNeil1969]

I'm really surprised at the rate of evaporation you're experiencing. 3/4 to 1 inch a day at those temps seems really high. I've had tanks as high as 88 degrees when treating for ich and never experienced that level of evaporation. I might lose 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch a week. I know you checked for leaks but I think you may have water creeping up a hose or line and dripping somewhere behind your tank. If your tank is on a carpet I'd check for damp spots. I know the winter months are drier but I would think that amount of dry air would be uncomfortable to live in (cracked lips, bloody noses, sore throats). Anyway, hope you find the cause!

 

[dlwn88]

High CO2 levels in a tank can lower your pH. If you fill an aquarium so the water is touching the glass lid, you've limited the CO2 off-gassing process by quelling surface agitation. I do this intentionally in my planted tanks. If you leave the water level a little below the lid, you'll still get the surface agitation and I doubt any stock lid seals well enough to trap enough CO2 in that air gap to make a serious difference.

A trick used in the metal plating industry to limit evaporation is to put ping-pong balls in the tanks. It reduces the surface area of the air-water interface. I imagine it would work similarly in an aquarium, but it would limit your light and look kind of goofy.

You could also put a humidifier in the room with the tank. The more water you put in the air, the less it tries to suck out of your tank. It's probably not the most comfortable option though.

Oh okay. Would putting back my glass lid lower to ph to dangerously low levels or would I be okay? It seemed fine while I had it on there, like I mentioned my only complaint was all the salt buildup near the power filter flow and the hinge in the middle. maybe I can find a lid better then that one, I have egg crate on there now but the water evaportation is kinda quick and the egg crate looks strange in a living room display tank