Evaporation

[catmel]

Need some insight on this.. So far so good with my 55 gal, though I'm noticing I'm getting a lot of evaporation. Right now I have a standard hood with one strip light ( I believe only about 40 watts) that came with the tank. I know its not the best, but hey.. it was free! the guy forgot to charge me for my hood when I got the tank. I'm saving up for a good lighting system - I plan on keeping it FOWLR for at least a year until I get more experience under my belt.

Anyway, Ive noticed that the salinity seems to be fluctuating a bit. I did my last PWC on wednesday and had the specific grav at 1.022, I checked today and it was 1.022-1023. Before I had noticed it creeping up to 1.024 just within a few days. I have my lights on generally 10am-9pm. Would a better strip light (eg: coral sun etc) be better to help this / better for the fowlr until I can get a good lighting system?? or do I just need to cut down on my time I have the lights on etc?

thanks for the help!

[ccCapt]

Just add a little bit of freshwater to the tank every day, or every other day to make up for what evaporated. Lighting itself causes very little, if any evaporation.
I add over 3 gal/day to my tank to make up for evaporation.

[catmel]

Ok I usually do end up adding about a half gal every day, just didnt know if this was normal Seemed during cycling, I didnt have to add much, and when I started keeping the lights on, I started noticing it. - I guess just paying more attention, since I have a fish in there now!

Just have to keep a better eye on that I guess

[Kurt_Nelson]

I've got a 46g and during the summer I'm topping off with a little less than a 1/2 gallon per day, so your setup seems about right.

[catmel]

good to know, thanks guys

[cmor1701d]

Use RODI for your top off as well as your pwc's.

[fijiwigi]

I have noticed the temperature of my house seems to affect evaporation If my house stays cool about 70degrees my tank evaporates less than when my house is like 78degrees Maybe its just me? My tank evaporates about 1 kool-aid pitcher of RO/DI water daily. I have a sump and I can usually go 3days before I have to fill with RO/DI. The water is about 1.023 when sump is full and about 1.025 when the sump is running low after 3days. I also have a auto dispense drip container that I fill with RO/DI and it slowly drips water into the sump so I only have to worry about it like every 5days. It makes life easy and also prevents a drastic change in Specific Gravity.

[catmel]

yes yes I use ro/di for top offs :P
Auto top off? Thats nice! I think I'm just having a bit of trouble with it being 90 outside, we just have two window ac's we run most of the day, but luckily itkeeps it about 72 in here, the tank is about 78 according to the thermometer.

thanks for the info, just need to keep up with my top offs. Does it seem to evaporate less in the winter iwith you guys or about the same? ( usually my house is about 70 then )

[MsBeanCtr]

Boy, I'm glad someone asked this question. I was thinking something was wrong as I'm adding about a gallon of water a day (that's about 2 kool-aid pitchers )

[FishEggs]

i have to top off my 40 twice a week now (about 1 1/2 gals), where in the winter it's maybe once in two weeks and i have to add a heater to keep the temp up. i fortunately don't have to worry about salinity since i only have freshwater. i dont have central air either. just a big window unit.