Wet/dry Filter Problem

[maro1107]

We set up our tank last Saturday (135 gallon) and hooked everything up. When we set up the wet/dry filter we marked on the side where the water level was (which was about half way up). Today (Tuesday) the water has dropped about two inches. Since the original hook up the only extra thing we did was hook up the heater on Sunday and brought the tank temperature up to 79 degrees. The water level in the tank is still the same so we can't figure out why the water level in the filter has gone down. Can anyone help us?

P.S. - We are new at this so please bare with us

[Ady1397]

it evaporated....

[pachuco2k]

When you say last Saturday do you mean this past Saturday (4 days ago) or the Saturday before (11 days ago). 2 inches sounds extreme for such a large tank in only 3 days. But I tend to agree that the loss is mostly due to evaporation. I find I have to top off my water about once a week in between water changes.

[maro1107]

pachuco2k - 3 days ago. If this loss was just due to evaporation wouldn't it be a loss of water in the tank, not the wet/dry filter down below? There's no change in water level in the actual tank and no leaks that we can find - we have hard wood floors so I hope no leaks show up!

[jsoong]

Your water level in your tank is set by the overflow (or standpipe - depending on your setup), & as water is lost from the main tank, some will be drawn up from the sump to replace it. This keeps the level in the tank constant & is a main advantage in a sump/wet-dry setup.

Actually, "water dropping 2 inches in the sump" does not tell me how much water you are losing. If you have a big sump, 2" is a lot of water. But if you have a tall narrow sump, 2" might just be a few gals - a reasonable evaporation loss.

[fishfreek]

Great explanation jsoong.

[maro1107]

jsoong - thanks for the reply. I guess it is evaporation since it's not leaking that's the only other thing it could be. It was about 1/3 of the way down last night and this morning it dropped to where the top of the pump was out of the water. I'll try keeping the water level half way up so that I can have time to check it between working and sleeping.

[fishfreek]

Evaporation is normal for a wet/dry its a bit more than without one because the air/water exposure is much greater as the water trickles over the bio balls. This causes the evaporation rate to increase.

Its not uncommon for a tank your size to evaporate 1.5-2 gal a day. If your tank is uncovered (does not have a glass cover between the tank and bulbs) this rate could be even higher.

Often times people will setup auto topoff devices that will fill the sump with water when it gets below a particular level. This allows the person to go multiple days with out manually topping it off. I think if you get into a routine of doing daily topoffs it wont be that big of a deal. Less than 5 minutes each day. You could do it prior to leaving for work or do it when you get home or just prior to bed.