How much and how often do you do "top offs"?

125intx

Member
I seam to be loosing alot of water each day. I know it will be different from tank to tank with size, filtration, air humidity and such but how much do you add when topping off? And how often do you do it?
 
T

thomas712

Guest
About a gallon a day right now, but I also drip kalk so it is replenished at about a drop or so per second or two. I always check the water level evey day, but I love not having to add a gallon or so on the spot.
I also use a large humidifyer during the winter to help keep the room and tank from drying right up.
Thomas
 

125intx

Member
yea i was wonder about doing that as well, i wonder if the only way to do it is with a float of some kind.
 

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
10g fresh bout 1/2 g per week
20g salt 1 g per week
55g salt with refugium bout 1g per day (was 1 g per week before refug LOL)
 
do u guys have open tops or something? I only lose about a gallon every week and a half or so on my 150 gallon, and on my 90 i only add a gallon top off every 3 weeks or so.
 

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
my 10g fresh and 20g salt both have open tops. By contrast my 55g does have a glass top. The main difference is the refugium/sump in the 55g. That is a lot of water air contact pumping and overflowing the water. Additionally the refug itself is open top.
 
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thomas712

Guest

Originally posted by sohalwutang499
do u guys have open tops or something? I only lose about a gallon every week and a half or so on my 150 gallon, and on my 90 i only add a gallon top off every 3 weeks or so.

Heat, surface movment, geography, atmospheric pressures all have something to do with it.
I use a canopy above my 90 with the back open about 3 inches from the top of the lip of the tank, covered with eggcrate but open and exposed and of course 4 feet long. Wet/dry is exposed with in sump skimmer.
Lots of different factors go inot evaporation, including the turn over rate, humidity......etc....
Thomas
 

birdy

Active Member
you can setup automatic drip systems with a float valve, or I have a peristalic dosing pump that pumps my kalk water from the basement fish area to my tank.
 

cprdnick

Active Member
18 gallon 1 cup per day, 10 gallon 2 cups a week, 1 gallon so far it seems like 1/4 cup a day, but I don't have lights on it right now. My 20 gallon freshwater is like 1/2 gallon a month.
 

125intx

Member

Originally posted by SquishyFish
Is there any reason anyone can think of why I can use the "acclimation process" sited on this board as a drip system to replace evaporation?
Squishy

I was thinking of trying the same thing. I can not think of any reason why it would not work.
 

marvida

Member
My 10 uses about 3-4 gal per week. It's on an auto system w/float switch. My 29 uses about the same, I just manually add water to it.
 

birdy

Active Member
I have the same system and I love it. I have my pump set up in the basement with all my fish stuff. and I just run hose up to the tank on the main floor.
 
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