Water evaporation

[Lauren B.]

Does anyone find themselves having to add water to compensate for what evaporates? Or do most of you just deal with it until your next water change?

I think it's more apparent because I have such a small tank, but I have to add water nearly twice a week (almost 2 cups each addition). I can almost visually see the daily loss of water. I know that my water temp is high because I'm cycling, so I'm sure that's contributing, but I wonder if this is normal.

By the way, my tank is coming along so nicely. The water is absolutely beautiful and clear and I have yet to see any fuzziness or cloudiness. Not that I have fish in there yet (I'm sure that'll change it pretty quickly), but the clarity of my water and tank is so pretty sometimes I catch myself staring at it even though there's no fish to watch!

[Incredulous_Ed]

I have a small 5 gallon tank, and it evaporates pretty fast. The extra heat from the cycling is definetly contribuing to that factor. I think you should not top off the water but do enough water changes so it doesn't beome much of a problem.

[Severus]

My tanks only evaporate about an inch or two until the next water change so i just wait until then. Good luck with your tank progress!

[xoolooxunny]

I don't really mind adding a little fresh water to my 10 gallon a couple times a week before the water change, but yes, mine drops an inch or 2 throughout the week. I think having a biowheel helps the evaporation process as well.

[cocoa_pleco]

my 20g evaporates about a inch in 2 weeks, and my 10g about a inch every 3 days. I just add water until its waterchange time

[Lady Hobbs]

I have constantly adding water. I bet I lose an inch every other day. And I think the bubble wands have much to do with it. I'm planning on the all glass lids very soon to stop this......and besides, they look better.

[Chrona]

Yeah, I cut a piece of polycarbonate I got from work to fit over the top of my tank and the tank level holds very steady until my weekly water change.

[sergo]

i add a gallon about every 2-3 days to my 55.

[Gelo_USA]

I loose about a quarter inch/week thts it and I dnt even bother because I do a 25% water change everyweekend so it makes no difference a quarter inch less water for like 3 days... the only problem is the waterfall noise because the water level is lower but I m kind of used to it already.....

[Chrona]

I loose about a quarter inch/week thts it and I dnt even bother because I do a 25% water change everyweekend so it makes no difference a quarter inch less water for like 3 days... the only problem is the waterfall noise because the water level is lower but I m kind of used to it already.....

I can't stand the waterfall, so I add water until the lip of the filter is underwater.

[cocoa_pleco]

the waterfall doesnt bug me at all. My SW tank loses about 2 inches due to evaporation a day.

[Chrona]

Well, my waterfall bugs my plants, how's that :P

And 2 inches in a SW tank is definitely not a good thing lol. Your salinity would change a lot. You should get a cover.

[cocoa_pleco]

bugging some thing like plants i can see not having a waterfall.:1:

[Severus]

the waterfall doesnt bug me at all. My SW tank loses about 2 inches due to evaporation a day.

Do you refill it daily? you would have to if it evaporates that fast!

[Gelo_USA]

I can't stand the waterfall, so I add water until the lip of the filter is underwater.

I cnt add water up to the lip becuase my tank is a quarter inch off level and I have 2 filters.. the one on the higher side has water up to the lip onnly one day of the week any little water tht evaporates and there it goes again THE WATERFALL NOISE ALL NIGHT LONG lol....

I m still trying to figure out how to level this tank since it sits on two nightstands it will be hard to level cause if I add shims to one side I would have a gap in the middle I m going crazy over this already cause my tank is like a ticking time bomb.... its making CLICK sounds from time to time I dnt knw if its normal or if it has to do with the quarter inch tht its off.....

[cocoa_pleco]

since its just LR in the SW tank right now, it doesnt really bug me. Once i do finish cycling and put fish in, estimated Friday- Saturday, it will bug me knowing the fish are getting a current