im having issues with water loss.

[genocidex]

ok i got this 29g tank set up and it seems to me loosing water, i cant see or feel any water on the outside of the tank, and under it i laid out paper to see if any thing is leaking down and still no results, i was thinking its just evaporation but i have as many of the openings covered, cept the hob filter. also my filters impeller can be removed but again i cant feel any moisture on it. any ideas?

[Brhino]

how much water loss are we talking here, over what period of time? Evaporation will happen to some degree even if your tank is covered, especially in the winter when the air tends to be more dry.

[genocidex]

well it seems to be a little less than 3mm in about 20 hrs, so about .... 270 oz a day. im getting this by 30 in * 12 in (base dimensions) * 2.5 (to make inches to cm) * .3cm (cause i know 1cm^3 is 1 oz with water. i marked the tank last night with a dry erase maker the water line was at the top of the mark. the tank is unleveled at this moment do to a mistake but im getting friends to help level it tomorrow.

[CassieLEO]

It depends a lot on the evaporation. My house is very dry, with wood floors. I do 30-50% water changes every week, and I STILL have to top off every few days, at least a gallon or so. I also keep everything pretty covered, but there is still places for it to get out. Also, if I keep my tank at 76 degrees, and my house is 62 to 70 I am bound to get more evaportation too. SO, maybe this has something to do with your situation! I hope this helped ya! Good luck :D

[genocidex]

yes my place is pritty dry (im fixing it soon with a humidifier for the winters) i used to keep my place at 40-50 with windows open (an inch or 2) but now im trying to keep fish i dont think its a good idea lol. just seems alot of evaporation and thats why im asking

[CassieLEO]

I was amazed at the amount of water I was replacing myself. BUT, I dont have any leakes and have to replace it a lot. I think you are in the clear. Just made sure you replace the water, but it doesnt count for your weekly water changes. You still need to do those...

[Brhino]

your math's off.

3mm = .118 inch
missing area: .118" x 30" x 12" = 42.48 cubic inches = 23.5 oz* = 0.18 gal.

If you're losing 3mm a day in a 29g tank you're losing one and a quarter gallons per week, which sounds within the realm of evaporation to me.


*fluid ounce. Remember, an ounce is a unit of mass, but a fluid ounce is a unit of volume. For the record, a cubic centimeter (aka 1 milliliter) of water weighs one gram (mass), not one ounce (mass). One gram is approximately 0.035 ounces.

[Scrup]

The sump on my 225G loses close to 30 gallons a week to evaporation, whereas my 125G, which is tightly covered, only loses about 10. Tight coverings are your best option to control it, but there is no way to eliminate it. It is more environmental than anything. My tank at work, which is in a controlled environment (half a server room, so even the humidity is controlled) only loses about an inch a week.

So, aside from moving, covering it is the only real way to prevent evaporation. Is the cover on the HOB?

[Brhino]

you have a fish tank in your server room? Your data likes to live dangerously!

[genocidex]

ok just seemed a bit high thanks for the reassurance XD

[KatzeSlaugen]

i have 2 tanks in my room. one with a galss top and one thats open topped. the 55gal i have topped and by the time i do the water change the water drops less than a quarter inch. my open top 75gal loses close to 3 inches of water a week.

glass tops to the rescue!