Adding water after evaporation

[Richard the Reefer]

Is there anyone else with tanks above 30 gallons in which you do not have an ATO (auto top off)? If so when you add water how much at a time do you add? What are your results? I have yet to get a lid that will aid in evaporation, and I'm losing about a gallon every 3 days. I do not have a rodi unit and won't have one for more than a year from now. Also I work second shift so I can't get bulk ro fresh water all in one shot due to LFS hours lol. I just want to know what some peoples routines are and how they work, what hasn't worked...

 

[cpschult]

Man, sell some blood and get a rodi and ATO. I don’t know your water volume but rodi would pay for itself in 200-300 gallon range. Ato is just soo nice to have too.

At 30 gallons , .33 gallons a day is enough to raise salinity to 1.0267, if you have softies that’s probably okay to top off once a day. Sps I'd get an ato. Before I had an ato I topped off my 72gallon once a day in the evening.

 

[Richard the Reefer]

Man, sell some blood and get a rodi and ATO. I don’t know your water volume but rodi would pay for itself in 200-300 gallon range. Ato is just soo nice to have too.

At 30 gallons , .33 gallons a day is enough to raise salinity to 1.0267, if you have softies that’s probably okay to top off once a day. Sps I'd get an ato. Before I had an ato I topped off my 72gallon once a day in the evening.

I have a 40 gallon and eventually will get an ATO but currently sharing a house with 4 people while me and the future wife house hunt... All the pipes are copper and brass and iron. So I figured best to avoid any water here. I do plan on arranging the bottom of the cabinet to put a 10-20 gallon tank for my ato. But I need to get to first shift where I have time for everything. About a month out. It isn't a money issue unfortunately!

 

[NB Reefer]

I am in process of getting a RODI set up. In the meantime I top off by hand two to three times a day. I like spreading it out so it is not all at once and helps stability. I have a sump on my tank with a line in the return pump area so I know exactly where to fill to.

 

[Richard the Reefer]

I am in process of getting a RODI set up. In the meantime I top off by hand two to three times a day. I like spreading it out so it is not all at once and helps stability. I have a sump on my tank with a line in the return pump area so I know exactly where to fill to.

Thats where my issue is, I do not have a sump, or a filter of any sort. Just a large CPR hob refugium. Where would you suggest adding while I wait on a ato?

 

[Richard the Reefer]

I do plan on getting a tidal 55 for filtration and surface skimming. Just letting the tank cycle before I add the mechanical filtration.

 

[Susan Edwards]

There are other places that sell bottled water. I know some grocery stores sell water, and don't some walmarts? You buy a bottle and fill. I believe it is all RO water. I have one tank that I top off. I admit, I just dump it in. It's my display refugium with some "weed" corals and 2 fish. I dump in a gallon at a time. Water is just room temp. Nothing fragile in that tank. You could top off morning and evenings--or when you are home

 

[larangcon]

I have a 4 pump doser, I use the last pump to pump in water from the RODI reservoir into my sump. I have a waterline marked in my sump as a normal waterline and calculated the amount of sump water loss from evaporation in 24hrs and calculated the amount to raise it back to the normal sump waterline in ml and I observe this line every time I open the sump cabinet which is almost everyday. I break down the amount of ml 6 times in 24 hrs. Worked for me. I do not use ATO due to the fear of the float malfunction which often result in a crash.

 

[larangcon]

Without a sump it will be tough

 

[Kzguns]

My 32 biocube loses about a qt every 3 days and I just dump it in. Get an RODI

 

[JCM]

I have a 45g with no ato. I don't have a sump and don't want float valves in my tank. I lose about a gallon every 3 or 4 days. I have gallon jugs of ro water with pickling like added. Every day or two I'll add 1/3 to 1/2 gallon directly into the tank on top of the powerhead. I have been doing it this way for a year with no noticeable negative effects. Specefic gravity ranges from 1.025 to 1.027 or so depending on when I get around to doing it and how much I add.

If I leave for a week on vacation, I have someone stop by once in the middle and pour a full gallon in, I also overfill it before I leave to knock the s.g. to 1.024 so it takes longer to creep up.

I don't keep much sps, but I have a couple acro's that do ok. Mostly zoas and lps though

 

[reefndude]

Keep your water level right at the bottom of frame, that way you can see water level drop. Or pick a spot on the filter. Buy distilled water and top off at least once a day. More the better

 

[joeyhatch11]

distilled water from Wal-Mart is $.77 a gallon. Thats your best bet for now. Or find a local reefer with RODI that can sell you some at $.50 a gallon. Thats what I do here.

 

[chris k.]

I keep a pitcher of top off water next to the tank. Everytime i go by and right before work right after work i add a little bit.

 

[joeyhatch11]

Yeah best to hit it in the morning and evening so the salinity doesnt shift on you that much.

 

[larangcon]

That medthod is easy, tough part is going on vacation

 

[Richard the Reefer]

distilled water from Wal-Mart is $.77 a gallon. Thats your best bet for now. Or find a local reefer with RODI that can sell you some at $.50 a gallon. Thats what I do here.

Thats what I use is the distilled. It works for now. Ill just Add smaller amounts throughout a 24 period instead of all at once! Thanks everyone for the input!!