Evaporation stopping midnight?

[Notsolostfish]

I know it's not a bad thing. But every night after 12:00 AM my ATO kicks in. and then doesn't kick back in till like 7:00 AM-8AM long hours. I am just wondering why would the evaporation only stops midnight? I don't have a lid yet on my tank, and my dehumidifier is running 24/7. keeping the room around 48-55% humid with a room temp at 76F.

 

[AstroCoral]

Well there is a multitude of factors involved here, one of which is the latent heat of vaporization may have something to do with it - your tank is likely cooling down slightly at night which is reducing the rate of vaporization from the tank, as more heat dissipates with the water vapor the rate of vaporization decreases due to the temperature decreasing slightly as a result of the previously evaporated water. Another reason may be the ATO is relying on an optical sensor that sees the water refraction differently depending on external lighting conditions.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I know it's not a bad thing. But every night after 12:00 AM my ATO kicks in. and then doesn't kick back in till like 7:00 AM-8AM long hours. I am just wondering why would the evaporation only stops midnight? I don't have a lid yet on my tank, and my dehumidifier is running 24/7. keeping the room around 48-55% humid with a room temp at 76F.

The water molecules are sleeping.

On the serious side, how many times a day does the ATO kick in?

 

[Notsolostfish]

The water molecules are sleeping.

On the serious side, how many times a day does the ATO kick in?

Thats what i average a day 6-7 sometimes 8. Today it has been one. Since the last time ato kicked in was midnight. Its a 200G tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So the gap between ATO deliveries is typically 4-6 hours. At night, you are saying it is a bit above the high end of that, 7-8 h.

That doesn't seem unreasonable to have somewhat less evaporation at night when the lights are off and heat near the tank is lower, Air flow around the tank may be a bit lower and the humidity may also be a bit higher with fewer human activities going on (such as doors opening to the outside, etc.).

 

[KrisReef]

The evaporation in my garage tank follows ambient humidity levels more than temperature (it’s in the garage). Humidity generally increases at night.

I’m not sure but I think the evaporation Union gets night time pay?

 

[exnisstech]

@AstroCoral how did you get the Ohio reefer badge? I don't remember seeing one before but sometimes I'm not too observant

 

[kevgib67]

@AstroCoral how did you get the Ohio reefer badge? I don't remember seeing one before but sometimes I'm not too observant

Hey, I want one too! O-H!

 

[exnisstech]

Hey, I want one too! O-H!

I must be stuck out. What's the difference between my tank thread and my aquarium showcase badges?

 

[exnisstech]

Hey, I want one too! O-H

 

[kevgib67]

I must be stuck out. What's the difference between my tank thread and my aquarium showcase badges?

My Aquarium showcase is a quick overview of your tank you post a cartain amount of pictures and answer a series of questions. Click on both of my badges and you’ll see the difference.

 

[PotatoPig]

Lights off probably reduces air flow at the surface, so slows evaporation.

Assuming the weather is warm where you are and you have AC, the cooler night temps mean your AC might be on less (or not at all). The AC removes humidity from the air as well as cooling it. AC low/off = higher humidity in your house = lower evaporation.

 

[AstroCoral]

@AstroCoral how did you get the Ohio reefer badge? I don't remember seeing one before but sometimes I'm not too observant

Sorry, I just saw this reply! I see you figured it out though! I’m not sure when it was made available, I saw someone else had an Ohio Reefer badge so I went on the search for it hahaha.

 

[AstroCoral]

Hey, I want one too! O-H!

I-O! I’m an OSU alumni, I actually lived in Morrill Tower my freshman year. I sometimes watched games from my window when I wasn’t able to attend due to studying or projects.

 

[kevgib67]

I-O! I’m an OSU alumni, I actually lived in Morrill Tower my freshman year. I sometimes watched games from my window when I wasn’t able to attend due to studying or projects.

My wife and I are both OSU alumni! We both lived on the south campus, me Baker and her Canfield. Always great to hear from a fellow Buckeye!