Live Rock Cycling Question

[Reefguy13]

So this may be a dumb question but do I need to hook an ato to my trash can that will be cyling my live rock. I plan on cycling about 40 lbs in a brute trash an with a heater and small powerhead but know the water will evaporate. Can i just add fresh water every day manually or do I even need to? If not i have a micro ato i can hook up

 

[Garf]

So this may be a dumb question but do I need to hook an ato to my trash can that will be cyling my live rock. I plan on cycling about 40 lbs in a brute trash an with a heater and small powerhead but know the water will evaporate. Can i just add fresh water every day manually or do I even need to? If not i have a micro ato i can hook up

You not got a lid?

 

[Reefguy13]

I have a lid but I assume there would still be evap

 

[Azedenkae]

So this may be a dumb question but do I need to hook an ato to my trash can that will be cyling my live rock. I plan on cycling about 40 lbs in a brute trash an with a heater and small powerhead but know the water will evaporate. Can i just add fresh water every day manually or do I even need to? If not i have a micro ato i can hook up

It would be good to top up due to evaporation, yeah. Doesn't have to be via an ATO, can be manual. According to Dr. Tim, nitrifiers grow faster at lower salinity (down to 1.015) anyways, so an increase in salinity due to evaporation may slow things down. Probably not by much tbh, but hey.

 

[Mike S]

I wouldn’t bother with an ATO. Just mark your waterline and top it off occasionally by hand.

 

[Reefguy13]

thanks ya my plan was to just mark the water line and top off daily or every other day depending on how it evaps. Thanks