# Water evaporation



## uksub (Dec 1, 2008)

Hi Chaps......Sorry if you all ready read this in the skimmer forum, I screwed up!!

I am just setting up my first marine tank, a 180g (72x24x24). I have it reef ready plumbed to a 40g sump, currently just circulating fresh water to check out my pipework / ancillaries for leaks etc. I do not have any skimmer in place as yet. I have no lights or canopy on the main tank and no cover on the sump. I do have a submersible heater in the sump, which is currently only managing to keep the water temp @ 62F
My question is, how much water should I be loosing to evaporation? I seem to be loosing a bit and thought it a bit surprising at this time of year with ambient room temps at around 60 - 65F ish
Neither tank appears to leak, I checked for damp patches all around the main tank support cabinet, there are no signs of water around the sump.
Any input / ideas would be greatly appreciated.
As always...Thanks in advance


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

your going to be loosing water daily due to evap. 
winter is the time of year when you see it worst but summer still causes evap too from heat. you'll prob. see more when you add your lights and raise that temp up. 
your going to have to top off daily with fresh RO water or invest in an auto top off unit.


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## Kellsindell (Sep 15, 2008)

Every tank will evap a different amount of water. Lights, flow, ambient temp, tank temp all play factors. I lose about a gallon a day in my 55g (it's a bit less then that) so i'd imagine in your 180 +30g you'll probably lose 3g to say the least. You can pour the water into the sump every day and make sure you have a lineto where you always want the water to stay. Do this to keep the SG from getting all kinds of jacked up. Also, in the sump, you want to leave space for water in case you have to turn off the pumps. Do a test run. Turn off the return pumps and make sure that in the off position you dont over flow the sump. You do this because if, and when the power goes out, it doesn't cause a flood and get all your carpet/tile/wood floor all wet.

There's another thing you can do. which is the preferance to many hobbiest and that's Auto-Topoffs. They are wonderful gadgets that top the water off for you, as long as you have the water resevior full. You can look at many of them here. it's a very well known company that has a great reputation. If you can DIY you'll save yourself a ton of money in the hobby, but if not there are instructions on how to put this together, and reading this now will make no sense, but later it will, get a top-off with double float switches for added ensurance.


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## Tyyrlym (Jun 1, 2008)

You'll lose more water to evaporation when the air is dry than when its wet.

Right now in the dead of winter I lose probably half again to twice as much water to evaporation than I do during the summer. Why? The air is dry as a bone right now and in the summer it's hot and humid.


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## Kellsindell (Sep 15, 2008)

Too right try in Texas where it gets over 100F and it's humid, but oddly enough i evap almost the same. The diff is very unnoiticeable.


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