The water level in my sump keeps going down...

snow1 · #1 08-10-2010, 03:20 AM

Why does the water in my sump keep on going down every few days? There is no leak. I don't think it's from evaporation. Any advice?

Zoaelite · #2 08-10-2010, 03:22 AM

What make you think it isn't evaporation? It's either evaporation or the fish are drinking it

.

***Either that or do you have an overflow that has a very large volume? Barometric pressure can increase or decrease these levels.

xtreme · #3 08-10-2010, 03:23 AM

Evaporation. I lose close to 10 gallons a week to evaporation. Best to top off with freshwater daily or better yet get some sort of ATO (Auto Top Off) system to keep your salinity stable.

snow1 · #4 08-10-2010, 03:23 AM

I don't know, 3 inches in just 3 days? It's in an enclosed stand.

viperfish · #5 08-10-2010, 03:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoaElite

What make you think it isn't evaporation? It's either evaporation or the fish are drinking it

.

snow1 · #6 08-10-2010, 03:30 AM

Okay thanks, someone gave me a good answer through pm just now. Thanks all for the help and I know what I have to do so it does not evaporate so much.

banditpowdercoat · #7 08-10-2010, 03:57 AM

Problem is, evaporation is helping tank stay cool. If you cover it with a glass top, you may run the risk of overheating. As well as you lessen the oxygen exchange when covering your tank.

reefwars · #8 08-10-2010, 04:39 AM

could be global warming

scherzo · #9 08-10-2010, 04:42 AM

+1 on helping cool the tank.

You can try covering the tanks with glass.... that usually slows it down.. but then also brings your tank temperature up. (Especially when the ambient temperature goes up)... reduce splashing.. etc..

Evaporation is part of the hobby. Do a quick search on ATO or Auto-Top-Off. You'll find a bunch of solutions that people do to keep their tanks at the same salinity.

scherzo · #10 08-10-2010, 04:45 AM

Oh.. I noticed that your other tanks are FW tanks.

So you won't notice evaporation on those tanks as much because you are looking at the level of water for the ENTIRE tank.. so it seems like it is going slower.

On a sump setup.. the ONLY area that you see where the evaporation takes place is IN THE SUMP which is a tiny cross section of the tank.. so 3 inches of evaporation in your sump.. every few days is probably equal to the amount of water you are losing in your fresh water tanks.. but you are looking at a larger surface area.. so your freshwater display tank will only lose 1 centimeter...