Evaporation!!! Water change required???

[ChuaNamTiong]

I'm using a cooling fan to lower my temperature of the 3ft tank. Within a week, the water can evaporate as much as 10%.

If let say after 2 weeks the water evaporate 20% and I top up the water, do I still need to do a water change in this case?

Advice from expert???

[Rukas]

HI, Not an expert but you still have to do water change, due to these reasons

1. Its only Water that evaporates

2. Good and Bad elements do not evaporate with water

3. Waste also does not evaporate with Water

4. By water change you replenish the good trace elements with a good salt mix and remove any bad elements in the water

So it is advise able to do a periodic water change to keep the system healthy, IMHO

[iskay]

I'm using a cooling fan to lower my temperature of the 3ft tank. Within a week, the water can evaporate as much as 10%.

If let say after 2 weeks the water evaporate 20% and I top up the water, do I still need to do a water change in this case?

Advice from expert???

Keep both matters separate - evaporation issue and water change.

For the evaporation, you'll need to top up with fresh water. As the salinity level increase due to the evaporation, topping up with freshwater will bring salinity back to desired levels. Best to use RO/DI or distilled water.

For water change, you'll still need to change periodically to replenish trace elements and extract nitrates and other wastes.

[ChuaNamTiong]

Din know that to use freshwater to top up for evaporation.

That will make life more easier.

Many thanks for the advice.

[onizukaa]

Din know that to use freshwater to top up for evaporation. That will make life more easier. Many thanks for the advice.

Hi bro, when you top up with fresh water, do dechlorine (like using seachem prime) and leave them over night, top up the next day with the aged water will be better instead of directly adding tap water to the tank.

[dnsfpl]

you can top up and water change together by lowering the "clean" water salinity

[Rukas]

Good thing, you asked bro, topping up with salt water would have been a mega disaster, my advice use distilled water, tap water has its disadvantage too

[ChuaNamTiong]

I already have top up 2 times with salt water over 2 weeks time.

Lucky to understand the logic behind and now am topping up with freshwater to neutralize the salinity of the water.

Lesson learn.

[John Deroe Kenedy]

After a few weeks of reefing i got to ask this.. i was very unsure... Using LIFE DI water, doesnt need to add dechlorinator right?

[dnsfpl]

DI water no chlorine nor chloramines therefore no need to add

[iczboi]

Can I topup with distilled water and do water change with tap water + dechlorine?

[mpshino]

Can I topup with distilled water and do water change with tap water + dechlorine?

Can. This can save some $$ especially if your tank is big (ie big water change).

Just dont forget to add salt when doing water change

[tropic]

Top up with distilled ok. But water change you should avoid using direct tap water. They contain all sorts of stuff inside including silicates which fuel algae growth. That's why pple buy ro/di and use salt mix for tank.

[John Deroe Kenedy]

Avoid Tap Water... Use RO/DI is the best.. You can use Bottle Distilled Water...If u want to save Bottles, but those 19L distilled water from the company itself.. Try Pere Ocean Distilled Water.

I dont use RO/DI because of the wasteful unpurified water that goes into drain.. 4Stage RO/DI produces 1Gallon on Pure water (0 TDS) to 4-5 Gallon of un-pure water. U can reduce the waste 1-2 gallon by installing another stage for another membrane which produces 1Gallon of pure water to 3-4 gallon of un-pure water.

As for me, Collect Tap water into a big Tub, run a cheap 1 stage water purifier (DI Resin/AC/Sponge) cycling the water for sometime till i get 0 TDS..

[inwear]

Avoid Tap Water... Use RO/DI is the best.. You can use Bottle Distilled Water...If u want to save Bottles, but those 19L distilled water from the company itself.. Try Pere Ocean Distilled Water.

I dont use RO/DI because of the wasteful unpurified water that goes into drain.. 4Stage RO/DI produces 1Gallon on Pure water (0 TDS) to 4-5 Gallon of un-pure water. U can reduce the waste 1-2 gallon by installing another stage for another membrane which produces 1Gallon of pure water to 3-4 gallon of un-pure water.

As for me, Collect Tap water into a big Tub, run a cheap 1 stage water purifier (DI Resin/AC/Sponge) cycling the water for sometime till i get 0 TDS..

good econmically reefing method.