Evaporation Control

[artieg]

So I loved the idea of a clean, modern DT with no hood or cover of any kind. Only now do I realize that I am losing literally 1% of overall water each *day* to evaporation (and it isn't even summer yet). Also suddenly occurs to me that this much moisture in my house is not a good idea, either.

(1) Do I suck it up and spoil the clean look and buy some kind of acrylic cover for the DT to keep condensation in? Should I consider that for the sump? Both have about 10 square feet of open water coverage at the top. Will I see much benefit from covering either or both of those, partially or completely?

(2) Run dehumidifier? Anyone have any experience with a whole house dehumidifier hooked up to the HVAC?

(3) Any other thoughts?

 

[vitodog]

Get a ATO (Automatic Top Off). Tunze makes a great one. It will automatically replace the water lost to evaporation.

 

[Dmorty217]

A dehumidifier would work or a exhaust fan that has a humidistat built into it (providing you have a window near by) a dehumidifier built into your HVAC would worry me since the moisture would have to go thru the system before its removed. Not everything in a HVAC system is stainless so that could be a issue. I had a 125g about 5 feet away from a buck stove in my house and this is what it looks like after 8 months (no water was ever splashed into it, it's made of iron)
For some reason the picture keeps failing to load... The black buck stove is COVERED in rust

 

[artieg]

For clarification, I am going to eventually get an ATO, but my concern here is with the amount of moisture I am putting into the house daily. I do not want a dehumidifier unit in the living room, but perhaps that would work for the large open sump in the basement.

Thanks!

 

[Scorpius]

Dehumidifier is the only way to reduce the humidity in your house. I'm currently battling the same problem, but I have four tanks...:lol:

 

[ca1ore]

Have you measured the humidity level? I've been keeping open tanks for decades and never had issue with excess humidity other than in my basement fish room (that is humid in the Summer regardless of whether I am running a tank or not). Assuming your AC system is working properly, it will easily remove any humidity added by that tank in the warm months. In the cooler months, just make sure you have adequate outside ventilation.

 

[Seth4801]

I'm from east Texas.
Down here you learn that 100% doesn't mean it's raining.
I run dehumidifiers almost year round.
The humidity in my house is regularly above 60% and normally 80% in the morning, at night, and dusk.
Around noon in the summer it can drop to around 40-50%

 

[zooman72]

While humidity can be controlled via your HVAC or a separate dehumidifier, I am a big believer in covering tanks with a glass or acrylic top to keep the water and fish in.

There is a pro vs. a con to everything, and while aesthetics may suffer a bit, keeping evaporation under control lessens my need to make more RO water and run my ATO's more often. I just keep a duster wand around a dust them off every couple of days.

Admittedly keeping a cover on a rimless does mean it affects "the look" more, but with clips it can hung just beneath the top edge of the glass so it is not as noticeable.

There is also a great concern out there for some about pH increases due to a closed top (CO2 somehow builds), but with the typical turnover in most reef aquariums, plus protein skimmers degassing and overflows, I have found that concern to be unfounded.

Now, running a metal halide would make using a glass top more difficult (although I have done it), as one may need to use evaporative cooling to counter the radiant heat from the light fixture...

 

[Mark75]

Low humidity increases evaporation so if your house becomes to humid your tank will evaporate less. You can also decrease surface agitation to reduce evaporation.

 

[neededahobby]

I run no top on display or sump (both in the LV) evaporation is and humidity is ~ 1 gallon a day but humidity hasn't been a problem.
Heck in winter it will be a plus - but I am in Midwest. Dry air sucks.

I do have a dehumidifier in the basement but that is unrelated to fishtank
Depends on if the room is getting humid it isnt nessecarily bad

 

[kmbyrnes]

My 110 Reef is covered and loses about a gallon a day. The 125 has an open top and 50% more surface area and loses about 2 gallons a day. There are so many doors and windows opening and closing through the house, humidity is not a problem, but then again I am in AZ.
The new 350 is currently covered, but I am beginning to think heat may become an issue.

 

[vitodog]

For clarification, I am going to eventually get an ATO, but my concern here is with the amount of moisture I am putting into the house daily. I do not want a dehumidifier unit in the living room, but perhaps that would work for the large open sump in the basement.

Thanks!

Sorry, I misunderstood your concern. Hope you find a solution.

 

[iced98lx]

Buy a couple humidity monitors (http://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-613-I...d=1448645596&sr=8-8&keywords=humidity+monitor are the ones I use) and put one in the room with the tank, the other in another room. Monitor and log in the morning/evening etc and see where you sit before you decide that 1% evaporation is going to cause harm.

If you're sitting in the 45-55% range I wouldn't immediately jump to doing anything as that's a fine range. You'll need to repeat the process for each season as you use more/less HVAC as forced air systems combined with air-ingress can greatly influence your humidity levels.

With a 180 gallon tank I run a de-humidifier in the room with it, though during the winter due to leaky windows and dry outside air coming in, it doesn't run much and we end up running humidifiers in bedrooms to keep it at 45+%.

Generally: See if you have an issue before you run out and buy stuff to solve it. If you do there are lots of options depending on where the tank is and what kind of set up you have.

Hope that helps!

 

[hogfanreefer]

I have about a 165 gallon water volume and evaporate about 1.5 gallons of water per day. Less in the summer (more humid here in summer and much less so in winter). My humidity levels in the house (measured in the same room the tank is in) are always below the outside air levels, sometimes as much as 35% less. I have no evidenc of any problems from humidity in the house.

 

[risin]

I run a dehumidifier since I upgraded to a 250g. I do plan on putting a canopy on it and venting it out to the garage, but the dehumidifier was a quick fix to the unexpected humidity issue. humidity was fine in the summer because the AC was running regularly, but when it cools down and the AC doesn't run much, the humidity was getting over 70% in the house (which is uncomfortable and unhealthy).

 

[CStrickland]

Before I had a tank in my apartment I had to run a humidifier in the winter or else I got a scratchy throat. I went through about a gallon a day on a 2 bedroom apartment. In the summer I have the windows open so it doesn't matter. I'd only worry about it if it started smelling musty or I was seeing fog on my windows etc. It's good for the water to contact some air, it brings oxygen into the tank.

You can put a low profile screen top on the tank easily, it's much nicer to hear the fish bounce off of it and back in the water than to find them on the floor.

 

[outy]

the amount of humidity your aquarium will produce is a non issue.

My swamp cooler does not make the house damp.

Neither does the aquarium.


In the winter the heater dries the air out and the damper air is a good thing