Evaporation effect on reef tank?

[Every1jockzjay]

Ok so evaporation is well known to be acceptable in our reef tanks and me being a beginner haven't questioned it..at my lfs (i kno thats a bad word around here) there was an older dude who thought 5gals a week on a 36 plus 10 sump was way to much...anyway did about 30 mins worth of google research and couldn't find any threads or science on the effect evap has on our tanks...i did find a dude growing acro in a 1/2 gallon sealed aquarium, many people didnt believe him but watever besides the point...my theory is if ya use 0tds water then theres absolutely no negative effect...does anybody think there maybe something to a 100% sealed aquarium with no evap having any benefits over our open top reef tanks? Maybe there are benefits to less evap that im just not understanding?

 

[FullBoreReefer]

Disaster!
Gas exchange?

And evap does cause issues...salinity changes.

Maybe more google?

 

[KafudaFish]

I know the tank you are talking about and cheato was used on a reverse light cycle and there was air space for gas exchange.

The tank could be opened up when he wanted to trim or do a wc though so it wasn't like an ecosphere with shrimp and algae.

 

[Every1jockzjay]

Salinity changes are the obv negatives of no top...i was just curious if say a 100gal setup the same way the 1/2 gal, what would be different? Would it make anything easier besides the obvious? I feel theres always new ways to do thing in this hobby and it is forever advancing...maybe a closed system can possibly be a new way to run a system? Also if less evap had any not so well known benefits(theres none i can think of but who knows)

 

[Every1jockzjay]

Maybe not a completly closed system but something like the 1/2 gal setup

 

[KafudaFish]

The first concern would probably be oxygen demand and exchange especially if you had fish. The bigger the system the less salinity changes daily obviously and the half gallon still needed top offs but instead of daily it was every few days or once a week. Sorry but it has been years since I read about the tank.

Last year maybe someone on here wanted a closed system so he could plumb some crazy up and over a doorway etc. and that was just a huge issue.

Topping off and evaporation aren't for the tank but could be for a poorly vented room like in a basement. Evaporation allows for cooling such as running metal halides and top off water can supply alk.

Unless you live in Ca with severe drought conditions and could be limited on water usage not too many other reasons to ttry unless you really wish to do it.

 

[Every1jockzjay]

Yeaa my tank is all open and the little cfl on my fuge and my leds heat it up pretty high sometimes... Its been up to 84 at one point, if it wasnt open ur right it would deffff b way to much heat....
the whole evaporation idea just had me thinking maybe theres benefits besides for salinity changes, before reading his thread ive never heard of anything like that...im new to the hole reef chemisty thing. I guess if your using anything but 0 tds water i could see some real issues with always adding impure water, but otherwise it doesnt make a real diff...esp when i top off my tank at least 2x a day lol my last chamber is super smalll and no ato yet...thanks for the responses im keepin my tank nice and open

 

[Timfish]

I've had volume change by more than 7% - 10% due to evaporation on a regular basis with no discernable effects:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFxUSRFRp24

 

[Every1jockzjay]

How did the average reefer get by back in the day before forums loll...if you listen to people in the lfs you will go nutss...the guys face dropped when i told him 5 gals a week im like dude i think everybody with a sump has alot of evap...its like there trained to give bad advice, out of 5 lfs theres one single guy that knows what hes talking about...nice tank btw

 

[KafudaFish]

Trial and error just like today.
Different ways of achieving the same results.
Books and other people face to face.
People who worked in a lfs were very knowledgeable just as today; you just have to decide for yourself what you wish to take from them.
And probably the most important one is thinking.

Today's abilities to communicate coupled with the instant gratification mentality means some things are missed or have disappeared to some degree. Some better and others are probably break even.

This is a hobby and should be for enjoyment so don't read those points the wrong way I just see many unhappy people on here stressed about something that shouldn't be that way.

 

[Every1jockzjay]

When i was young i had a 72 fowlr and trial and error can b costly lolll but u will eventually figure it out...i just enjoy reading forums and lookin up what i need to know...and theres so much helpful info