Evaporation rates?

[Jared J]

Is it me or do tanks lose more water in the winter? I keep thinking my 40g breeder is leaking somewhere because I'm losing about a gallon per day, but I can't find a leak anywhere. I filled about 1/2 gallon this morning and just a minute ago I had to add another 1/2g. I know winter air is drier and can soak up moisture but is this normal for winter? I dont remember having to add nearly this much water this summer.

[mdntrdr]

Yep, it's a humidity thing.

[Rybren]

I find that in early winter before I turn on the humidifier, the evaporation rate is much higher than in the summer. Once my humidifier is on and set (at 40% humidity) the evaporation rate decreases, but not to summer levels. As you stated in your post, the air is much drier in the winter.

[iamwrasseman]

i use extensive ac in the summer and go through more then ,like 8 gallons a day . now in the winter im down to 4 or 5 gals . i do know when it get real cold the humidity drops fast so it is gonna happen to you that way .

[csueeman]

Winter can be a beast. Until I got my humidifier running I was losing a gallon a day out of my 20g. The drier the climate, the worse it is.

[acronuts]

That seems a tad over normal, but not to bad. I would say on average a 40g should be losing 1/2 gallon a day.

[Jared J]

I would have thought that winters here would have higher humidity being at the oceanfront but it's usually 40% or less. Summers suck, normally above 80%. Guess I'll have to pick up an ATO for christmas. :)

[mfinn]

Is it me or do tanks lose more water in the winter? I keep thinking my 40g breeder is leaking somewhere because I'm losing about a gallon per day, but I can't find a leak anywhere. I filled about 1/2 gallon this morning and just a minute ago I had to add another 1/2g. I know winter air is drier and can soak up moisture but is this normal for winter? I dont remember having to add nearly this much water this summer.



In my area winter air is not dryer. In fact it can be pretty darn moist.


On my 240 I have about 18-19 gallons a week evaporate in the summer.
In the winter it's down to about 12 to 14 gallons a week.

Now if it's raining alot outside ( steady rain all week), I'll turn on a dehumidifiyer and the evap rates goes back up to summer levels.

[mfd574]

Yup. We will put up to 3 gallons a day in our 125.

[swegyptian]

Yup. We will put up to 3 gallons a day in our 125.

How warm is your tank, how warm is your house, and is your tank covered?

[anticarp]

Last winter my 65 gallon with a 25 gallon sump was about a half gallon a day consistently with my dehumidifier running.

[Jared J]

Wow... I couldn't imagine 3g per day, I thought my 1g was alot.

[fishoutawater]

My 40 breeder loses 1-1 1/2 gal per day all year. House temp around 74 all year round, tank temp about 80. Humidity here is usually 30-50.

[lordofthereef]

I would use a humidifier to reduce the evap. You will need to refill the humidifier, but it is better to forget that than the tank, assuming you don't have an ATO.

[iamwrasseman]

most my tanks are plumbed to the outside and i have to or i would have mold and mildew like crazy . i lose 4 to 8 gallons a day depending on the humidity etc. i do have to many tanks though but we all are addicted to something !

[Jared J]

Hey...better to be addicted to reefing than drugs or booze.

[aquaph8]

Heating your house really drys it out. Anyone with house plants knows that they have to water twice as often in the winter.

[Elysia]

Or have dead, dried out house plants... :(

[damseldude]

120 gallon no cover loses about 1.5 gallons a day. Gets my window all wet now that temps have began to drop, good thing I have vinyl casement windows.

[Ken_S_NY]

My 40g breeder with a 20g sump loses about a gallon a day.

[Victor Barreira]

yep... they loose more water to the air on winters...

[HUNGER]

i do about 5 gallons a week in summer and almost 10 a week in winter

[Jared J]

My 40g breeder with a 20g sump loses about a gallon a day.

Then i'm about right on then.

[benzrider85]

You would think a gallon of water a day evaporating would help increase the humidity in the house enough to slow that down a bit!

[Jared J]

Yeah but here in Va Beach we still need to keep the windows open during the day.

[scott473]

I lose more in the winter. The more my heater has to run in the tank the more I have to top off.

[aaronnohren]

I have a 40g Breeder with 150w MH and I lose close to a gallon a day. It stinks, I know. My evap. rate seems to build up and then loses it all within a hour. I'll be completely full one minute, then blowing bubbles into my tank the next

[lordofthereef]

Hey...better to be addicted to reefing than drugs or booze.

IDK, heroin might, in fact, be cheaper ;)