Topping off the tank

[kenny5130]

On my freshwater tanks I always have topped them off as much as possible. I have a 20 g fish only tank and at my lfs, they said do not top it off, it's better not to....keep it about 1 - 2 inches from the top. Is this good advice ?

[3dees]

how are you going to keep your salinity from rising, especially in such a small tank? bad idea. I guess you can fill tank two inches below and keep it there but you are still going to top off.

[hotelbravo]

you should top off

[Cymonous]

Whoever the person at the LFS told you this, is an idiot. They do not understand salinity and evaporation. You need to top off or your salinity will rise after evaporation and adding just saltwater. Topping off with fresh water is highly required for a saltwater tank.

[mmn]

... at my lfs, they said do not top it off, it's better not to....keep it about 1 - 2 inches from the top. Is this good advice ?

And how will you do that without topping off?

[Buldrhm]

I hope he's just talking about water level. I fill mine to the bottom of the top bracing, and topoff daily to keep it there.

[johno4]

I believe he is talking simply about the water level in the tank. If that's the case I don't see why you would want to look at a gap between the top of the tank and the water line. Jumping fish will jump no matter what level the water is at...JMO

[Sisterlimonpot]

There might be some misunderstanding as to what the LFS was telling him and what he heard. From the short post I gathered that he has a fish only tank and assume there's no sump. Maybe the LFS was advising against purchasing and installing an ATO (automaitic top off) for such a small tank and for what he has in the tank. Maybe he was advising him to just manually top off like he does with his fresh water tank.

Either way it is correct that you want your salinity to remain fairly stead and to go further, you may or may not know that in a salt water aquarium salt stays in the tank as it evaporates only to raise your salinity (which you don't want to happen)

Depending on what you have in the tank and what type of set up you have, manually topping off like you do with you fresh water may be a viable option, however most hard core reefers are going to suggest having a system that does it for you and that way you can set it and forget about it.

[anthonys51]

Are we talking about a freshwater tanks or a saltwater tanks? On my freshwater tanks, i dont top off unless the tank is making way too much noise. Saltwater tanks will need to be top off daily IMO becuase of sality issues, as stated above. as far as water level, hats really up to you, but why have a water line imo

[julie180]

You can keep the water level anywhere you want if you aren't running a sump. Just keep it at that level. Its helpful to draw a line on the glass so you have a visual then just top off daily with fresh water to maintain that level.

[gt93pony]

Saltwater success is all about consistency...you top it off.

[30g]

No daily top off needed either if you have glass lids and your water drops a half an inch every 5 days like on my 75 gallon. Then I top off

[Sisterlimonpot]

30g,
the problem with that is that a reef tank needs to have that oxygen exchange that promotes evaporation. If you cover the tank, it's the equivalent to you breathing from a straw when you exercise.

[anthonys51]

Do you guys put Anything in your ro water before you top it off. I have a lot of evaporation I add a 16 ounce cup
In the morning and one at night. So I be putting buffer or calcium in my ro water so I am not adding wAter with a ph 0f 7. Or am I over thinking this

[gone fishin]

Do you guys put Anything in your ro water before you top it off. I have a lot of evaporation I add a 16 ounce cup
In the morning and one at night. So I be putting buffer or calcium in my ro water so I am not adding wAter with a ph 0f 7. Or am I over thinking this

I just add the RODI.

At some point down the road you may want to look into Kalkwaser. This would be more for calcium and alkalinity management due to uptake from coral.

[Sk8r]

You set a high water mark on your sump and you know where it is on your DT. Your SUMP should have TWO high water marks, one with the return pump off, so it can safely accommodate the drain-down from the top tank, the other with the return pump on, the way it normally runs.

Re topoff for evaporation, we use an ATO with a freshwater reservoir. Ato---autotopoff. Avast sells the one I use. Check out the sponsors list.

[disc1]

Do you guys put Anything in your ro water before you top it off. I have a lot of evaporation I add a 16 ounce cup
In the morning and one at night. So I be putting buffer or calcium in my ro water so I am not adding wAter with a ph 0f 7. Or am I over thinking this

The pH of the freshwater you top off with has no effect at all on the pH in the tank. The freshwater has no buffering capacity unless you add buffer to it, so its pH doesn't count for anything.

Adding buffer to that water is adding buffer to the tank. This will cause alkalinity to continually rise. If it goes too high you get a snowstorm.

[anthonys51]

Ok I thought it might raise kh also. Just wasn't 100 percent sure. Figure better to ask the question then assume. My tank doesn't have a lot of stuff in it but it seems to need ca and kh dosing ever 3 days. Wasn't sure if I was doing something wrong

[Sk8r]

Watch your magnesium level: if it's under 1200 (1300 is a good mark to shoot for) your alk and cal will keep falling.

[anthonys51]

I haven't tested them in 2 weeks. Did one water change in between. But will check them tonight. Most people say they don't need to be checked as often. They where 1450 last time I checked.

[anthonys51]

Ok it was down to 1200. I didn't realize mg would get deleted so fast. I am dosing my tank everyday with calcium. One cap full adds 10 mg. it seems my tank used that a day. It that normal for a tank with frags

[FraggledRock]

i painted a green line on my sump where the water will be at the right salinity. I keep the water there with daily top off. no ato, yet.

[Mcgeezer]

An auto top off is one of the best things you can buy for a saltwater tank. That person at LFS is a moron for sure.

I use kalkwasser saturated RO/DI water in my top off reservoir, that way all of my ca/Dkh/Mg and ph always stay in line and I can just set it and forget it until it's time to refill the top off water.

[anthonys51]

I am thinking about buying an ato. It's has to be better to dose a little everyday Also if you dose kalkwasser. How much do you put in a gallon. And how does your mg stay in line. Kalkwasser doesn't have mg. does it