water evaportation comboed with water changes

by **blueshoes2208** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 12:59 pm

ok so im a little confused at what im exactly supposed to do here. I lose, literally, about 2 inches of water in my tank from evaporation per week. Now normally i would just toss in fresh R/O water through my airline hose and be on with it, but something is telling me that i shouldnt do that all the time? Am i just stupid or what? Another thing, my water line is about 4 inches low right now, i need to do a water change as well so do i do the water change first and then add salt water for how mcuh i took out for the change and fresh to compensate for the evaporation?

by **fihsboy** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 3:29 pm

put your fresh RO in there first.....I would wait around 45min-an hour to let it mix up nice, then do a water change. That way your salinity should be the same as your new water. :)

by **kelbri** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 3:55 pm

I don't have my tank running yet, but what fishboy says makes sense to me. If you do your water change first, you're taking out some of the salt that didn't evaporate with your water, thus lowering your salinity level. Then when you add new salt water (to 2" below full), you're salinity level doesn't come up to the point it was at after the evaporation took place and before the water change. Then when you add fresh water, you'll be low on your overall salinity level, so you'll have to add more salt anyway. Does that make as much sense to you as it does to me ;)

by **gldntrmite** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:04 pm

While it seems backwards, i always add the RO water first, do the water change the next day or later in the week. Just seems funny adding water that your going to be taking right back out however makes sense when your talking about your levels and keeping them steady.

by **Snowboss4492** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 6:28 pm

when water evaporates your salinity goes up {not down} as salt doesnt evaporate................thats all salt really is, dry salt water.................so if you dont top of the tank and then wait a lil while to do a change you will be adding more concentrated salt water to the tank.IE your normal salt level is 1.025, pull out 5 gallons to evaporation, now your salt level might be 1.050, so if you add 1.025 water to it - - -you might end up with say 1.040, maybe - doing the top off first dilutes the salinity level back to "normal" and then your water change is simply that................ a water change.

Boss

by **breaknrun911** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 4:35 am

my question is.........pertaining to salinity level and water adding etc. is my wife has a tendecy to pick the crusted layers of salt that build up on the support beam going across my tank and throwing it into the tank. doesnt that raise the salinity level?? I tell her constantly not to do it or she will be their next meal. (j/p) but she says its okay. am i right or do i have to admit defeat and tell her she is right

by **Snowboss4492** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 10:25 am

im afraid as usual {at least in my house, lol} she is right.............salt creep is just salt condensing on stuff as the water evaporates out of the tank..............have you ever played a hard day of football or road a in a bike marathon or something like that? your skin is all salty when you dry off? well its the same consept. thats salt from your body left after your sweat/water evaporates from your body................same thing with the tank

now in your defense,lol, if its a friggin 2 pound chunk of salt i sure wouldnt toss it back in cause you could in theory raise your salinity, but a little crust here and there won't hurt anything

Boss

by **breaknrun911** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 10:31 am

damn.......ok thanks ill admit it then.

by **kelbri** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 4:45 pm

ha, thanks Boss. I had my thought backwards, but hopefully correct =)

by **Snowboss4492** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 9:38 pm

here's Boss's mantra to live by {and i heard it from a comedian but it makes sssssssssoooooooooooooo much sense}

there's only one choice a man needs to make in life - -yes only one,

do want to be right? or do you want to be happy?? .............

lol

water evaportation comboed with water changes

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