QUESTION: Evaporation on open top Nano's

[mangus7175]

I am in the process of consolidating all my tanks into a one 24G nanocube and I am left with 2 choices regarding lighting.

First choice would be to keep the stock lighting which bites (72W total) and second would be to have an open top and use my 150W Viper .

Based on everyone's experience, how often do you normally top off an open top nano as opposed to a closed one? The whole reason my I chose the nano route was to eliminate the need to top off as much since I plan to do more traveling this year. I know there is always that option of upgrading my hood to a higher lighting option but with the costs and the lighting I have available I prefer to use what I have first rather than purchasing a set of new lights.

Any ideas would help.

Thanks!

[Illuminati]

Major difference

Closed top - Top off once a week

Open top w/ 150W Sunpod - Top off daily

[mangus7175]

That's what I was afraid of. I'm planning to do alot of traveling this year and a daily top off is going to be out of the question. I guess I'll be buying a new MH hood and a chiller for my new nano.

[Canadian]

Run some type of ATO with an Aqua Lifter pulling water from a 5 gallon bucket and you'll only have to worry about it once a week or so.

[thin crust]

I go through about 1 gallon every 3 days. I'm running a 25G with 150W MH and a chiller. An ATO is fairly easy/inexpensive to set up and it helps out tremendously. Prior to getting a chiller, I would run a fan across the water service and go through a gallon a day.

If you're not into DIY, I recommend the JBJ ATO. I have it on both my nanos and it's been great. Real easy to set up as well.

[nanO352]

I had to top off every day with my closed tank nano.

[Sharkbait1]

I top off 1/2 gallon every 2 days. Guess would be a quart a day if I paid better attention.
That's on a closed top 29, with no chiller.

[plankton]

Just buy an auto top-off (manufacturer of your choice) and fill a container with enough RO/DI to last you on your longest trip. Beetn using auto top-off successfully for more than 7 years with no problems.

PS I happen to use Spectrapure auto top-off.

Scott

[mangus7175]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I think I will just go topless because I have always used MH for my tanks. I guess I'll just invest on an ATO.

[flipteg]

this is my topless 30 gallon cube with a 5.5 gallon sump... estimated water volume including skimmer is ~31 gallons... with a 150w metal halide light, the evaporation rate is about half a gallon per day... there is a fan in the cabinet cooling the water in the sump... before i got the fan, my evaporation was only a quart per day but the temperatures are at 90F degrees...

[phenom5]

I've got an MH in a hood with 2 4" fans blowing across the water. Daily top off. Not sure how much, I've got a big green pitcher that I use, one of those a day, and I'm good.

Like several posters have said, DIY an ATO. I've got an ATO on the list of things I need to do for the tank...all I need is lots of free time, and money...but it seems like those are the 2 things I'm always short on.

[TKByrnes]

I have a 24 aquapod and I top off about 1/2 gallon a day. open top with a 150 watt hqi sunpod.

[nanotrigger]

I have a 150 watt MH over my 30g oceanic cube and i was topping off water like crazy everyday until i got a chiller. once the temp stablized, i'm only topping off once or twice a week.

[mokujin22]

I've got a 250 MH over my 26 bowfront (open top). One fan blows over the top and another over the sump during the summer. I use a DIY auto-topoff using float switches and a microjet pump in a 5 gallon bucket.

Check out Melev's site for DIY info using float switches. You can set it up yourself for about $40 including the pump. I'm about to do the same on my 8 gallon office nano.

I fill the 5 gallon bucket with RO/DI once a week. Without it I would go crazy!

[jjcool]

I don't know what the overflow/surface skimmer is like on the nanocube vs the cadlights tanks, but I find that if I keep my tank full enough so that there isn't a lot of splashing as the water runs down the overflow that it helps with evaporation issues. You just have to be careful that you don't fill it too full and prevent surface skimming.
Also, when I'm going to be away from the tank for a few days I put a partial acrylic lid on it. that way it doesn't get too hot, but it really slows down the evaporation. And since I'm not there to see the tank who cares what the lid looks like.

[silvers]

I ran a 250w over my 22g it had a good fan built into the pendent I did not have any heat issues I just lost about a gallon a day. But I used an auto top off unit. that would be one of the first things I got they make life so much easier