55 gallon top off per week?

well i may be able to get a 55 gallon tank for 50 dollars soon so i wanted to know, how many gallons will it need to be toped off for with stock lighting? just wondering as i have no job and need to know how much to expect for water top offs to see if i have the money. thanks guys and wish me luck.

BTW, it will be an aggresive tank if i get it. adn the mantis tank will turn into a frag tank. or i might keep the thirty. but i cant have three tanks my parents say.

 

a guesstimate, maybe 5 gals a week? really tough to say

 

Gexx
it varies from area to area
evaporation is affected by ambient temps

if the air surrounding the tank is cooler than the tank - you lose more water through evaporation
if the air surrounding the tank is same or similar, you lose little if any through evaporation

On days where the surrounding temp has been a lot cooler than the temp I run my reef at - I lose 2 litres per day in a 75 gallon tank - tank is partially open topped

Steve

 

Nobody can answer that because there's too many factors that will determine loss.
I have 65 total gallons, all open, a fall down the turf scrubber, air moving across the surface of my dt water etc. I replace about 1-1.5 gallons per day.

 

so it will be more than my 30 gallon? i may have to have a ten gallon reef tank... i dont know what im gonna do. i may need to invest in a RO water maker.

 

you have the solution to your own problem there Gexx
they are not a cheap item, but they are a worthwhile investment IMO

Steve

 

Well i can tell you from my experiance. I have a 20 gallon sump and 5 watts pg lighting. And my i add a gallon of top off water a day. I goes through roughly 8 gallons a week

 

To OP: On my 58g w/ sump I replace about 1.5gal per day. Air temp is a factor, so is relative humidity. In very dry climates you'll see more evaporation than in very humid climates. Also, a closed top or open top tank will make a big difference, as will air flow across the surface of the water.

Really? I mean, in the context of everything else we buy, they're fairly cheap.

I've spent more on a single light bulb than a cheap RO/DI unit.

On my 58g reef for example:

Pump $150
Skimmer $150
Lights, $800 + spare 2x 150w HQI: $130
tank + stand $500
sump $300
rock: $300

90gpd RO/DI unit: $120

Best investment (ok, after the lights) RO/DI unit.

Item I wouldn't try this hobby without: RO/DI unit.

... I think a lot of people misunderstand the cost of an RO/DI unit. Thinking it's not an actual part of the tank and not used all day / every day, it's an expense to skip... but it's not. There's no law saying you have to run RO/DI, but when you do.... algae? no problem. Silica? No problem. Copper? No problem.

Don't forget that many houses have copper water pipes.... I don't know what amount of copper ions can move into the water, but it's probably measurable.

For FO tanks treated tap water would probably be fine.... for a reef... why risk it?

 

I second that opinion. It'll pay for itself quick.

 

your 100% right
but Im not 14 - the OP is though - hence my remarks about them not being cheap

Steve