need advice, evaporation

I'll be brief...I took the glass lids off on advice of this site and added a fan to keep temp at 78deg., but the evap is a pita. Anyone have an idea to help slow this, keep it topped off or??? I think I've seen some threads with people coming up with something to keep tank topped off.

 

there are many designs for atos (auto top off system) on this site some are as symple as dripping water in from a bucket to as complex as using a float valve

 

In my opinion it is better to loose water due to evaporation than loosing your live stock to high temperature, I would just keep enough ro/di water handy this heat will past sooner or later, turn your photo period to the cooler hours. just a though!?!

 

We all have to deal with it, your right it is a PITA but it is what it is. Better cooler and things living then HOT and things dead as mentioned already. I just fill my sump in the morning before work and then again when i get home from work using a gallon jug

 

Yes and agree with dawn too.

You live in TX and it's hot right now , there's not much your going to be able to do about evap. right now.

Have pleanty of RO water handy and keep those fan/s right now and aside from investing into a chiller to help with cooling the water, but that wil only help with evap.

Hell my tank now is in the family room downstairs and right now AC is going so the room stays round 70 dgree's but i'm adding almost 4 gal. day right now.

 

I agree with the approach that missionsix66 shared, though I implemented it a bit differently.... Using 2 float switches, one in the sump to turn on a very small pond pump that transfers water from a 6g bucket into the sump via a 1/4" tube and the other in the bucket as a safety to turn off the transfer pump when the water level gets too low to safely pump.

This worked well for me over the last 2 years. Normally I would make up 4.5g to 5g per week, so I'd fill the bucket on the weekends. When I turned on the fans to keep the temp down, I'd fill the bucket 2x weekly as make up would go to about 8g/week....

 

Mission and all, thank you very much for your replies. Mission, I'm interested in trying your set up, but I did not see a video etc. I understand the 5g bucket with that (happily) inexpensive dosing pump, but what kind of valve are you using to control flow rate? This setup seems to be the easiest way to keep the water level better controlled vs. me adding some once a week. Also, the description says 'designed to pump water at up to 30", does that mean that pump is maxed out at 30" from the tank?

*disregard last question, read some reviews which confirmed my ques.

 

Couldn't have said it better myself!!

Shakespeare said, "Brevity is the soul of wit."

I think he was right. ;D