water top-ups

due to evaporation I, much like everyone else, have to top off my tank every couple of days with new water. This is my problem. Due I add saltwater or freshwater to the tank? I only ask because I know salt does not evaporate with H20, therefor increasing the salinty of the water as more evapouration occurs... So replacing the evaporated water with freshwater would return the salinity to its previous level???

I think this is correct but would like some insurance

 

top off with freshwater

 

yes you top off with freshwater as the only thing that is evaporated is the water, no other minerals go with it. topping off with saltwater would raise specific gravity very high in a very short period of time.

 

+1 to this

 

You are 100% correct.

You need to top-off with freshwater, preferably RO/DI water with 0 TDS.

Think about the Great Salt Lake. With no freshwater to replenish it, the large-inland-ocean evaporated and became hyper-saline.

 

echoing what others have said, freshwater, RO/DI is best.

Look into an ATO (Automatic Top Off) system so you don't have to worry about replenishing it all the time. It was one of the best investments (along with my RO/DI unit) I've ever made for my tank.

 

Get a Tunze ATO system with a storage tank, I only have to make RO/DI water once a week for a 125 gallon system

 

have a Tunze myself w/ 10g reservoir, god how I looove it, haven't touched it since the day I set it up months ago.

 

+1000 to this.

The $100 or so for the ATO and ATO pump/tubing was the best investment I have made to date for BOTH my 30 gallon cube and 120 Gallon DT.

They each are automated for at least a week at a time. Just have to remember to fill the reservoir!

 

for the OP, here's the Tunze a few of us have talked about, it's a higher priced option if you have the budget. There are plenty of lesser expensive ATO systems also, just ask: Tunze Osmolator Universal 3155