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Thread: My water is drying up!!!

  1. #1

    My water is drying up!!!

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    Hello guys,

    I really have a big problem here. I am setting up my 3ft tank with a internal filter to make it a planted tank, mostly with Xmas and Java moss. To lower the temperature I am using one cooling fan to blow over the water. However, maybe due the large surface area, the water evaporates really fast. The water level in the filter can be halved in 2 days time. As i am staying in army camp most of the week except weekends, I don't have the luxury to top up the water everyday. Which means the filter will dry up totally by the end of the week and the pump will not be able to pump any water.

    Does anyone have any idea how I can solve the problem? I have make an auto top up method by putting a 2 litre bottle with water filled inverted on the water surface. When the water level goes below the mouth of the bottle, water from the bottle will gash down and only stops when the water level is back to the mouth of the bottle again. I kind of works, but only for a day. The bottle is too small.

    Feel free to give any suggestion. Thanks.

    Regards,
    Tong

    PS: My xmas and java moss is turning brown, thou there are also signs of growth like bright green small shoots coming out. Is this ok? Any tips for growing moss? I couldn't find any tips on growing moss at the Moss Sticky.

  2. #2
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    Tong,

    I can't help you with the filter problem but if your mosses are turning brown, I think I know what's the problem. I had the same experience too a few weeks ago and initially, I thought it was the high temperatures caused by the heatwave we had recently. But I found out later that this is the cause - Mosses turn brown when there's too many fish in the tank. Don't ask me why as I can't explain it but I'm sure some of the guys here can.

    Loh K L

  3. #3
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    Tong, in that case you may need to place your internal filter lower in the tank or alternatively, turn off the cooling fan when you're not at home. Another method would be to make a cover with slots for fans. The cover will reduce evaporation rate but by allowing slots for fans to be attached it will do its job in cooling the tank as well, albeit at a slower rate of cooling since the cover will retain some warmth in the tank.

    If all else fails you may need to set up an auto top-up system. There was one but its meant for marine applications. Should work for freshwater tanks but you have to buy it. Last resort would require your family members to top up the water for you should you not choose to turn off the fans or lowering the filter in the tank.
    Fish.. Simply Irresistable
    Back to Killies... slowly.

  4. #4
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    There are a variety of ways to have an auto-top-off system. Some are bulky but easy and some are compact but require more handiwork.

    [Only the LFS also requires that you also be very rich. :wink:]

    Your toilet tank has an excellent and reliable automatic shutoff valve, doesn't it? Get one of the valves with the floating cylinder that moves up and down the inlet pipe, and install it alongside your filter in a piece of larger pipe or small trash barrel with siphon into the filter.

    All refrigerator ice-makers have a small float valve that sets the height of the ice in the maker, I think. Try to find a dead refrigerator with ice maker and take it apart to find the valve.

    Here in the desert, we don't use regular Air Conditioning, because our humidity is down around 10-15%. We use what we call "Swamp Coolers" that are evaporation towers with a big blower. They all have small float valves that are easy to adapt to aquarium use. IDK if you will find them on line or not. They cost less than US$5. I once found several in a Thrift Store for $0.50 each!

    Check out any source of horse supplies (several are on line) and look for a horse-trough fill valve. I used to use one for water changes when I had 150 containers to deal with. I could hang it on a tank and count on the float valve to keep the carpet dry when I forgot it.

    If you are truly handy, all old auto carburetors had a good float valve that was small and might be adapted to an auto-fill system. Never tried it, tho.

    HTH

    Wright
    01 760 872-3995
    805 Valley West Circle
    Bishop, CA 93514 USA

  5. #5
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    I can't help you with the filter problem but if your mosses are turning brown, I think I know what's the problem. I had the same experience too a few weeks ago and initially, I thought it was the high temperatures caused by the heatwave we had recently. But I found out later that this is the cause - Mosses turn brown when there's too many fish in the tank.
    KL, is it the urea from all those fish, maybe? Curious if there's a formula
    for this, like inches of fish per gallon.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by farang9
    I can't help you with the filter problem but if your mosses are turning brown, I think I know what's the problem. I had the same experience too a few weeks ago and initially, I thought it was the high temperatures caused by the heatwave we had recently. But I found out later that this is the cause - Mosses turn brown when there's too many fish in the tank.
    KL, is it the urea from all those fish, maybe? Curious if there's a formula
    for this, like inches of fish per gallon.
    Unlike we mammals, fish do not produce urea. They make ammonium, which most plants adore.

    Wright
    01 760 872-3995
    805 Valley West Circle
    Bishop, CA 93514 USA

  7. #7
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    Unlike we mammals, fish do not produce urea. They make ammonium, which most plants adore.
    I had this feeling that trying to euphemize "fish pee" would go unappreciated As per 99.9999% usual, Wright is correct: mammals, not fish, produce urea. :wink: Tom Barr warns that ammonium (NH4+) in excessive levels, produces algae--which is not a moss's best friend. NH4 is supplied by food and fish waste, so too much of either or both, is a baaad thing.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by whuntley
    There are a variety of ways to have an auto-top-off system. Some are bulky but easy and some are compact but require more handiwork.

    Your toilet tank has an excellent and reliable automatic shutoff valve, doesn't it? Get one of the valves with the floating cylinder that moves up and down the inlet pipe, and install it alongside your filter in a piece of larger pipe or small trash barrel with siphon into the filter.

    Here in the desert, we don't use regular Air Conditioning, because our humidity is down around 10-15%. We use what we call "Swamp Coolers" that are evaporation towers with a big blower. They all have small float valves that are easy to adapt to aquarium use. IDK if you will find them on line or not. They cost less than US$5. I once found several in a Thrift Store for $0.50 each!

    Check out any source of horse supplies (several are on line) and look for a horse-trough fill valve. I used to use one for water changes when I had 150 containers to deal with. I could hang it on a tank and count on the float valve to keep the carpet dry when I forgot it.

    Wright
    Hi

    I would like to know where(in singapore) can i buy those small auto matics shut-off valve set? Not willing to use the toilet flushing system type as it is too big for my 2ft tank.

    Also any link which i can follow to see diagram & read about this DIY auto water topup system?

    As i will be leaving for New Zealand on 29 sept(for 18 days) & hope to get this done. I got no one at home to top up the water for me which about 3 litre every 2 days.

    all suggestions & advise are welcome.

    thank you
    adrian

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    Adrian,

    In SG you must also have a reliable carbon filter to get rid of the chloramine. Don't forget it. For small volume use, in low-flow applications, the small disposable ones supplied for refrigerator ice makers are excellent (taste and odor filters are just carbon). Just have a valve in the line that lets only a slow trickle through as chloramine requires long contact time to be reliably removed. [Your chlorine test kit will tell if it is working properly and how fast flow can be.]

    Do a web search for horse supplies and find things like:

    http://www.americanlivestock.com/pro...ankMonths=null

    which is a typical horse-trough fill valve with float shutoff. I like the plastic-case ones, but horses can damage them, so stockmen like the expensive aluminum diecast bodies better. Either are fish safe.

    Mail order from the US will be too slow, so look to your local race-horse crowd for an equivalent in SG, if you have a race track. Print out the above ad and show them what you want. Any horse stable can point you in the right direction. I'm sure other agriculture supply places have similar products. Animals need water and usually not muddy feet.

    Wright
    01 760 872-3995
    805 Valley West Circle
    Bishop, CA 93514 USA

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by adrian
    Also any link which i can follow to see diagram & read about this DIY auto water topup system?
    adrian
    Take a look in the sgreef link
    http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/inde...22&hl=top+off#

    Cheers

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    I would suggest you position your filter lower down so the output nozzle is just above the mid-water level. That way, you need not worry about overheating. At this position, my internal filter continues to pee even when the water level goes slightly below mid-water mark (that is, during a 50%water change). To me, to attempt to improvise any contraption to solve this problem is like using a boulder to finish off an ant.

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    It is wierd how fast your tank's water dry up. Questions:
    1) How deep is the tank and do you fill it up till say, 1 inch from the top?
    2) What's the brand of the filter and how many watts the pump consume?
    3) What fans are you using?

    One quick suggestion:
    Stop using fan, do a DIY chiller like KL did.

  13. #13

    Thanks for all the help.

    My tank is 1ft deep.
    uing a normal dolphine pump which initaily for over head filter, it just need to pump the water from the filter out to the tank.
    I must admit that the fan is pretty strong, but I am quite happy with the cooling effect 26 degrees.

  14. #14
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    Perhaps it is time to instal a freezer-chiller that can keep your fishtank and beer cold?

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    I see. Your tank is simply too shallow to coup with the water lost. For immediate improvement, I suggest that you:
    1) set a timer such that the fan only turn on with the light.
    2) use a bigger "auto" refilling bottle (unsigthly though), of course, you had thought of this option.

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