I've had a 10g, mostly self-sustaining planted tank with a betta and a snail for around a year now. How do people deal with lack of humidity this time of year?
I can see the water level reducing every few days and I'm hesitant to continually add treated water. The tank has a lid but I'm looking for any advice. TIA
Posted by brave_octopus
9 Comments
My tap water is very hard so I top off once a week with distilled water.
Pssst, those plants in your tank are dracaena and usually need to be planted with leaves exposed to air.
Since I keep up with large, frequent water changes to keep my tank stable, there is only a tiny bit of evaporation each week.
A TDS meter costs under 20$ on Amazon.
You can use one to gauge if you should be topping up or doing a small water change.
A lid will really cut evaporation.
I top up my tanks every few days. Just use a pump connected to a smart plug, makes top ups painless and done in seconds. In addition to the tech making things easy, I also keep a bucket of water ready for when it’s needed.
Hard water here, dry Midwest air. I just top off my tanks as they evaporate (no lids). You can test your GH, kh, and pH to keep an eye on stuff if you are worried about those items getting concentrated due to evaporation. I’ve lost 1.5″ in my about 10g since Saturday. It is crazy how fast they lose water. However, my office, where all my 7 tanks are, is also noticeably warmer than the rest of the house due to the more humid air. I notice a temp drop when we open the door and leave it open as that more humid air spreads to the rest of my house.
Pic of tank, I fill it up to the bottom of the light clamp and this was taken Tuesday.
https://preview.redd.it/o7nrehz9zk6g1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=14ed682144dae3985db1ed72b10d750fb9238151
I live in coastal SoCal, and I used to top off about 1 gallon per week in my 10 gallon. I recently went back to using a lid on my tank, and the evaporation rate has been cut probably 5x. You might have to rearrange/lose some of the pothos, but you’ll save a bunch of water
Is the pothos roots in the aquarium? If so, it is drinking your tank water
My tanks lose water rapidly now that the heat is one in the house. I just top up with tap water twice a week. Untreated. No problems and I’ve been doing it for years. I do treat the water when I do water changes.