Is topping off fresh water in sump a refreshing experience for fish?

[queloque]

Just curious what goes on in the fish and other living creatures mind when topping off water from evaporation. Is it a refreshing experience for them, a traumatic experience or what or they don't notice at all?

[davjbeas]

Topping off for replacing evaporated H2O is a good thing. I don't thing the fish will notice.

However topping off with pure water will keep specific gravity more constant.

Stability of the tank parameters are very important when keeping corals.

If you are only keeping fish then you can draw a line on your sump where you want the water level to be. Then top off the tank every few days manually to get the water level back to where the line is drawn.

There are several ways to automate the top off process if you would like to go that route.

I keep SPS corals and use an auto top off system so that as evaporation occurs the water is instantly replaced.

You wouldn't be able to see any change in my tank waters specific gravity on a day to day basis.

 

Happy Reefing

David

[queloque]

I wasn't really concerned with the process of topping off. Just curious how fish react to whatever process anyone has when new water is put into the tank.

[Jan]

Since the change in water is so slight when using an A.T.O. there is NO dramatic or adverse reaction from livestock when the A.T.O. dumps a little water into the tank or sump.

 

Yesterday the SG for my 3 gallion pico went from 1.025 the night before to 1.030 last night. After I added about a 1/2 Qt of fresh water the ricordea puffed up and my shrimp were all out and about. The high salinity was obviously bothersome to them as they appeared somewhat closed up and significantly smaller. Their apperance is what pormpted me to check my params. I guess you could say they were depressed? I assume that they were "happy" and "feeling good" from the addition of fresh water that lowered the SG to what they are accustomed and it showed by the way they puffed up and opened wide . I don't see these dramatic changes in the livestock in my 75 gallon because my A.T.O. keeps everything constant.

 

 

I wasn't really concerned with the process of topping off. Just curious how fish react to whatever process anyone has when new water is put into the tank.

Edited September 13, 2009 by Jan

[lanman]

I wasn't really concerned with the process of topping off. Just curious how fish react to whatever process anyone has when new water is put into the tank.

 

It's a rain storm over the ocean... without the lightning. They are used to it.

 

bob

[treesprite]

It's a rain storm over the ocean... without the lightning. They are used to it.

 

bob

You always have such nice analogies

 

I personally don't think fish notice a gallon or two of fresh water put in my sump on a system with a ~ 100gal volumn. The last couple days I thought the weather was just making my evap jump up.... I found a PVC leak last night, which means I diluted my tank by a few gallons, but even that would not be enough to make a noticeable change on the refractometer reading so I'm not worried about it.

[Sharkey18]

I don't have a ATO and sometimes I dump 2 or 3 gallons of fresh RO/DI directly into the DT (not the sump) and have seen no ill effects on fish or corals.

 

I choose to believe they like it.

 

Laura

 

 

You always have such nice analogies

 

I personally don't think fish notice a gallon or two of fresh water put in my sump on a system with a ~ 100gal volumn. The last couple days I thought the weather was just making my evap jump up.... I found a PVC leak last night, which means I diluted my tank by a few gallons, but even that would not be enough to make a noticeable change on the refractometer reading so I'm not worried about it.