Sumner here is SW Arizona can be very dry as little as 5% humidity so water from my home aquariums evaporate quickly up to an inch per day and while you would think this humidity would fill the house and balance out, the central AC actually removes humidity from the air to cool the room and drains this water outside. The problem is this is not just a simple chore of water replenishment as the water leaves your aquarium as a purified water gas, minerals are left behined and TDS start to accumulate fast. While it can be argued that the solution is 50% water changes every week, I have grown accustom to my aquarium improved system of hydroponic and de-nitrification filtration so water changes are every 2 months with excellent water quality and disease free fish, regardless of the naysayers.
So I have developed a simple DIY solution of cutting large 4ft sheets of thick clear plastic painters drop cloth to lay over the the entire tank or in the case where glass panels are snug, over the back gap where equipment leaves large opening for water vapor to escape. The cloth is drapes inside the tank just above the water surface so that water condenses almost immediately and rains back inside the tank. Custom trimming of the plastic cloth along the back for equipment is simple and on the spot with a sharpie and pair of scissors. The end result has been a dramatic reduction in dehydration and without a drop in water O2 levels. Aas long as you have good circulation out surface flow into the tank, more then enough air is still picked up as the cloth is not made air tight along the edges where it drapes in and over the tank rim 2 inches allowing plenty of air through pleated opening and small gaps. But being plastic attracts and accumulates humidity like a condenser and being draped slightly inside the tank returns most evaporating water in the form of RO back to the tank in the form of rain drops. In essence it is a self sustaining RO replenishment system just like in nature with about a 75% reduction in dehydration RO loss. It also saves energy by maintaining ambient temperature longer and preventing both heating and cooling temperature loss while responding more quickly and efficiently to heater use. No pics this time since I know that those that are truly interested will be able to connect the dots and visualize the concept.
So I have developed a simple DIY solution of cutting large 4ft sheets of thick clear plastic painters drop cloth to lay over the the entire tank or in the case where glass panels are snug, over the back gap where equipment leaves large opening for water vapor to escape. The cloth is drapes inside the tank just above the water surface so that water condenses almost immediately and rains back inside the tank. Custom trimming of the plastic cloth along the back for equipment is simple and on the spot with a sharpie and pair of scissors. The end result has been a dramatic reduction in dehydration and without a drop in water O2 levels. Aas long as you have good circulation out surface flow into the tank, more then enough air is still picked up as the cloth is not made air tight along the edges where it drapes in and over the tank rim 2 inches allowing plenty of air through pleated opening and small gaps. But being plastic attracts and accumulates humidity like a condenser and being draped slightly inside the tank returns most evaporating water in the form of RO back to the tank in the form of rain drops. In essence it is a self sustaining RO replenishment system just like in nature with about a 75% reduction in dehydration RO loss. It also saves energy by maintaining ambient temperature longer and preventing both heating and cooling temperature loss while responding more quickly and efficiently to heater use. No pics this time since I know that those that are truly interested will be able to connect the dots and visualize the concept.
