Water From a Dehumidifier to Top Off a Tank????

[dereks]

I know I know, it sounds crazy.

So my dad has a goldfish tank in the finished basement that constantly needs topped off (I have a feeling the dehumidifier may be causing it to evaporate quickly).

The tank has NO plants.

If I run the standard tests (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, etc), is this water usable? Or are there things in air water? I feel like this water may actually be cleaner if I think about it.

My dad has bad knees, it saves him trips up & down to use this water.

He's been using well water run through an RO system.

 

[SnakeIce]

The potential issues are mold, possibly toxic dust, and traces of metal from the condensing coils. The water may be clean or it could have issues not measurable by a nitrogen based test.

I'd personally not risk it.

 

[MChambers]

I do it without problem.

 

[FreshyFresh]

I'd address why the tank needs to be constantly topped off first. Do you keep a fairly tight fitting glass top on the tank? One of my tanks is kept in my basement that runs between 35-50% humidity per the readout on my dehumidifier. I've never had to top it off. Tank does have a lighted hood on it.

 

[OrionGirl]

The water should be close to pure, but only if the dehumidifier is well cleaned and maintained. I run one in my basement in the summer, and other than a quick wipe down, I don't clean it much so I would not be comfortable putting it in my tanks.

The dehumidifier will cause a moderate increase in evaporation. things like putting on a cover and minimizing surface splash will help, though there are trade-offs for both.

 

[dereks]

I'd address why the tank needs to be constantly topped off first. Do you keep a fairly tight fitting glass top on the tank? One of my tanks is kept in my basement that runs between 35-50% humidity per the readout on my dehumidifier. I've never had to top it off. Tank does have a lighted hood on it.

Yea! It's got a good lid over it, l.e.d. lights (I'm assuming these burn a little cooler than T-5s, speak up if I'm wrong to assume this), it stays pretty cool in the basement (under 70º F), and it's actually pretty humid (which is why he dehumidifies it), no leaks.

Thoughts?

 

[SnakeIce]

You will have some evaporation unless you completely seal it off, and even then it will still evaporate some and condense inside the sealed area.

Temperature difference makes for a bit more evaporation as well. The lights might indirectly add to the amount of evaporation slightly due to the heat generated creating a bit of air flow around the tank. I've not ever been around a tank that didn't have some evaporation.

Actually LEDs emit slightly more heat than fluorescent lighting. The reason fluorescent lighting seems like less is that it spreads it out over the whole bulb so one spot isn't as hot as the LEDs get.

I'm curious about the time frame for this. I try to change water weekly, and with that schedule the amount of evaporation isn't enough to mess with topping it off between water changes. So either he's going a long time between water changes or he is more particular about the water level in the tank than I am.

 

[FreshyFresh]

Yea! It's got a good lid over it, l.e.d. lights (I'm assuming these burn a little cooler than T-5s, speak up if I'm wrong to assume this), it stays pretty cool in the basement (under 70º F), and it's actually pretty humid (which is why he dehumidifies it), no leaks.

Thoughts?

Like snakeice said above, you're always going to have some evaporation and the dryer the atmosphere in the areas your tanks are in, the faster this is going to happen. Running bubbles in the tank and uncovered filters can speed this along too.

I guess I'm lucky that I never have to top-up any of my 4 tanks between WWCs. They do loose some water, but barely enough to notice. I do fill until the water line disappears behind the top frames. All have tops on them with openings as well. My basement runs about 67-72 depending on the season and how much the dehumidifier needs to run.

 

[OrionGirl]

Basements often are more humid than other areas of the house, since the concrete is buried and in contact with soil that may be wet, depending on precipitation and drainage outside the house. Even without a fish tank, a dehumidifier might be needed. That said, Snake's point is right on--what's the timeline for the evaporation?