May be forced to get out of the hobby, humidity/heat problems!

[DamnPepShrimp]

Ok, my tanks are temporarily at my parents house in their basement until I find a more permanent home (probably 3-5 months). I have a 120g reef with a 50g sump and a 6x54w T5 tek light over it. The tank and sump are both open, no covers and stands sides and back are open as well. I have a canopy on it but the top is open. I was losing about 2g a day almost from evap but since its warmer now, it has gone down. The 120g is in the finished half of the basement and the 210g is in the unfinished half. The 210g has glass/acrylic lids over it to keep my eel in and humidity/evap down. I was having problems with the copper water pipes sweating due to the 210g heat. I run a 4x39w nova T5 light over that with a 60g sump. The stand is fully enclosed and I lose less then 1g a day from evap. I keep my temps at 78* roughly. I put a fan in the room with the 120g, and when I am in the basement, I open the basement window where the 210g is but its getting hot/humid. I run a dehumidifier and it pulls out 2g a day, I empty it every day!

So what else can I do? My rents won't stop B*&%#ing about it being like a rainforest down there. I think they are exaggerating big time because I don't think its that bad, and neither does anyone that comes over. Still the tanks are in their house atleast for a few more months, what can I do so I don't have to get rid of everything? Would putting a glass/acrylic lid on the 120g help? I know it will block some light, but atleast I'll be able to keep my tank. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated, thank you!!!

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Putting a cover over the tank, either glass or acrylic will block your gas exchange - bad idea.

 

[DamnPepShrimp]

I have a cover over the 210g for months now with no problems. I don't have every square inch over the tank covered. I just need to hold some of the evap in. I know you need gas exchange but having the sump open helps. I'd rather block some gas exchange then have no tank at all.

 

[icedgxe]

I agree. I wouldn't put a top on them. Best thing is to go ahead and buy a dehumidifier for the room. That should help a lot. I use one for the garage where my sump, refugium etc are at and it helps tremendously.

 

[DamnPepShrimp]

I have one already. I have to empty it out every day, it fills up +2g a day! So I don't know what else to do?

Oh, and I have to have a lid on my 210g, I have an eel. Eggcrate won't hold him back if he decided to jump.

 

[geiges]

I got the same s*** . my new house is tite , the humidy
gets to 70% some times . so I put toghter a 30gal with
a 10gal sump and made it tite. hope this will fix it ,the 72gal
with 20 gal sump is all open and evaps 1 gal a day.
If this dose not work for me I well have to go to the basement.

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

Put a small window air conditioner in the basement window.

 

[unhpian]

I think you have two options: either you reduce the evaporation which is causing the humidity, or, you just try to remove the humidity. You can reduce the evaporation by reducing the surface area exposed to the air by partially covering the tank or sump, lower the tank temperature, reduce surface agitation, etc - however, as correctly pointed out, these will all reduce gas exchange. Will it reduce it enough to cause problems? I have no idea.

Your other option is to remove the humidity - which it sounds like you are already doing by using a dehumidifier. The problem is that the more efficient the dehumidifier is at reducing the humidity, that will just cause an increase in the evaporation rate from the tank, and it sort of like fighting an uphill battle. If the basement has windows, you may be better off putting a window fan in that blows out to get some air moving - that will do a better job at reducing the humidity and will be far more cost effective than running a dehumidifier 24/7. If it were me, I would cover the tank and throw an airstone into the sump to promote air exchange.

 

[unhpian]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15038472#post15038472 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Uncle Salty 05
Put a small window air conditioner in the basement window.

No - a dehumidifier is more efficient in this case - as removing humidity is what it's designed to do.

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

This would be in addition to the dehumidifier not in it's place.

 

[Anemonebuff]

Put a vent fan through the wall using a dryer vent or fan the inside air out a widow, via a window fan. It will whisk the humid air out of the basement. You could probably get away with just doing this in the most humid room.

 

[Frankie1]

actually i think the window air conditioner would be better for the reason being that dehumidifiers as they do remove moisture from the air they also produce heat in the room they are in. in turn raising the temp. and causing more evaporation. i would think the window unit would be the best way to remove moisture and reduce heat at the same time.

john

 

[Anemonebuff]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15038537#post15038537 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Frankie1
actually i think the window air conditioner would be better for the reason being that dehumidifiers as they do remove moisture from the air they also produce heat in the room they are in. in turn raising the temp. and causing more evaporation. i would think the window unit would be the best way to remove moisture and reduce heat at the same time.

john

I would agree with that for summer time when it is really hot, but right now it is cool enough for exhaust fans to work.

 

[400M1963]

NE: I have a versatop on the display with eggrate in the very back and for the sump I have it 2/3 covered with acrylic for reverse lighting of the chaeto and the open third of the sump houses protein skimmer and large enough opening for azoo double fan to blow in/over. I don't ever need a heater and even in August with normal air conditioning (73 degrees) my tank never swings higher than 85 or ever lower than 79. If your protein sikmmer is working efficient I think this hyperventilating over heat/exchange that some "solve" with chillers may be obessive. My dissolved O2 always tests normal and also we're really humidity adverse (sorry Floridians). My rig has been running for well over five years and aside from vacation power outage disaster of a few years ago, things are normal. With energy prices rising and headed out of sight I can't picture using MH over T5HO or wanting chillers working against room AC! Try closing things up more with good fans/aeration in the sump and see how it runs ...

 

[unhpian]

Maybe it's just me - but the idea of running both an AC AND a dehumidifier is crazy - not because it wouldn't work (it would), but because of the energy consumption. I would definitely try the fan first, most bathroom models consume less than 30 watts, compared to the 400 - 800 watts consumed by a moderately sized AC unit.

 

[maroun.c]

I find that a fan blwoing air out of a window closed on it to stop air from directly entering from that window results in an air flow accross the room that should deal with humidity.

 

[DamnPepShrimp]

Thank you everyone for all the replies.

There are only two small basement windows in the room with the 210g. They flip down. I don't know how I'd install a fan in there. Maybe they make one just for that type of window.

Its getting to be so hot now that the basement is getting really humid, but in the winter, it wasn't so bad. Although, in the winter, the cold water pipes coming into the house were sweating a lot, so its both winter and summer having problems.

So what does everyone think is best? Try and install a window fan? I am just worried that bugs and stuff will be able to crawl through it since the window is right at ground level. If I got a bigger dehumidifier, would that help at all? I already have a fan in the room with the 120g circulating the air. I could close off my reef with lids, but the whole gas exchange thing will make the tanks smell, which they are complaining about to. It seems like they are blaming everything on my tanks, I'm fighting a losing battle and about ready to give up on the hobby until I get a new place in a few months. This sucks.....

 

[goldmaniac]

I would run with the dehumidifer idea.

1). You could buy a 2nd dehumidifer
2). If possible, you could plumb the dehumidifer to drain directly into the sump pump (if you have one).

since it's your parents house, a 2nd dehumidifier would use more energy than just a single one but it wouldn't cost you anything anyway. And it would still be less energy than an A/C unit. And they're pretty cheap.

 

[rendogg]

If heat is an issue, a dehumidifier will add a LOT MORE HEAT, costly, inefficient, and labour intensive.
Go with an exhaust fan, a couple oscillating fans(at least one fan aimed at the tank, another moving air around the room), reduce the photo period, egg crate to keep your eel in, and auto top off. These should help.

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

Does the house have central A/C?
Is the duct work in the basement?
If the answer is yes to these two questions you should be able to tap into the duct work adding small vents in each room.