Tropical Fish Forums

[Kaz]

I have a 2-3 foot approx 130l tank with a glass lid that covers most of it there is a gap on either long edge of about 3-4cm, a 100l hexagonal tank with a glass lid that covers except for a small gap right around of about 1cm, a 60l tank with a 2 glass lids that also covers most of the tank except for a few cm along both long edges. All of these tanks are tropical (around 25-28C) I live in NZ (Waikato) which is quite a damp area. All of this is located in my dining room (The fish room). My house gets a LOT of moisture in winter, lots of mould etc, my mum thinks that most of it is caused by my tanks. My tanks do get a noticable drop in water over a week, 8-13l approx sometimes. What can I do to either help stop this moisture escaping or somehow funnel it outside. Kinda like a DIY home ventilation system for my fish tanks. I really need to find a solution to this as because I am also an athsmatic it is becoming a real health problem for me but I love my fish. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
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Fish are friends not food!!

[krt]

I wouldn't be too quick to jump on the tanks for a mold problem unless there is a leak somewhere or your dining room is totally enclosed. I have 4 tanks in my house, all except one lose a decent amount of water over the course of time with one exception, my 29 gal that has a glass canopy complete with plastic guard across the back. Cords for an internal heater & filter go through little slits I cut into the plastic. My other tanks have similar canopies but the back plastic panels on them are not close to as well sealed. If you run HOB filters, just cut the plastic around the filter inlet/outlet. You'll lose some water but hopefully not as much.

FYI, dehumidifiers are a good way to get moisture out of a house, but they won't get rid of pre-existing mold, for that, you will have to search around the place and clean any moldy areas with a bleach solution. Don't forget, mold can be groing inside of the walls as well as crawl spaces, attics, old furniture, under the sink, and of course anywhere in the basement. Most dehumidifiers will have a fitting where you can attach a hose which you can run outside instead of constantly having to dump buckets. Make sure to purchase a dehumidifier that is suitable for your home, if you get one that is underpowered for your house size it will run constantly and cost more in electricity.

I seriously just finished reading an article about dehumidifiers before finding your post, so I hope it helps.

Kurt

[Kaz]

Thanks, we got under the house to day to put in some black plastic, lots of rotten floor boards, and joists on both sides of the house, this has helped to convince my mum that it is not my tanks causing the problem. How difficult do you think it would be to build a hood?
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Fish are friends not food!!

[krt]

...it totally depends on your skill level. Hoods are more of a decorative thing. Canopies are lids that seal your tank from the top (most tanks come with the cheapo black plastic kind. I was talking about the all-glass caponies made by marineland (other companies might make them too). They have a plastic flap that slips onto the back to keep your tank practically air (water) tight.

Kurt

[Kaz]

Thanks I have never seen these canopies, and my skill level in making anything is zip. I'll have a look around if I can find marineland.
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Fish are friends not food!!