I wasn't sure if I should put this in your forum or Steven's, but I just thought I would suggest a topic I would LOVE to see a reefkeeping (or other stable on-line magazine) article on: 

Humidity Issues:  Specific recommendations based on climate and tank capacity

I am in the early planning stages of building a 300-700+ gallon system in a new house (this is probably 3-5 years off, but I like to plan ahead).  The biggest issue I've come across (other than cost) is that every time I ask people about humidity I get TONS of different answers.  It would be great if we could see an article that covers the following:

1.  Recommendations on humidity controlling equipment based on 3 climates (for example, dry, moderate and high outside ambient air humidity and also tied to temperature).  I've heard various people recommend separate air conditioners for the tank room, simple bathroom exhaust fans, HVAC units, heat pumps, the list gets to headache proportions quickly.  The recommendations for a cold and wet Seattle are going to be very different than hot and humid Houston, TX.  It could probably be simplified to dry and hot, dry and cold, wet and hot and wet and cold with understanding that if you are inbetween you will have more things to think about.

2.  Ways to use the heat generated from lights, chillers, etc in the house without spreading the humidity everywhere.  (For example, putting your MH ballasts and chillers in a separate small room that could vent to the house in winter and to the outside in summer). 

3.  Descriptions about how each humidity controlling equipment actually works in simple terms.

I don't know how many other people would be interested in this, but I think a LOT of potential big tank owners would like to see this happen.  I've read the horror stories about mold, extreme condensation on glass, health issues, etc.  I would write it, but I don't know much at all about any of these areas  

Thoughts?

Brian

7 years FW, 5 years SW

Education is the solution to pollution, not dilution.

Some folks (ahem... Eric, Kell ) turn to dreadfully expensive but effective dehumidifiers for control of the humidity, but this can really be a very dear expense (.50-$1/day to run!)

The old timers over here in the Big East with basement fishrooms with literally 40, 60, or 100+ aquariums of various size have had to deal with this very serious (structural damage!) issue in time from humidity. One of my fav solutions is staggeringly cheap and effective: a computer muffin fan. Run with or without (clothes) dryer ductwork as needed to ventilate a small, slow, but steady stream of air form the house 24/7. It can literally be tapped through the wall (ala dryer vent) for basements... and for living rooms, yuo can pop a very small hole in the partition flank of a casement air conditioner. Else block up a window the slight 3-4" in height for the fan (sealing off the flanks of course) and run it the same.

Such fans consume literally pennies per month in electricity to run, they bring a constant stream of fresh air from the rest of the house into the fish air (helping greatly with depressed pH issues!) and the loss of heat or AC is far less (expense) than the cost of operating dehumidifiers. Think about it, the air loss from poorly insultated doors, windows, garages, attics, etc is a far greater issue overall in the house.

Our fan here is simply, equalizing so to speak, the relative humidity of the moist room with the neighboring rooms.

Now that all said... will this fan make the room so dry that your skin looks like an alligator hand bag? Ahhh, no. But it will immediately reduce the condensation that forms on windows, tile floors and other cool surfaces. It will also halt the formation of mildew elsewhere in the house (often in the upper corners of rooms in higher stories).

The fan is (over)priced at $20 at your local Radio S... er, store. You can buy computer muffin fans online for well under $10. Maybe someone will be kind enough to share a link after I just typed all this and am getting a hand cramp?

One small fan will do an average room. For heavy duty work... seek a small attic exhaust fan. They are quiet, energy efficient and engineered to not be a fire hazard (motor usually burns out rather than up).

.

Anthony Calfo

It's so bad that I'd be afraid of falling alseep in a chair there for fear of waking with a large bowl full of seawater in my lap  

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Anthony Calfo

Anthony Calfo