# Is humidity a problem?



## Donald Hansen (Jan 21, 2011)

This is a question to those who have a large number of aquariums. Is humidity a problem? Those of you, like me, who live in the frost belt, how do you keep the condensation from running down the walls. For all of you, how do you keep mold from growing in the humid summer?

DLH


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

I don't have either of those problems as the room I use is well ventilated. I live in Oklahoma so we have hot summers and cold winters.


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## Sebastian (Dec 27, 2012)

I have my tanks in the basement these days, with a dehumidifier holding the humidity around 50% (less than 30-40% is not so good for you and the structure of your house, i.e. the wood). Also, for a few years now I have kept tight glass covers on all tanks, which helps a lot. I am working on an expansion right now, we will see how the dehumidifier will cope.

When I was a boy I used to have six tanks in my room, right under the roof. The humidity in the summer was definitely too high (80-90%). However, I never had any mold issues.


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## phil_pl (Apr 10, 2009)

I have to run a dehumidifier in the winter and the AC in the summer to keep the humidity down.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Hot air heat in th winter keeps humidity down(have psychrometer/hygrometer in basemant near all the breeder tanks reading about 52% now{it was -10 on weds,35 today) .Have central AC in summer and run fans in my hoods(2,now 3 big DTs).Most my tanks have 1/2 glass covers at best.No real issues like mold but the humidity does go a little higher in summer.Circulation,as in fans to pass air to less humid areas and I do use a dehumidifier spring and fall(no heat or AC times).When the dehumidifier runs it can pull 2-3 gallons in about 6-8 hrs.That would be on start up then taper down a little,but not much.I actually used water from dehumidifier to put back in tanks(it is pure besides crap in the dehumidifier{I keep mine clean without chemicals}).


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## Donald Hansen (Jan 21, 2011)

I asked because even with one 55 gal tank when there is a sudden drop in temperature, lets say from 35 degrees to 15 degrees like happened here last week, I get some minor condensation on the windows. So I wondered what would happen if I had more tanks. I know that my LFS always has condensation running down their glass doors this time of year.

DLH


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Alot has to do with the building.I'm big on sealing my house and insulating like mad.My buddy has aprox.same age house with just a 75g,he has cond. on windows(not alot).I have 0 cond. on windows(along with sealing and insulating I've raplaced every window with nice casements or fixed).A little cond. on window isn't bad(sebastian is correct about the wood in your house{don't want it to dry out 100%}),but continuous moisture staying idle(stagnate)is never good.Circulating air makes a big difference(I'll bet you don't have forced air heat or fans).


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## Donald Hansen (Jan 21, 2011)

I do have forced air. The reason I have a slight problem when there's a cold snap is that my house is to tight. There's not much air exchange between the inside and the outside so the humidity builds up. Takes a day or 2 after a cold snap for the furnace to burn up the moisture.

DLH


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