Dehumidifier question

[Fishman88888]

Hello everyone, I'm looking for advice from someone who has dehumidifiers, and also large fish tanks ... I can't take any chances. I need a responder with actual relatable experience

I just bought a 240 long (8 footer with glass lids) and I'm going to be setting it up in my brand new apartment, the building was just built and comes with it's own dehumidifier already, however I'd like to purchase another one to be on the safe side... What would you suggest? Also besides a dehumidifier what else could I do to prevent the growth of mold

Also I'm going to donate my 125 and my 75 gal to my parents, who plan to set them up in their basement. They are very very concerned about the humidity... How many dehumidifiers would be necessary for those 2 tanks? What brand/model would you recommend? They will be kept in the same room. I have glass lids for both tanks, but also hob filters/cannister filters for both... So there's a small gap between the glass lids and tank...

Once again - please only respond if you have experience with dehumidifiers and LARGE fish tanks... Thank you very much in advance

 

[Super_Blueberry]

Mine aren't huge tanks, but with my 55g and typical lids with no back 3rd due to filter , heater, etc cutouts, humidity in my basement has never been an issue. All I noticed is my evap levels are a little higher in the winter than the summer , but that's just due to the amount if humidity already in the air. I kept my dehumidifier in the basement for a while last year, and the humidity level never got above 40%. The forced air furnace might of helped keeping the air dry, more than a boiler or radiant heat might. Though I've heard anything dryer is typically considered too dry for a house in general with or without aquariums. I just upgraded to a 100g and have my dehumidifier ready to be set up, but I haven't noticed any differences yet , so I don't think it will be a problem.

 

[Fishman88888]

Mine aren't huge tanks, but with my 55g and typical lids with no back 3rd due to filter , heater, etc cutouts, humidity in my basement has never been an issue. All I noticed is my evap levels are a little higher in the winter than the summer , but that's just due to the amount if humidity already in the air. I kept my dehumidifier in the basement for a while last year, and the humidity level never got above 40%. The forced air furnace might of helped keeping the air dry, more than a boiler or radiant heat might. Though I've heard anything dryer is typically considered too dry for a house in general with or without aquariums. I just upgraded to a 100g and have my dehumidifier ready to be set up, but I haven't noticed any differences yet , so I don't think it will be a problem.

What level of humidity do you have your dehumidifier set to? How do you calculate what would be optimal for your specific basement?

If the room temperature were closer to the tank temperature would that reduce the amount of evaporation from the tank?

I understand that dehumidifiers raise the room temperature... Was yours affected?

Do you have any fans set up? Would you recommend any?

 

[Super_Blueberry]

What level of humidity do you have your dehumidifier set to? How do you calculate what would be optimal for your specific basement? If the room temperature were closer to the tank temperature would that reduce the amount of evaporation from the tank? I understand that dehumidifiers raise the room temperature... Was yours affected? Do you have any fans set up? Would you recommend any?

I have the dehumidifier set to turn on at 45%, but it never got above 40% in the basement for the winter. (For reference, the dehumidifier will not let me set it below 35%)

There's no calculation that I am aware of. If it gets too dry, people get prone to nose bleeds and chapped lips among other symptoms, so some humidity is needed. It's also not good for the house to be really dry as wood and other materials will shrink and crack.

I don't believe temperature affects evaporation noticeably in this type of condition. Outside on an asphalt driveway where the sun gets the surface to 125+ degrees, sure.

Dehumidifiers do vent/exhaust warm air, by no means hot air. Noticeable? Maybe. I never paid much attention.

What type of fans are you talking about? I do have ceiling fans that are on occasionally for overall better circulation and heating, not for humidity purposes. I did not have fans specifically for my 55g, but I do have a couple 1.5" fans in the hood of my 100g set up in opposing flow directions just to keep it from overheating from the lights, and to keep moisture buildup to a minimum since the hood is made from wood, not plastic and other than those fan cutouts and power cord access holes it's pretty much air tight.