Mold Problem

[Atlantis]

I have been cycling my new 10gal planted tank for a couple of weeks. I got home from vacation today and found mold all over my DIY custom hood. The wood was wet from evaporation. The tank is in my room in the basement where it is a little damp. I linked to a picture of my hood, the black stuff is the mold. Is there anything I can do to keep the hood dry?

 

[Guest]

Yes you can solve this problem. The inside of the hood should be painted or sealed. You will be surprized at how much more light you will have if you paint the inside white. Also, the wood will last much longer, because the paint will seal out the moisture, keeping the wood from rotting.

Remove lights and ballasts, all electronics in there. Get some outdoor grade white paint. (I used Killz brand paint, covers mold, I think it somewhat prevents it.) Paint the inside of the hood covering everything very well, 2 coats. Let dry thouroughly, re-install hardware, and you are back in bidness!

For the record, the inside of my diy canopy does get a bit of mildew/mold on it, but not much. Not enough to give it much thought.

 

[Atlantis]

What about the moisture problem? There was so much moisture in the hood today that it seemed like it could have been a fire hazard with the the lighting parts. Would putting a piece of plexiglass under the canopy solve this problem?

 

[Guest]

Well, yeah you could cover the tank with a plexiglass or glass lid. Or you could install a small fan in the side or top of your canopy to exchange air in the canopy, preventing builup of moisture. I have no fan in mine, the moisture must escape through the holes in my canopy where the equipment comes in.

If you look through the diy forum, there are lots of threads about diy canopies and fans.

At this point I'm thinking a fan would be your best bet, and you might want to consider a dehumidifier for your basement.

 

[Atlantis]

Thanks corvuscorax, I'll check out the diy forum. We already have a dehumidifier in our basement. Maybe I need to move it closer to my room or turn it up higher.

 

[Atlantis]

I put a coat of Thompson's Waterseal waterproofer on it tonight. I plan on putting another coat, possibly two coats on later. I have one more question regarding the fan. What would be the most ideal spot for it looking at my picture above?