got ethical husbandry?

Interesting Morning

patchin

patchin

Supporting Member
BARcard
We have had a mold problem in our bedrooms so we had a company, Sustainable Spaces, come out and did a study of the house. Results: too much moisture in the air (da), too little air circulation, too tight of a house (not enough outside air entering). Also analyzed energy usage (the refrig needs to be replaced. T is very happy). They will come up with suggestions on both moisture (mold) and energy. Very worthwhile study.

Question: does anyone keep their tanks sealed on top to reduce evaporation. Heat problems if you do?
 
Well the problem is if you have your canopy sealed up tight then the inside of it will get mold, 6 of one... half dozen of another. If possible have a vent that puts the air outside, if that isn't feasible more ventilation in general. I occasionally get mold on my back windows of the house due to all the condensation, however being up in my attic I know there's no mold, but my house leaks like a sieve, so fresh air is quite abundant :D

Otherways to reduce evaporation is to run your tank at a slightly lower temperature, lots keep their tanks in the 80-82 range, you probably can get away with 77-78. Less surface agitation will help as well, but might be not so good for the tank.
 
I have a very small room with my tank and a PC running 24/7 and it gets humid.
I just let fresh air as much as I can.
On the plus side 6-7 out of my 10 orchids are blooming all the time ;-)
 
Hmm, I wonder at what size tank it becomes a problem. My tank's top is largely covered, aside from a couple unused drilled points and the overflow. Looking at the sump, I gather I lose about 3 gallons of water a day to evaporation. Actually, that kinda freaks me out. Maybe I should install a small fan to keep the air moving in that room.
 
I think the biggest problem with sealing up the top of your tank would be lack of gas exchange. The water needs to be able to let off excess CO2 and take in oxygen. If it were too tightly sealed, your pH would drop and it could even suffocate your animals.
 
What about having a sump, does that aid in gas exchange? It probably depends on the size of the sump, but mine is a 38 gallon without any cover. I figure the movement caused by the water coming down the overflow into the sump is enough.
 
I'm under the impression that gas exchange takes place at the surface of the tank. The more movement at the surface of the water, the more that aids in gas exchange. I'm sure there is some gas exchange with the overflow, but not sufficient to rely on. The gas exchange at sump level can happen, but also depends on what kind of air circulation you have around your sump. If it is enclosed, it too will be impaired.

I originally had gotten a little 12 gallon nano cube (nicely enclosed). Dip test strips always looked low with the pH. I purchased a Pinpoint pH meter and found it was very low 7.7 range. I added a bubbler in the back portion to push air in the water and help with gas exchange (in theory). It did help my pH a little bit ranging from 7.8-7.9 range. But one day, I opened up the top of the tank and opened a window next to the tank and within 1.5 hours my pH rose to 8.2 range! This tells me that good air flowing over the surface of the water is what a tank needs to breathe.

I have had thoughts about running a bathroom fan 24/7 to help with pulling out humid air. If I had a fish room, I would think about a vent fan in there. Just food for thought.
 
Aye Bobbie. Thanks for the info. I'm planning on using one of those small clip-on fans to place over the sump. I know it's not ideal, but at least it allows for air to move over the water surface.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top