Condensation... what to do.

ericegg01 · Mar 10, 2018

Anyone have any tips as to how I can prevent this from happening see picture. I have 2 problems one with evaporation and the other without.

The condensation droplets have a tendency to "focus" the light from my radions and I ultimately think I'm cooking my coral like you would cook an ant with the sun and magnifying glass. You can see this on rocks where the beam of light isn't dispersed if the glass canopy was off but you can see the color such as red focused on a certain point like the size of a dime. So how do I prevent this?

The second problem, my fish like to commit suicide I've lost 2 now because they jump out for some odd reason when I took my canopy off. I went as far as putting egg crate as my canopy but no... that didn't stop a goby and a chromis from trying to run for the hills. Is there another method like using window screen?

Help what's one to do about this?

TheEngineer · Mar 10, 2018

There isn’t much to do about it. You could replace the glass cover with a net cover. You can DIY it with parts from a big box home store.

DangerDave · Mar 10, 2018

Mine does that also. My tank is in wall, with the other side of the wall being in the garage, so I need to keep the glass cover.

Why do you really think it’s an issue? I haven’t had any problems yet. A tank has been in that spot with a cover on it for 15 years or so...

Dave

Logan A. · Mar 10, 2018

It looks to me like you've got a couple of options put something under one side of the glass to help the buildup of condensation close off down back into your tank that kind of condensation will eventually bow acrylic. You could also increase the distance the lights are from your tank. Maybe do both. You may try what I did to better deal with the condensation. Use Currigated greenhouse paneling it lets some out and keeps most water in by default given the design.

Logan A. · Mar 10, 2018

Here is a pic with it on

ericegg01 · Mar 10, 2018

DangerDave said:
Why do you really think it’s an issue? Dave

I think it's an issue because I'm equating it to burning an ant with a magnifier. I believe I'm burning the coral with the light focused, now whether those photons have enough energy to do harm that's entirely a different conversation. I'm just doubting myself or creating a problem that just isn't there.

for reference:

gcrawford · Mar 10, 2018

BRS has a cover kit that breathes. I’ve been thinking about ordering one.

ericegg01 · Mar 10, 2018

I'll look into that. thx

check83 · Mar 10, 2018

The clear plastic netting from brs does a great job. If you have a lot of cables and pipes going up over the edges, it can be tough to make it work without gaps. Do you have a picture showing the whole top of your tank? This would help others make the best recommendations.

Susan Edwards · Mar 10, 2018

I just put plastic gutter guard over my egg crate for my qt tank. It cuts some light with the black gutter guard but it is only fish in the qt. Right now, on my 125 with 2 braces, I have 3 temporary egg crate sections for covers. When I add my current fish from QT to the tank, I'll order the kits from BRS to make clear, netted screens. Right now, the gold head goby in the tank is too big to fit. I have one smaller wrasse in QT who could fit so will have to spend the bucks to redo display lids.

TinyChocobo · Mar 10, 2018

You may reach out to Artfully acrylic to see if they can make you a cover that fits? Theirs breathes but keeps fish in.

TheEngineer · Mar 10, 2018

Or the original from @cromag27 at Octoaquatics. I got my lid from him. It’s fantastic.

ericegg01 · Mar 11, 2018

thx all for the recommendations. For starters I'm going to elevate the glass so the condensation will run down the glass back into tank. Thanks Survivor man episode

I think I'm going with the BRS solution for now as I can customize how I want to build it.

Tautog · Mar 11, 2018

I don’t think your cooking your corals.
Try adjusting the surface flow.
Water refracts light very differently than air, thus, your magnifying theory doesn’t wash.