Dehumidifier

goldenhurricane2 · Oct 10, 2016

Hi everyone,

I'm relatively new to this hobby (closing in on a year soon). My question is about humidity in your houses (or wherever your tank is). Have you noticed a huge jump in relative humidity in your house? If so do you use a dehumidifier? Which brand and how does it work for you?

Thanks in advance!

cromag27 · Oct 10, 2016

Welcome to r2r! I have had tanks in WA, id, ca and AZ. never noticed a difference. it I'm guessing it has a lot to do with ambient temp/humidity, size of room, etc.

Germ42 · Oct 10, 2016

I use one, because it does seem to add a little humidity but I like to take the water and use it to top off my sumps lol i don't know if it's a good idea but hasn't caused any issues and I can't think anything would be in it to cause harm either lol

Highgrade · Oct 10, 2016

I recently started using one. The ambient temp in my fish room is between 65-75 most of the year and most of my tanks average around 78 degrees. Currently overnight the outside temps are down into the 20-30's. For the past couple weeks I've been running a Frigidaire unit I borrowed from a family member to try it out. Prior to using the dehumidifier the windows would be saturated with moisture on the inside. I run the unit from 9pm-5am and it pulls about 2-3 pints of water.

The temps will continue to drop into the nights and eventually into the days as we go into winter. I have two wood stoves which one is in the fish room. Just been putting off using either of them for now. I use both stoves which keep the temp in the house between 75-80 degrees through the winter. Rairly do I use our furnace. Previous years I stoked up the stove and all the water condensation on the windows would evaporate within 30 minutes or so. I'm sure I wont run the the dehumidifier much longer once I start the wood stoves up, since there wont be any need for it. Not to mention I'm waiting to see if my bill jumps a bit since everyone claims they suck up a bit of power. I've heard just as much as a small window AC unit or a small fridge.

Either way its a great precation so I don't get any mold or rot out our newer wood framed windows.

Roughly 450 gallons of water between all the tanks in the one room.

goldenhurricane2 · Oct 11, 2016

I'm in Oklahoma and it's relatively humid here, so I'm sure the aquarium isn't the only issue. I think I may go ahead an invest in one just for my office area (where my aquarium is). Thanks for the input everyone!

Robert1234 · Oct 12, 2016

Sounds like there is too much moisture in the air possibly an extraction fan would help remove some of that extra moisture,like in a bathroom when you begin a hot shower it steams up and you use the extraction fan to remove that moisture. here in australia its starting to heat up and the humidity seems to suck the water out of the tank and just spread it around in the air im looking into one myself because i dont like the idea of a salty glaze building up around the room over time hopefuly this may help you with your troubles

revhtree · Oct 12, 2016

Interesting thread!

What percent humidity do you all like to keep your home at or tank room at?

tautog83 · Oct 12, 2016

i live in an apartment and in my one room i have an 80 gallon and a 25 gallon and i use the small dehumidifers from amazon that just have the color changing beads in them . once the beads change color you plug the unit in to "dry" the beads out otherwise they dont need to be plugged in or anything . I use 2 of them in my room and it helps but they are really meant for small spaces

ReeferMaddness843 · Oct 12, 2016

I have a 90 and 20 (20 has no top and open), live in sc the home of humidity, and haven't noticed a large jump. It's in an open living room with vaulted ceilings so the airspace is pretty large. But actually have a temp and humidity monitor in living room. I believe last I looked was about 44%. And ideally healthy range is 40-50 so no issues here.

jgvergo · Oct 12, 2016

I have an 85 gal DT, 115 gal for the total system. My sump is in a utility room. I run a Kenmore 70 pint dehumidifier and it pulls 5 (!!!) gallons per day. I keep it on the lowest humidity setting b/c I have tools and other metal in the room that I don't want to rust. In the first 7 months of operation, I have not had a problem.

DereksReef77 · Oct 12, 2016

I run a large dehumidifier probably a 70-75 pint per day. I run it at 45% humidity levels in the basement (the fish room) I have a 210 with 125 gallon sump, a 125 with 55 gallon sump, a 150 gallon with 75 gallon sump, 2 50 breeders with 20 gallon sumps and a deep blue 30 with a 20 gallon sump. I also have a 210 gallon with 75 gallon sump in the family room. So yes I definitely need to run a dehumidifier so that nothing in the house rusts or gets any mold damage.

jason2459 · Oct 12, 2016

Germ42 said:
I use one, because it does seem to add a little humidity but I like to take the water and use it to top off my sumps lol i don't know if it's a good idea but hasn't caused any issues and I can't think anything would be in it to cause harm either lol

Potentially a big cause of concern depending on the coils used. Most use copper.

jgvergo · Oct 12, 2016

jason2459 said:
Potentially a big cause of concern depending on the coils used. Most use copper.

If the copper never comes in contact with the aquarium water, why is it a concern?

jason2459 · Oct 12, 2016

jgvergo said:
If the copper never comes in contact with the aquarium water, why is it a concern?

That is where the water condenses. That water would have higher Cu levels among possibly other heavy metals depending on what the pipe is made out of.

jgvergo · Oct 12, 2016

jason2459 said:
That is where the water condenses. That water would have higher Cu levels among possibly other heavy metals depending on what the pipe is made out of.

True, but the dehumidifier water is waste water. It goes down the drain, not into the aquarium!

jason2459 · Oct 12, 2016

jgvergo said:
True, but the dehumidifier water is waste water. It goes down the drain, not into the aquarium!

Read the post I quoted.

revhtree · Oct 12, 2016

jason2459 said:
Read the post I quoted.

Oh dang so now I have another concern!

jason2459 · Oct 12, 2016

revhtree said:
Oh dang so now I have another concern!

There's always something isn't there? Be-careful, breathing is harmful to your health.

Tgrove · Oct 12, 2016

South FL here. 55g DT with 29 gallon sump. 20g DT and 20g sump. House was at 68-74%. Started running a dehumidifier and now its at 45%-50%. Much more comfortable. I have noticed slightly more evaporation in the tanks. (to be expected).