How to prevent moisture buildup in sump area

[NinnJinn]

I am going to be building my stand this weekend for my 125 gallon tank. I have read to add plywood all the way around to add stability and make it look nice. But one thing that occurred to me is how do you keep the inside of the stand dry to avoid mold build up with an open sump?

 

[Crabs McJones]

I am going to be building my stand this weekend for my 125 gallon tank. I have read to add plywood all the way around to add stability and make it look nice. But one thing that occurred to me is how do you keep the inside of the stand dry to avoid mold build up with an open sump?

You can either install vents or a fan to help vent out the humid air.

 

[ihavecrabs]

On my previous tanks that were in my living space, I used to leave the opening with a lip in case of splashes or over filling of my auto top off container (What? No way anyone has ever forgotten and left their RODI unit on right?).

I then siliconed the edges and sprayed the inside of the stand with a clear waterproofing spray from Home Depot.

This method protected the inside of the stand to salt creep and moisture but also was successful at holding the additional water created by an RODI mishap

Now that my tank is in the basement and I have a floor drain, the stand is open but I did paint with an epoxy paint to protect the wood.

 

[Susan Edwards]

I used a marine paint inside the already painted store bought stand and also added a 2 inch deep boot mat that the sump fits on to collect spills. ATO is outside of stand. I added a partition to separate wet side/sump from dry side/electrical. Back is mostly open except for an added board along back of electrical for mounting equipment. Open at top due to plumbing running though.

 

[Tbabcock]

I got this fan kit and put one in the sump and one in the canopy.
The black grill makes a nice finish on the inside.