Target Fish Room Humidity

[cbfreder]

What do you guys think is the target (max) humidity for a fish room so as to not cause problems with mold and general dankness?

Mine tends to be 55-60%, but, this is NC, so outside its 100% almost everyday.

Brandon

[ken 429]

i keep tanks in my garage and have no problems here in fl.

[Wolf3101]

We live in the desert so any increase in humidity from the tanks disipates quickly with little more than an outside vented fan.

[ewurm]

What do you guys think is the target (max) humidity for a fish room so as to not cause problems with mold and general dankness?

Mine tends to be 55-60%, but, this is NC, so outside its 100% almost everyday.

Brandon

Mine is 55-60 to, I think that is fine. Recommended humidity for hardwood floors is 35-55%, so I think that shouldn't cause any problem with structural integrity of wood building materials.

[ercnan]

Where is this fishroom ?
As an HVAC Tech., 55-60 is about right for the home. Helps keep down static elec., dry coughs/dry noses when you wake up, etc..
A fairly good % unless you or a family member has breathing issues.
70% and up is where the mold/mildew problems most commonly come into play.
As an aside here, the drier you can keep the air (within reason) during the summer months (air conditioning, which is basically a DE-humidifier) the higher you can keep the thermostat setpoint (less energy used) and still feel comfortable, and conversely, the wetter (again within reason) you can keep the air during the winter months (heating, and a HUmidifier also, because the furnace tends to dry the air even more) the lower you can keep the setpoint (again, less energy used) and feel comfortable.
What we as humans call hot is more a factor of humidity than actual temp.
Wetter air is heavier and thus harder to breathe, and it makes us feel "hotter" because we tend to sweat easier since there is less "wicking" effect off our bodies. It's the same evaporative effect as putting a fan over an aquarium to cool it off, or standing in front of a fan in a 90 degree room. The air flow causes evaporation, which makes us "feel" cooler.
Sorry for the long techie post, but I know these things.
To answer your post, 55-60% should cause no issues with mold/mildew.
Outside levels have no bearing inside, as long as the HVAC can keep up. :)

[ercnan]

Mine is 55-60 to, I think that is fine. Recommended humidity for hardwood floors is 35-55%, so I think that shouldn't cause any problem with structural integrity of wood building materials.
No structural issues at those %'s, but the lower end WILL cause hardwood floors to "creak/squeak" more, unless they were installed at those specific % levels.
Just like old wooden boats, the moisture causes wood to swell, thus becoming tighter (watertight).
And this is talking hardwoods. The majority of wood "framing" materials is pine, which is much softer, and accepts moisture more readily, meaning it will swell more at a given % than a hardwood, and have mold/mildew issues sooner as well. :)

[cbfreder]

Thanks for the great posts ercnan.

Brandon

[ercnan]

Thanks for the great posts ercnan.

Brandon
Welcome, hope it helps. :)