How do you handle humidity in smaller apartments with larger tanks?

matseski

Gambusia
MFK Member
Mar 30, 2014
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United States
I live in an 800 sqft apartment and have a 120g w/55g sump, 2x10g, and 2x5g tanks running at the moment and I estimate that combined I lose about a gallon to a gallon and a half of water per day to evaporation. The tanks have been running for a few months and while I have not noticed any problems with the paint or drywall, I have noticed a lot of condensation on my windows this winter. It it so bad that it beads up on the panes and forms puddles on my floor and grows mold around my window and door if I don't wipe it up at least once per week. Granted, this happened before, and maybe it is just because I am conscious that humidity may be a problem, but it seems to be worse. Thinking it may be a sealing problem with the window and door as they are 10-15 years old, I brought it to the attention of management an they replaced the entire window unit and added weather stripping around the door, but it does not seem to have helped at all. I rarely heat my apartment during the winter and it stays between 69 and 76F. The lows at night are usually in the 30s, so nothing extreme in terms of temperature differentials.

Does this happen to you? My parents had a similar number of tanks in a room while I was growing up in Pennsylvania, but I never remeber seeing any condensation on the windows, but it was a much larger home so it may have been able to dissipate better.

Maybe I just need a fan to circulate the air better....not sure, but I need to find some solution as the mold is concerning.
 

Wailua Boy

Potamotrygon
MFK Member
Jan 2, 2015
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If you are seeing mold, I would install a exhaust fan hooked to a humidistat. Mold is not to be taken lightly.
 

mudbuttjones

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jul 29, 2014
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Wisconsin
I run a dehumidifier in winter and 2 window ac units in summer. My apartment is small, probably not much bigger than yours. 90g w/ 40b sump, 75g, and 40b tanks.

I actually have had a mold problem in the past, which I attributed to lack of air movement, as my hygrometers were reading only 60% humidity.

Turning up my heat helped, and I removed the plastic insulation (clingwrap type stuff) off my windows. I had no air movement and my apartment was cold, I had water condensating all over the place

Also if you've got alot of air stones, cut back or get rid of them, they accelerate evaporation from my experience. Also good tops help.

Hope that helps

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CaptainBirdsEye

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
I use a bathroom de humidifier (humidistat) fan, but it has heat recovery as the building is not joined to the central heating. (Yeah, I say building, it's a glorified shed, but really it's a fish house!)

As above, temperature control is quite important, a stable air temp results in stable humidity which can be controlled more effectively. Before the fan I had water on the walls! The "shed" is 3meter square roughly with about 1400 litres so far, so it is much smaller than your situation.

Now I have dry walls.
 

matseski

Gambusia
MFK Member
Mar 30, 2014
107
12
18
United States
Since I'm not having moisture accumulating anywhere but my windows, I am going to try to avoid the dehumidifier route due to cost and noise. I just hooked up some computer fans that are blowing across the windows so maybe that will provide enough circulation to keep the condensation down.
 

mudbuttjones

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jul 29, 2014
1,375
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Wisconsin
I live in a 4plex so like a side by side double douplex, if that makes sense.

I live in Wisconsin and it gets brutally cold. I would go most of the winter with my heat off and it stayed usually around 60° once my wife and I had a baby we had to turn the hear up to close to 80° and the condensation on the windows is pretty much gone. I guess it depends where you live, the type of windows, and your humidity, but these are the results I had.



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Warborg

Goliath Tigerfish
MFK Member
Sep 2, 2009
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Austin, Texas
I would heat the apartment...that way it takes the pressure off the tank heaters which would reduce evaporation. Since we keep our house around 76, I don't even use heaters in my tank and there's very little evaporation.
 

matseski

Gambusia
MFK Member
Mar 30, 2014
107
12
18
United States
Heating is not the problem. With no heat, I average about 75F during the winter. It has been 20F here for a few days now and with no heat it has dropped to 67. Even before adding my aquarium, it rarely dropped below 73 in the winter. Sounds like mainly circulation or a dehumidifier are my options. I dont want to heat my apartment to 80, its already warm enough that I have to open the windows from time to time.
 

Nim Dibbley

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Aug 13, 2010
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CA
Your problem may have nothing to do with your aquariums and more to do with the drainage of water around your place.
 

Charney

The Fish Doctor
Staff member
Moderator
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Nov 15, 2005
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I had a lot more gallonage then you in a 700 sq ft apartment in NJ and never had an issue
 
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