How to lower condensation?

[Mount_Prion]

Working on my 6'x2' swamp (in a drilled 220g tank, approx 30% full of water) and my main problem at this point is condensation on the front and side walls of the tank.

There's an air conditioner like 3 feet from the tank, and I'm fairly sure that the difference in temperature inside and outside the tank are what's causing it. My water is about 81 F (the turtles I want to put in are pretty tropical) and I'm planning on having a 90 F basking spot.

Not sure if the addition of a heat light and uvb lights will add enough heat to dry the glass or not. Somebody at my LFS said I might try installing a fan. I have glass aquarium tops on the tank but they're not 100% air tight in the back, and there should be a lot of gas transfer in there from the wet/dry sump/overflow setup.

Would love any advice!

Thanks!

 

[Gill Blue]

the heat lamp should help, if the UV is a fluo- it won't. when my terrarium glass fogged I stuck a 3" 12V fan to blow along the front glass and that worked.

 

[cjdesmit]

You may already be aware but keep in mind UVB is filtered out by glass so you will need to remove the glass tops to make use of the UVB the bulb is putting out. Heat transfer from a heat lamp through a glass top would be poor as well...

I'm not sure I would install a fan as that may cause a cool draft inside the tank which could in turn cause respiratory problems in your turtles.

 

[Mount_Prion]

You may already be aware but keep in mind UVB is filtered out by glass so you will need to remove the glass tops to make use of the UVB the bulb is putting out. Heat transfer from a heat lamp through a glass top would be poor as well...

I'm not sure I would install a fan as that may cause a cool draft inside the tank which could in turn cause respiratory problems in your turtles.

Thanks! I'm planning on putting the heat and uvb under the glass and would probably do the same with the fan, so hopefully all that would work out.

Open to any other advice!

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[cjdesmit]

I feel the best solution would be to only use one glass top (the one over the majority of the water). You could then just use a large screened cover for the other half that is over the land portion. This will allow plenty of natural air exchange as well as allow you to place the light fixtures outside of the aquarium. When UVB and heat are required, I would definitely suggest a mercury vapor bulb. They produce much more UVB than a traditional florescent UVB bulb and allows you to only need one fixture (for heat and UVB).

I'd also be concerned about placing the fixtures inside the aquarium if you were to use both glass tops as the moisture from condensation and possible splashing could cause the bulbs to burst or the fixtures to short out.

 

[Gill Blue]

I would most definitely not put fixtures in the tank. I had no water in any of my herp enclosures and I wouldn't even then. there's just too much of a chance for a problem.

 

[Mount_Prion]

I would most definitely not put fixtures in the tank. I had no water in any of my herp enclosures and I wouldn't even then. there's just too much of a chance for a problem.

What about the "swamp" splash-proof heat bulbs?

My concern is that both on the UVBs and the heat bulbs they say they've got a 12'' max effective range, and if I put them on the top of the tank it'll be more like 20'' + between them and their target.

 

[cjdesmit]

Don't waste your money on a florescent UVB bulb. Shell out the few extra dollars and get a mercury vapor bulb. It produces heat and UVB so you will only need one fixture and they also have a much longer effective range. I actually think most brands recommend it to be AT LEAST 12+" away from the targeted area...