Humidity problems for large tank

[Doug]

Good points Marc. Achieving a balance between exaust & incoming is important, no matter which system is used.

And I totally agree on taking advantage of ones climate. If heating in winter is not such a large issue then using your system is fine. They all achieve the same thing in the end, as long as air is exchanged.

[ClubReef]

Now that I'm armed with humidity control..what other things should I concern myself with?

Is there anything you wish you would have done differently to your basement /fishroom?

I've asked the contractor to install 2 extra power circuits, a floor drain, a cold water line.

Thanks

[michika]

Storage space for dry goods, supplies, and equipment not in use. That was always the most frustrating part about our tanks. I also frequently was annoyed at having to schlep water from the basement to the first floor, but that was me being too lazy to buy a pump.

Things that I really loved, a drain in the sump in case there was a water outtage, to prevent flooding. I also loved that when we set up our 230g we arranged it so that we could do a water change just by opening valves and flipping switches. So easy, and it helped us to remain consistant with water changes etc.

[Delphinus]

If you're having a contractor do the plumbing anyhow, get a hot water line. Might as well - you'll wash your hands and stuff probably at the sink anyhow right? Also, RO/DI works better with warm water than it does with cold water. I don't know if this is true for everyone but in the winter my coldwater comes in at only a few degrees above freezing - well - maybe 8 to 10 degrees - that is, as they say, DANG cold and it does impact how much throughput you can get out out of your RO/DI.

If you're doing a whole room anyhow, I'd get way more than just 2 power circuits. I've considered putting a whole subpanel in the room but I haven't decided if I'll do that. But 2, you'll load those up in no time IMO. I'd go 4-6 or maybe even 8 or 10. What the heck, you don't have to use them if you don't need them but it will be nice to have them available "just in case."

[Doug]

Originally Posted by ClubReef

I've asked the contractor to install 2 extra power circuits, a floor drain, a cold water line.
Thanks

You have a good handle on it with those three. I like Tony,s hot water line. As a matter of fact, I put a laundry sink in my fishroom, with hot & cold running water. My wife appreciated me staying in there cleaning stuff and not running around the house with it.

[ClubReef]

The tank will be a room divider with 3 viewable sides so I won't have a dedicated room...a sink won't be installed either (my wife already told me no . I will have to use the sink in the washroom or the utility room.

I'll look into the hotwater line though...I might as well since the walls are bare and I might have a dedicated sink or wet bar built close to it in the future .

Do you think 3 circuits will handle all of the power requirements? I don't want to get too overboard because at the end of the day everything will add up (they charge $130 for each circuit). 3 circuits will be 45A of power. I can see my biggest power draw will be from the MH (3 X4.5A) +Chiller (9A) ~21A

[hawk]

I have one problem in my fishroom you may or may not need to consider. Tank is 375g, total water volume around 600g. The room is pretty airtight with 2 exhaust fans and fresh air intakes. The fishroom ceiling is a drop with a lot of copper plumbing for upstairs kitchen, bath etc within it. In the fishroom I have a sink and rodi. The room can get upto 84-85 degrees. The rest of the basement stays cool. Now the problem... When the rodi is running for several hours at a time and the relative humidity is high like now, the copper run to the rodi in the drop ceiling (sealed tight from the fishroom) sweats and drips condensation. When I first noticed it I used insulating foam tubes on the pipes. This helped but not totally. What I think is happening is the area above the fishroom is warm, the cold water running through the copper meets that warmth causing the condensation. If I were to do it again I would change the copper around the fishroom to pex, which I'm told does not sweat.

[Delphinus]

Nope .. unfortunately pex sweats big time too. I have pex pipes and I get major drippage from my pipes when I run my RO/DI in the winter with that 8 degree cold water. Heck, I get in the summer too, but not nearly as bad since the water is warmer. I get it to a degree when I run sprinklers outside too.

Another reason to consider the HRV and suck that moisture laden air out of the house. Or get the pipes covered (ie. behind drywall) so that they're not exposed to humidity.

[michika]

Tony,

Did the HRV solve your issue with dripping pipes? Or did it just slow it down? Did you do anything else to combat dripping pipes?

Hawk,

What have you done, or plan to do, to cool down your fish room? Or are you just super brave, and just tough it out?

[Doug]

I would think the dripping pipes is more of a summer problem, which is when the HRV is not effective but central air should help. This is the first place I,ve had central air but I have no basement with pipes, so can say how it would help. At my other place w/my fishroom, the pipes did sweat somewhat in the summer but no air conditioning.

Never noticed it to much in the winter like Tony. However I had a woodstove also, besides the HRV.