humidity issue maybe?

[rba]

I'm sure this has been beaten to death but

I'm thinking about redoing my enclosure for my 3 Masdevallia's. The enclosure as it stands right now is a 40 gal breeder with a lid with a tek 36" 4 bulb unit (< old style ) sitting on top.

My idea is to stick about 3-4" of water in the bottom. To keep the water from becoming stagnant I plan on using a Tunze micro circulation pump. And have some sort of rack to hold the orchids about a 1/2" above the water. And since I can't figure how to mount a PC fan to the inside of the tank and to have better light readings. I thought about removing the lid.

Now with that said will this work? As far as keeping the humidity within range. To me it seems the heat from the lighting fixture would evaporate enough to keep humidity in check to some extent without the use of a lid. I think I know what the verdict will be. But to be on the safe side I'd like some opinions.

[Brotherly Monkey]

for a rack, just use sections of PVC and eggcrate if aesthetics isn't an issue. if you need to increase the humidity, two ways are to have the water "fall" into your larger holding area or just throw in a few air stones.

personally, i would keep the lid and just mount the fans from the top of your lid.

If you're having issues with mounting it on the hood, then just post some pics and we should be able to figure something out

[rba]

This is pretty much it. Ignore the dust on the blinds. This is the last room in the house to get a make over.

[Brotherly Monkey]

is that just one of those clear plastic tops? Why not just drill four holes into it, get some lengthy mechanical screws, and use bolts as stoppers?

[Call_Me_Bob]

or you could go to the petsore and get a screen top, like for a reptile.

[rba]

is that just one of those clear plastic tops?

It's a glass top. although it does have a 1 1/2" plastic strip on the back of the lid. For aquarist to put filters and such.

Aqueon Products Hinged Glass Tops

or you could go to the petstore and get a screen top, like for a reptile.

I couldn't imagine that, that would do anything different then taking the lid off.

I suppose trial and error is my only option. Unless anyone has any more radical idea's.

[Call_Me_Bob]

Well, if you had a screen top, then you could put the fans facing down on the the screen

[Brotherly Monkey]

Originally Posted by rba

It's a glass top. although it does have a 1 1/2" plastic strip on the back of the lid. For aquarist to put filters and such.

Aqueon Products Hinged Glass Tops



I couldn't imagine that, that would do anything different then taking the lid off.

I suppose trial and error is my only option. Unless anyone has any more radical idea's.

If you can run small PVC in and out of the tank with little issue, you could just build an enclose unit for your fan like this:

DIY: In-tank Air Circulation - Dendroboard

Another option would be drilling the glass, or replacing the current lid with a plexi

[rba]

help,Brotherly Monkey

Thanks for the suggestions and link. Both idea's got the old wheels turning in my noodle. I think I may have a long shot idea to rig a fan up. I'll update when I get it running.