Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a 55 gallon viv I'm starting and the humidity will be over 90%, to grow orchids as well as certain other plants in that environment I thought I would use a small fan to circulate air to prevent rotting. What is everyones thoughts on using a computer fan, or other fan, and what would be a good way to mount it, so on and so forth. thanks.

I used a custom wired computer fan mounted in the glass top of my 40 some odd gallon hex and it was a GODSEND as I have airplant and orchids mounted in there plus two waterfalls and without it I don't think alot of the plants would have made it without the air exchange in the high humidity environment. What I did have to take into account was some where for the air being pumped in to have someplace to go back out otherwise I'd hear my glass lid thump thumpping away from the pressure release (I opted for air to be pushed in instead of sucked out) . So I had them cut 1/16" gaps in two sides of the glass for the air to escape. By the time it was all done with the glass cutters hated me because they had to redo the lid twice because the first time they mounted the fan on backwards, had screened off the side I wanted down and they put that side up , I had visions of frog in the blender as they climbed in to the fan. They broke the glass unmounting the fan and the second time they cut the gaps too wide so there was a 1/2" gap that my frogs could easily slip out of. A month later it was well worth it. The fan doesn't have to be on all the time, only about 30 mins to an hour once or twice a day and the vivarium is absolutely beautiful!!!! . My Tincs go in there next Tuesday when I get back from work. So far all my plants are thriving and the fan made a lot of that possible. So my advice is get the fan, mount it on top, get it wired for DC and position it so air blows in your tank rather then sucks it out. THen you won't have to leave it on so long. That's my opinon anyways.

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Chantel a.k.a. sillygirl
"I came, I saw, I adopted"

1.3 green anoles (Stumpy (M)), and the rest remain nameless.
1.1 green tree frogs (Romeo & Juliet)
1.2 Firebelly toads
2.3.0 D. tinctorius (Surinam Cobalt)
0.0.8 D. azureus
0.0.1 Clown Tree Frog
0.1 Anerythristic 'B' (Charcoal)corn snake (Popcorn)
0.1 Snow Corn (KandyKorn)
0.2 Amel Corns (KornSilk & KornMuffin)
0.1 Normal Corn (PepperKorn)
1.0 Creamsicle Corn (Kream)
0.0.1 Giant African Millipede
1.0 Betta (Sushi, Charlie)
2.4 Domestic house cats (Bad Boy (m), Bart(m),Sasha(F),Little Bit(F),Spirit(F)
1.0 Rottweiler (Jake)
2.7 Rats (Mouse, Socks, Sugar, Squishy, Fox, Lucky,B**CH & Tinker)
1.3 Mice (My step-daughter seems to think they are pets)
2.0 Betta (Sushi, Blue)
1.0 Husband (David, who loves all my critters too)

Thank-you so much for your advice, I think I'll do something like that. thanks again.