Dehumidifier????

Thought about that one also i just dont want it to suck gallons out of my tanks.....Will a fan alone help? Just a fan circulating air?

 

Not sure if just circulating the air will help. You need to get that moist air out of there, or dehumidify it. Any windows in the basement? Maybe just try a window fan to pull the air out?

 

Jerry, every unfinished basement in WI that I have ever been to is musty and humid, the cement doesn't help with that... How old is your dehumidifier? I have seen many people use that water for the tank.... As long as its not an older model that is run down and nasty.

 

With evaporation, condensation, and physics being as they are--to decrease condensation on surfaces, the surfaces must be warmed, or the airborne water vapor must be removed. This is illustrated by turning on the defroster in your car. The warm air warms the surfaces of the windows; and despite the humidity in the car perhaps remaining high, condensation no longer occurs. You're trying to remove the airborne moisture with the dehumidifier; but it clearly isn't doing the trick. Either too much moisture remains, or the room is too cool. The other option--warming the temperature of surfaces of course involves warming the temperature of the room. Since a fishtank occupies this room; this is undesireable.

I think finishing the basement is going to be your only option short of buying a much more powerful dehumidifier. Once the basement is finished; there will far less gradient between warm and cold, and moist and dry.

I suspect you have moisture problems because your basement is not finished and moisture is seeping in from the boundaries of the basement--which, once finished; will be insulated, moisture-barrier protected walls. This will solve it all, IMO.

 

I installed a second dehumidifier and it took care of the prob. There is a great difference!! Thank you to everyone for the input!!!