Vivariums are developed to be sealed against the environment. They are completely enclosed and have no open-air exchange with their surroundings. However, this means that they get their air from the same sealed environment. When the air in the vivarium becomes humid due to a high concentration of water vapor from the animals’ respiration, then the vivarium will start to fog up. The water vapor in the air condenses on the cool glass surface, and then when it cools, it forms a liquid layer of water. This is called condensation. This is a problem for tropical vivariums, where the humidity is usually high. So how do we stop vivarium glass from steaming up?
What is a Vivarium?
A vivarium is a glass or plastic container used for maintaining an aquatic ecosystem. In addition to glass, a vivarium can be made of metal or plastic. Most are clear, but modern vivariums are often made of epoxy-coated plywood with sliding glass doors. Vivaria may be rectangular, spherical, or cubical in shape. The material used to build a vivarium depends on the desired size, weight, and resistance to high humidity.
Vivariariums may be semi-aquatic or entirely terrestrial. Paludariums are designed to mimic the look of land with flowing water. They may resemble a rainforest or woods with a creek. A riparium, on the other hand, is entirely aquatic, consisting of only water and modeled after shorelines and river banks. Depending on the type of terrarium you choose, your animals may require different environments to thrive.
Why do vivariums get so steamy?
As mentioned earlier in the article, it can be caused by too much humidity in the vivarium or direct sunlight. But the good news is that there are ways to prevent your vivarium from getting too steamy!
Most plants suitable for terrariums do not require bright, intense light, and most don’t need direct sunlight. However, the glass can magnify plant life, and a terrarium glass can be as hot as a sauna. High humidity in a terrarium can kill plants. Keep it out of direct sunlight, which will scorch foliage and cause the glass to fog up. If you’re concerned about the temperature in your terrarium, consider growing your plants under fluorescent light.
Methods to stop your vivarium from steaming up
If you’ve been suffering from frequent vivarium glass steam-ups, you can try a few methods. To prevent this from happening, start by making sure your vivarium is heated and has a constant fresh water supply. In addition, you should consider the type of substrate you have. For example, the desert-loving species may prefer a soil mix that holds less water than other substrate types. Increasing the humidity of your vivarium is also as simple as misting more often and longer. To help improve the effectiveness of the misting, mist with a fine spray that clings to the surface. This will raise the humidity as the mist evaporates.
Another method is to use distilled water to clean the glass. In addition to distilled water, you should also use a solution of 50% water and 50 percent white vinegar. This solution is not too strong, and it will help you save time and energy. If you have a small terrarium, use it during the early morning hours. If you don’t have distilled water, you can use distilled water.
The last method we would recommend to try is likely the least realistic, which is to try and keep your room temperature similar to your vivarium so there will be less chance for humidity to build up from the temperature difference.
Conclusion
Having condensation inside your vivarium is a very annoying problem. To solve the problem, you can try putting a lamp on the outside of the tank. This will help reduce the amount of condensation inside the tank. This solution is suitable for small vivariums. But, for larger vivariums, you can use other methods such as using a humidifier.
