# how do you keep front glass clear



## toostrange (Sep 19, 2013)

seen lots of great dart vivs and don't see condensation problems. Mine on the other hand is hard to see into. Was wondering how you do it?


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## frog dude (Nov 11, 2011)

Is there any passive air vents installed?


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## GRIMM (Jan 18, 2010)

Are you sure they dont have condensation problems, or are they just cleaning the glass before taking pictures?.....


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## toostrange (Sep 19, 2013)

Yes it's a 75gal with one 4x21in noseem screen on one side.The rest is all glass. Will b used for darts so I know I need the humidity.


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## toostrange (Sep 19, 2013)

Not sure Grimm


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## frog dude (Nov 11, 2011)

Justin has an excellent point. I know I would clean the glass before showing any vivarium off.  

Condensation really isn't a problem in your average frog room, most people don't mind it that much. If it was a display vivarium on the other hand, there is a away to install cp computer fans to blow at the screen, thus reducing condensation, but I've never done it so I wouldn't be much help there. There are many vivarium construction threads with instructions on how to install them.


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## LizardLicker (Aug 17, 2012)

I have fans and vents on my tanks. I still get condensation from time to time. I have noticed it more recently since the weather has been changing.

Usually I can clear it up by changing the position of the fan.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

magnets......


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## whitethumb (Feb 5, 2011)

magnets? please give details on magnets



frogparty said:


> magnets......


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

I have an internal fan in my viv pointed at the front glass. usually keeps it clear of condensation


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## toostrange (Sep 19, 2013)

I've seen YouTube videos on how to make squeegee mags for this prob. Will have to try it. Just thought I was doin something wrong. Thanks for the help.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

whitethumb said:


> magnets? please give details on magnets


sorry... thats my poor attempt at humor this am prior to coffee kicking in. 
Anything in my lab that seems strange or unexplainable is due to magnets. Mind you we dont have any magnets in my lab, so.............

I have a small fan in the back corner of a few tanks, pointed at the opposite front corner. does a pretty good job of keeping the viewing area clear.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

you could also decrease your misting frequency


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## toostrange (Sep 19, 2013)

they used aquarium mags for cleaning algea silicone squeegee pcs to it. Now that I look at it its a Justin Grimm video. YouTube search "DIY - Magnetic Vivarium Squeegee "


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## Dragonfish (Mar 23, 2012)

whitethumb said:


> magnets? please give details on magnets


Actually, magnets are exactly how I hold my fan on  I use squirrel cage fans and I put screws in the fans tightened all the way up. Then I put rare earth magnets on top of the glass that hold the screws to the top of the tank, inside.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

A fan on an interval timer on the outside blowing over the vents can work. Just set it up so that the tank is almost to the point of fogging up again most of the time when the fan kicks on. Something line 15 min on, 30 min -1hour off would probably work. That allows humidity to recover.

Or go with an internal fan, but I'd still run one of those on an interval timer.

Here are some nice fans with speed control, allowing you to further "tune" the system...


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## xTimx (Mar 14, 2013)

Shaving cream. 

really.... lol






there's other vids for this too. but it really works


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

xTimx said:


> Shaving cream.
> 
> really.... lol
> 
> ...


Neat, but possibly not frog safe (Nor would rainX or fogX be safe probably). Spitting in your swim goggles keeps em fog free too btw 

What we need is a permanent nano coating, (not the new spray stuff). Someone with money to burn wanna send some glass panes off to one of those companies that does permanent coatings on electronics?


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

I have noticed in the viv with frogs that condesation disappears after a short time. It seems as if it forms a 'coating' on the glass. When I clean it, condensation returns to disappear after a couple of days. The glass, however, are - let's say - a little dirty.
In vivs without frogs, condensation remains.


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## xTimx (Mar 14, 2013)

what bout like a mylar clear film... would that help? just saying cuz the glass surface would be different than the mylar clear film surface.


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## toostrange (Sep 19, 2013)

Hooked up 2 small fans. One blowin in one blowin out for 15min on 1hr off. humidity seems to be stayin in the 60 to 80 range. So I will try this for few days and see how it plays out. Does anyone know of a good humid/temp guage that works well? Got exo digi but it nevere seems right. Use analog but we all know humidity reeks havoc on springs after some time in tank.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

rigel10 said:


> I have noticed in the viv with frogs that condesation disappears after a short time. It seems as if it forms a 'coating' on the glass. When I clean it, condensation returns to disappear after a couple of days. The glass, however, are - let's say - a little dirty.
> In vivs without frogs, condensation remains.


That's strange, can't say I've noticed that. I suppose if you're frogs are on the glass and leave some of their slime coat on it and then you wipe it down spreading it around that could work like the spit in your goggles trick I mentioned. 

Most of my vivs get condensation in the morning and then start to clear, or at least partially clear through the day. Often if I do a pass with the magnetic glass cleaner that will keep the glass clear most of if not the entire rest of the day. I seem to be pretty close to the sweet spot where glass could be foggy or could be clear with just small changes. So I think that is a good. Eventually though when I can afford it I'll add fans blowing over the top on an interval timer for most of my vivs.


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

Better explain it with pictures. In the first pic, you can see the coating or patina I mean. In the second (crappy) pic, the detail circled on the glass, glass dirty but free from condensation. In the third photo I passed my finger to highlight this patina. When I clean the glass eliminating this stuff, I have condensation, which disappears in a couple of days. 
I also think that frogs leave on the glass some of their slime coat because I notice this only in vivs with frogs.


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

that sorta looks like a slime mold


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## FroggyKnight (Mar 14, 2013)

hypostatic said:


> that sorta looks like a slime mold


It does! They're so odd looking.... Is slime mold harmful to frogs, I haven't experienced it before.


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

I agree. But this stuff appear on glass when I run my finger over it, otherwise it is invisible. This photo is of a viv (which houses frogs) whose glasses are just cleaned up: as you can see, there is condensation.


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

@FroggyKnight: No harmful to frogs.


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## FroggyKnight (Mar 14, 2013)

rigel10 said:


> @FroggyKnight: No harmful to frogs.


Thanks, I was unsure if there would be any toxicity that might affect the frogs


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## VicSkimmr (Jan 24, 2006)

How much are you guys misting? I don't ever see any condensation in my tanks, with or without the fans running.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

2 or 3x a week for 15 seconds


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

VicSkimmr said:


> How much are you guys misting? I don't ever see any condensation in my tanks, with or without the fans running.


Hmm, is there any water in your false bottom/drainage layer. It's good to have a little because that wicks and/or evaporates into the soil keeping it moist.

And what is your top like? All screen? All glass?, 50/50? A percentage of venting to sealed top might help us figure out what is going on. Most of my tanks have a 1 inch wide mesh or black AC foam vent running the length of the front of the tank, but I still get some condensation on most tanks, especially in the morning or just after misting. Even with my venting my tanks will fog at least part of the day sometimes after not being misted for days, weeks even.

I'm a little concerned that you're not seeing any condensation at all, even with no fans on the viv, makes me wonder if you're not keeping your substrate to dry.


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## VicSkimmr (Jan 24, 2006)

Dendro Dave said:


> Hmm, is there any water in your false bottom/drainage layer. It's good to have a little because that wicks and/or evaporates into the soil keeping it moist.
> 
> And what is your top like? All screen? All glass?, 50/50? A percentage of venting to sealed top might help us figure out what is going on. Most of my tanks have a 1 inch wide mesh or black AC foam vent running the length of the front of the tank, but I still get some condensation on most tanks, especially in the morning or just after misting. Even with my venting my tanks will fog at least part of the day sometimes after not being misted for days, weeks even.
> 
> I'm a little concerned that you're not seeing any condensation at all, even with no fans on the viv, makes me wonder if you're not keeping your substrate to dry.


The soil is always damp but never soaked. The plants take up most of the water, it's always been that way in my tanks. Actually now that I think about it, on my big tank I don't even have a false bottom.

The top has 2 vents that run all the way across, I'd say it's 80% covered.

Maybe I should actually measure what my humidity is. The frogs seem happy but it must not be as high as most people's is.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

VicSkimmr said:


> The soil is always damp but never soaked. Actually now that I think about it, on my big tank I don't even have a false bottom.
> 
> The top has 2 vents the run all the way across, I'd say it's 80% covered.
> 
> Maybe I should actually measure what my humidity is. The frogs seem happy but it must not be as high as most people's is.


You're probably ok. I think you've just got enough venting that it isn't fogging up. With 80% sealed top and moist substrate it would be pretty hard not to be ok unless the ambient humidity in your place is 30% 

How bout after you mist? ...Does it fog up a few minutes later for awhile at least?

Doesn't hurt to check it with a decent humidity gauge though.


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## VicSkimmr (Jan 24, 2006)

Nope, it never has condensation after misting. The only time it does is if I run my fogger and forget to turn it off for hours. I wonder what I'm doing differently?


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

VicSkimmr said:


> Nope, it never has condensation after misting. The only time it does is if I run my fogger and forget to turn it off for hours. I wonder what I'm doing differently?


Hmm, I don't know... Is there a room vent?, fan or something running in that room that increases air flow or keeps the air stirred up? Ceiling fan over the viv?

Seems like you should be getting some condensation at least after misting and/or in the mornings, or on really humid rainy days. 

I'd measure the humidity for peace of mind. I always just wing it because most of my tanks sit right at the edge of fogging up but being mostly clear most of the time, so I know they're fine. But with a situation like that I'd wanna measure it to be sure.


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## Rhac (Sep 12, 2013)

Dehumidifier maybe

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk


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## vachyner (Aug 10, 2013)

I know this is an old thread but I thought I'd throw this out there. When I lived in Hawaii I used to dive a lot. There was a plant with really waxy leaves that grew along most of the beaches. I would take a few leaves and rub them on the inside of my mask and it would keep my mask from fogging. Perhaps making use of some other waxy plant leaves already in the Viv would have effect?


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## Ryanh1284 (Mar 13, 2014)

Dragonfish said:


> Actually, magnets are exactly how I hold my fan on  I use squirrel cage fans and I put screws in the fans tightened all the way up. Then I put rare earth magnets on top of the glass that hold the screws to the top of the tank, inside.


dragon fish do you have pics of your fan by any chance


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## Standby Diver (Mar 9, 2014)




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