# Vivarium fan



## k5MOW (Jun 19, 2015)

Good morning everyone

What would be a good small fan for ventilation in my 29 gallon dart frog set up. I would like to mount the fan on top outside the enclosure blowing in to the vivarium. I also have exit vents on the other side. Obviously I don’t want a very big fan just enough to get ventilation in. I’m assuming I would want to put it on a timer. Does anyone have any suggestions what kind and size to purchase. 

Thanks Roger


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## JasonE (Feb 7, 2011)

k5MOW said:


> Good morning everyone
> 
> What would be a good small fan for ventilation in my 29 gallon dart frog set up. I would like to mount the fan on top outside the enclosure blowing in to the vivarium. I also have exit vents on the other side. Obviously I don’t want a very big fan just enough to get ventilation in. I’m assuming I would want to put it on a timer. Does anyone have any suggestions what kind and size to purchase.
> 
> ...


You really don't want your fan blowing into the vivarium. If you're placing it outside then you'd want it over the vent blowing out, that way air is being brought in through your other vents to create a good air circulation. Putting the fan pointed into the vivarium is just going to blow dry air into the vivarium.

If you're putting the fan outside then just go on amazon or wherever and buy any PC fan you like since you don't have to worry about humidity or flies clogging it.

I have just a small standard fan that sits on top of my viv to cool down the tank and to aid in reducing the humidity/drying out the tank in between mistings. It sits near my front vent blowing across the top and under the light. This gives me good air exchange without completely drying out my tank.


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## k5MOW (Jun 19, 2015)

JasonE said:


> You really don't want your fan blowing into the vivarium. If you're placing it outside then you'd want it over the vent blowing out, that way air is being brought in through your other vents to create a good air circulation. Putting the fan pointed into the vivarium is just going to blow dry air into the vivarium.
> 
> If you're putting the fan outside then just go on amazon or wherever and buy any PC fan you like since you don't have to worry about humidity or flies clogging it.
> 
> I have just a small standard fan that sits on top of my viv to cool down the tank and to aid in reducing the humidity/drying out the tank in between mistings. It sits near my front vent blowing across the top and under the light. This gives me good air exchange without completely drying out my tank.


Thank you very much for the advice. I will definitely take this advice. 

Thank you Roger


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## bulbophyllum (Feb 6, 2012)

I use 2 25mm fans blowing into my 35g hex leuc tank. They work really well running all the time. They create only a tiny puff of air movement. It is enough to keep the glass clear, grow orchids and provide what I feel is good ventilation for my frogs without drying things out too much. 

Fish tanks kinda suck ventilation and access wise for dart frogs. I have been through several setups with fans for this tank trying to get it right. This simple one seems to work best for me. The top is all glass with 2 screened holes 2" across with 2 of these 2510 Gdstime 12V 0.08 A DC 25X25X10mm 2Pin 25mm Brushless Fan Mini Cooling | eBay sitting on the screen blowing into the tank all the time. 

I just wired them to a 12v thrift store wall wart by testing what combo of hot and neutral got them blowing in the right direction and twisting the wires together, folding the twisted part flat to the wires and putting a piece of heat shrink over it.


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## bulbophyllum (Feb 6, 2012)

JasonE said:


> You really don't want your fan blowing into the vivarium. If you're placing it outside then you'd want it over the vent blowing out, that way air is being brought in through your other vents to create a good air circulation


I agree with this in general. It is more complicated then that though. I'm not trying to pick nits here.


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## eMCRay (Mar 24, 2020)

Agree with some of the others - don't have a huge fan pointing into your viv.

BUT - it is important to have air movement in your viv. If you donÄt have enough vents (under door + roof at a minimum) you should add a fan inside. 

I generally do both - add a fan inside (make sure isolated / waterproofed) that will suck air in. Trick here will be to mount it against the roof but 1-2 inches away from a vent and pulling air downward (so outside air in / air gets pulled away from the vent). You need to mount it some distance away from the vent so it will pull in a mixture of outside and viv air.

This has a few benefits

Some rooms fluctuate heavily in ambient humidity (high in summer, low in winter), so you will want to regulate that. This is easy to do by just covering up the vent with the fan underneath
In the winter / low ambient humidity it will therefore draw / circulate more viv air, in the summer the opposite; all you have to do is cover up the vent a little

Strong air flow in the viv prevents mold and creates drier and wetter microclimates (I even see my frogs hanging out directly underneath or on top of the fan sometimes)
Rest of the vents will have passive ventilation (regardless of what the fan does)


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## Chbgator (Nov 21, 2020)

I used Coolerguys 80mm (80X80X25) High Airflow Waterproof IP67 12v Fan in my Vivarium, mostly because they are IP67 rated and I don't have to worry about moisture with that rating. Sure they cost a little more but for piece of mind I think it's worth it.


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