"I'd be interested to hear of anyone who has experienced these problems with open-top tanks first-hand. It seems to be one of those things where everyone will quote the problems it can cause, but i don't know anyone, and haven't even heard of anyone who has actually experienced these problems."
I'll list two for you, seen first hand. Like I said, this is usually seen in multiple tank breeding setups, not a tank or 3 kept around the house by your casual aquarist.
Don, a local breeder and fellow club member, with around 25 tanks set up in his garage. I'm guessing he's around the 1,000 gallon mark, which isn't that way out for a hobby breeder around here. He does about half breeding, half importing, selling fish at auctions & local shops. His 1 1/2 car garage has an independant gas fired space heater, which will cut down on humidity, but not enough to keep the plaster/drywall from falling from the ceiling, exposing mold growing on the 2x6 structural members of the roof. Uncovered tanks.
Bob, a large breeder who recently retired, lives in Indiana. I picked up some gear from him as he was shutting down his setup, 300 forty gallon tanks in a 2 1/2 car garage that went back twice as far, with a 14 foot ceiling. This structure had 2x6's that were actually rotting away in the ceiling, the structure was getting unstable after 20+ years. Uncovered tanks.
Another Bob, a local guy & good friend, around 700 gallons in 30 tanks set up in his basement. Breeds corys & guppys, used to do the show circuit years ago with guppys. Mold growth in the corners of the basement, the whole house smells musty the second you walk in. Condensation on the basement windows is causing the ledges to rot. Uncovered tanks.
Dick, another club guy, who passed away nearly 2 years ago. Another guy with tanks in the basement, and mold growing on the rafters. Uncovered tanks.
Ooops, a couple more than two. I have my tanks covered, and have a vent fan on a timer, and still have mold growth in a low corner, coldest area of the fishroom. Every few months I have to pull out that tank, scrub the wall & bleach it, often giving it a quick coat of paint. This is with tanks covered with styrene light diffuser panels, tighter than most tops available for sale.
Rich, another local angel breeder and good friend, covered tanks, just as much as mine, very similar setup. Slight mold growth in one cold corner.
Johnny, nephew of guppy Bob, angel & discus breeder, 60 some tanks, 3,000 gallons or so, basement setup. Everything covered, incredible ventilation, corners kept empty to avoid mold growth. No mold problem at all, he obviously doesn't want his house ending up like his uncles. If I tore down & redid my setup there are several of his ideas that would be used.
Pm me for names, addresses, and/or phone numbers. If I post something without stating that I heard it somewhere or read it somewhere it is a pretty good bet that I experienced it personally somewhere.
