DIY Humidifier

[tb1234]

I saw it somewhere.... a plastic bottle, water, sponge, tubing, pumps..... but forgot where....anyone have directions? I am having a miserable time heating and humidifing in the new big tank.

[moire_eel]

I don't think I've seen DIY instructions, but it sounds like you're describing the parts that make up a Tropic Aire humidifier. The expensive part of that is the air pump: I found I had to spend more to get one that wasn't so noisy. The Tropic Aire cost me $20 from Petco, and you could get it cheaper online. I paid close to $50 for an air pump rated for my 75 gallon, but that too would have been much cheaper online.

Here are its parts:

- tall plastic jar with screw-on lid. The lid has two openings where you can attach airline tubing. A sponge that is as almost as long as the container is fixed to the lid between the holes. There is some room on the sides around the sponge.

- air line tubing, which is cut into three segments.

- an air stone

- the air pump

- perforated plastic tube with end cap and suction cups that clamp onto it

Assembly goes something like this:

1. Air line tubing runs from the air pump, through the lid of the jar and to an airstone, which is at the botom of the jar. (The actual Tropic Aire uses two pieces of tubing for this, since the plastic extends around the holes in the lid to hold it on. If you were making your own, you could just run one piece through and make sure no air could leak out the sides of the hole.)

2. Another piece of airline tubing fixes to the lid on the outside and runs to the perforated plastic tube that is mounted with the suction cups to the inside of the tank. The other end of the tube is closed, so air will be forced out the small holes in the tube.

The large sponge goes in the jar. It is fixed to the lid in the Tropic Aire, but as long as it stuck way up above the water level, it should help increase surface area from which evaporation can take place.

When the air pump is turned on (and the jar is 1/3 to 3/4 full of water)air is forced through the water. via the airstone. This, plus the large expanse of damp surface area the sponge provides makes the air in the container very moist. This moist air is forced out of the container through the other piece of tubing, and ultimately through the perforated tube and into the tank.

Make sense?

[kuplakrabs]

Was it perhaps this post at HCA?
http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com...ic.php?t=26260

I would caution against using regular kitchen sponges though. You would be better off getting a natural sponge to put inside the bottle. I had a TropicAire at one point and it is nothing more than what they are showing in that picture. I ended up selling mine for $5 to another member because my tank conditions were great without it...and it made a LOT of noise with the air stone banging around inside the bottle. I tried a large flat disc type air stone that actually worked a bit better. That was just my experience with it, I do know of quite a few people who swear by the humidifier

[tb1234]

Yes! that is the site. Now I can use both that and Moire's post to make my own. Wahoo! Thanks!

[kuplakrabs]

Glad we could help. Moire gave a pretty comprehensive description of how it works-you should have no problems making one yourself. I can't wait to see pictures of your finished product