Fish Hut Advice

[alan3513]

Looking for advice on the fish hut i've recently finished. I'ts only been up and running for around eight weeks but i'm already getting plagued by dampness and mould growing on the walls under the tanks.

I had one of my tanks break at the start dumping all the water over the floor and i thought that was the problem but it seems to be getting worse.

On the advice of a friend i started using a fan on the floor to help circulate the air but this doesn't seemed to have helped.I also keep the door open as often as possible but this isn't much of an option as i live in Scotland.

I don't have a shed heater yet having the heaters in the tanks. The shed is totally enclosed with no windows or vents, Is this the problem ? My dream of having a fish hut is becoming a nightmare.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[festo]

Is the hut Brick/block built or Wooden?

 

[Mowbz]

This isnt a tank issue but a build issue.

If you can let me know the rough dimensions and what the building is made from (single skin or double skin walls, wood or brick, etc), i can give you a few ideas on how to stop the mould. If its wood, mould is going to eat you "fish hut" alive im afraid, but again, there are things you can do to stop it.

In the meantime, even a small blower box heater (about £15 from argos) a few hours a day would help keep the moisture out.

 

[alan3513]

It's an 8 foot by 6 foot apex roofed wooden shed. I insulated it with similar stuff that you use in a loft, then boxed it in with plywood. I then used masking tape on the joins on the walls and floor and then painted with anti moisture/mould paint. The floor is cushioned flooring.

 

[festo]

It should be brick or block built with suitable footings and Concrete base,
with suitable ventilation,
Wood will rot,and is not suitable,
I know i am a bricklayer.

 

[Mowbz]

Any idea what paint it was? Blackjack or something similar? In an entirely wooden structure its always going to be hard to keep water and mould out. It will "breath" by nature, but unfortunately with wood, it breaths the wrong way, "inwards" and not really "outwards" so the moisture is trapped in the air inside.

Any idea what base its sitting on? Solid concrete would be best. I would then seal up edges on the bottom from the insides so its completely water proof, then blackjack (thick black water inihibiting tar-like paint) the entire floor, and at least 2 feet up the internal walls of the shed.

 

[Tizer]

Wood is perfectly fine for flooring, as long as you have insulation and a vapour barrier (which you havnt mentioned) in place. You might want to invest in a dehumidifier first of all to remove the moisture from the air then look into the more important build issues. One of the most important things in all fish house builds are lids to your tanks, they will reduce the amount of moisture in the air by around 90%. Get snapping with your camera and post up some pictures, you havnt really given us much to go on.

 

[alan3513]

It was Kitchen?Bathroom paint out of Homebase. It is a wooden base raised off the ground and sitting on concrete slabs.

 

[Tizer]

Did you insulate under the flooring prior to capping it with chipboard and i presume a laminate covering?

 

[alan3513]

Thanks everyone. I only put extra wood on the floor to strenghthen it. I have put plastic sheeting between the insulation material and the inner wall. All tanks have glass lids with the only gap being a small cut off corner to let the airline through to the filter sponge.

No just the wood then cushioned flooring, similar to lino.

 

[Tizer]

Hard to say then really mate, sounds like you done your homework. You wont be wasting your money if you chucked a dehumidifier in there for a few weeks, most if not all fish house builds i've seen / been in have one working away.

 

[alan3513]

Thanks, Do you think making some vents will make a difference ?

 

[Tizer]

I've no idea on the ventilation side of things i have to admit, but no reason why you cant try it, plenty of slat style vents you can open and close on the market.

 

[alan3513]

Cheers

 

[alan3513]

Anyone any other ideas on how to resolve this ?, Thanks