Hi, I'm new to the forum and to keeping darts. I have had the tank set up for a while and have been struggling with keeping the humidity levels high. I havea complete glass lid and the sides of the tank are all covered in condensation, so would you say that the humidity was at the right level because of this ? I had an exo tera humdity gauge but it didnt work for some reason so I'm hoping the condensation on the tank sides means the humidity is ok. Also, I've seen people talking about ventilation. Do all tanks need it? Mine is not custom made, so making holes is more than likely going to cause it to break. I'm wondering what the best option for proper humidity as well as ventilation.
Thanks.
Condensation is a function of temperature differences on each side of the glass and although it indicates the presence of moisture, you need a quality humidistat if you wish to be exact in knowing the humidity percentage(s).
On ventilation- I use PC fans to control the moisture on the glass for better (clearer) viewing purposes only.
...and once you confirm you have good levels of humidity, what is needed (which is likely, because as you say, you have way too much condensation to properly see into the tank from the outside) it is simply a matter of letting more outside air in, via venting. A fan works well enough too, but simple venting is the lowest tech./easiest.
Condensation on the inside glass of a Vivarium (Tank) is the first good indicator (visual) that you do indeed have a good level of humidity inside. There has to be an ample amount of water / moisture inside to achieve the build-up on the glass.
so...
Yes...moisture on the inside of the glass sides is def a good thing.
A small clip fan positioned to blow along the outside front and the top of the tank will work wonders and will often achieve what you want - clearing up the front glass for better viewing.
Try a small fan on the outside before considering drilling or hard modification of the actual tank. It's much cheaper and easier...and often fixes the problem.