Glass vs. Screen

[sunfighter]

I'm designing a rain forest vivarium using a 48x18x24 aquarium. I've been thinking that I would need my glass canopy to keep the humidity up, but I've read about people using screen tops. This would be better for UVB, but can you keep it humid in there? Most of my experience has been with desert herps.
Sunfighter

 

[acpart]

What will you keep in there? Even a humid viv needs some ventilation. How about if you use a screen top, but put a piece of glass or plexiglass over half the enclosure?

Aliza

 

[sunfighter]

With a glass canopy, I have been planning to use a computer fan, either the large cabinet fan or the little 1 inch Pentium Fan. My concern is with the glass filtering most or all of the UVB light. A screen top would let in the light, but let out the moisture. As you say, maybe a plexiglass cover running the length of the tank, but only covering half of its width. There are a lot of people with rain forest vivs, how do they do it? My current terrarium, set up about 2 years ago, i is plants only and contains Orchids and several species of Sundews. It's doing so well under LED lights that I want to expand. I plan to keep a pair of Giant Day Geckos and hope that they will mostly stay off the ground and not trample the Sundews.
Sunfighter

 

[indyana]

I believe most people have a screened area for the lighting, so as not to block the UV or superheat glass/Plexi panels. There's also inside mounting, but not really great to expose fixtures to high humidity.

 

[sunfighter]

Yes, that was my thinking too. I plan to use a Spectral Designs 44x8 LED panel with incorporated UVB florescent tube and an incandescent UVB basking light. Is it possible that this would be too much UV?

 

[acpart]

Check out the dart frog forums since that's something they have to deal with all the time.

Aliza