well, I decided to try a consumer DIY dehumidifier -- so I picked up one at Lowe's - 70 pints/day:
it definitely pulls a lot of water out the air!!! BUT... you have to empty it 4-5 times a day or it will quick running when the waste bucket fills... bummer.
Good News: it rapidly fills -- its a very efficient unit.
Bad News: it adds heat into the fish room which is already a huge problem.
HVAC guy quoted $2,400 for the installed Lenox solution, this thing was $250... but, heat is a giant problem so I'm still probably going to have to go with the more expensive solution. It vents to the outside and sends all of the collected water directly into the drain. Is that worth $2,400 to me. At this point, I'm thinking "yes".
I just found this build thread. I'm very impressed, and thank you very much for sharing. I too was having humidity and heat issues in my fish room at home, and now at our retail store. I purchased a Winix dehumidifier, and love it. It comes with a drain pump. I never have to empty a bucket, and it has work flawless for 8 months now. It has made such a huge difference. I believe I paid under $250. Keep up the great work