DOOA Terra Base outside of a tank? Extra Hygrolon layer?

[seeking_light]

I like the the Terra Base series but it's a bit fiddly. You more or less need a tank – get one that's too small and it steams up or goes mouldy, too big and you might as well get a real tank going.

I was trying to think how to fix this. Remembered using Hygrolon (wicking 3D mesh that people love using for terrarium walls) on a DOA Terra Plate (orchid mounting) to add some extra wicking.

I was thinking whether it's feasible to make a hygrolon mesh and use it as a sock over the Dooa Base that stands in some shallow glass vessel (to keep the discarded water)

The idea is that the sock wicks the water that the Terra Base discards back up. Plus, potentially, wicks some from the top pool. Plus plus, it should help with the distribution of water when the top part of the cylinder dries out

This doesn't fix the air moisture problem but my hope is that the additional wicking will give enough surface moisture.

Any thoughts on this? Also, do I need to use the Hygrolon or am I fine to use regular, generic 3D mesh cloth?

Looks like this person tried to do a similar thing a few years ago but no update: Hygrolon Cylindrical Build (some pics attached)

Thanks