Need HELP mounting fans!

[Fishead77]

I started a 50g in Dec. and am having a hard time keeping the temp. constant. What is a allowable temp swing from day to night? To help with the temp swing I have purchased two 4" icecap fans, variable speed depending on the ambient temp. I'm looking for advice in setting these up. I was hoping the temp probe was submersable but it's not. Where is the best place to put the probe to sense the temp of the tank water? Also wondering the best way to mount the fans. I have an eggcrate top (the glass top retained too much heat) with an old dual tube phlorusent hood,40watts. This takes up 2/3rd's of the top, also a disposable T5 daylight. (eventually I'd like to change to vho). So I'm thinking of mounting one fan at each end, should they suck or blow?
Thx for the help.

 

[szidls]

fish head,
I have one fan going in and one out of my canopy. The thermostat senses canopy temp and increases or decreases fan speed depending on temp. Keep it above water inside canopy.
HTH's, Scott

 

[Fishead77]

One in one out, hmm. That sounds like a good idea. I was thinking of taping the sensor to the back of the tank so it will sense the heat of the water through the glass. I get water condensation under the hood, will that hurt the sensor? Thanks for the help.

 

[szidls]

The sensor should stay dry. Try and attach it to the canopy side and keep the sensor exposed to air temp inside canopy. Do you have a sump? You can attach a clip fan to blow on your sump or into the tank top to increase evaporation of tank water. This will lower your tank temp.

 

[mattseattle]

i don't think the fan thermometer is meant to sense the water of the tank but the air temperature in the canopy.

This is taken from the Ice Cap website:

Air based temperature controlled probe

 

[Fishead77]

I do have a small sump, 10g. It has a fan on it. I also have a large fan that blows across the top of my tank. I am using power heads for circulation. The problem is if I run the fan all the time the tank temp swings from 82 to 79, lights and then no lights, warm days cool nights. If I have the fan shut off when the lights shut off the temp is up to 83 when I see it in the morning. So I ordered a water topoff unit (going through about one and a half gallons a day) and the 2 fans. I'm hoping to keep the temp constant. Is a 3 degree swing too much?

 

[twilliard]

Hey just to let you know. I had a 55 that would swing from 78 to 82 every day for a year till I took the tank down. Everything grew like weeds so they must have been happy.
Now I just set my heater in my new tank to average the swing so the tank stays right at 80.

So a swing IMO isnt bad unless you get to dramatic
Oh and to add what is your tank, glass or acrylic? Glass for me was harder to control.

 

[Fishead77]

Yeh Twill, I've heard that acrylic insulates better, mine is glass. I have the heater in the tank but I think with the fan running at night the heater can't keep up. If I don't run the fan at night the tank gets up to 83, the creatures don't like it that hot. Hopefully the icecap variable speed fans will be a good fix.

 

[twilliard]

Ya around 83 is when I noticed my softies start to act funny.
I run two 6" fans one in the canopy and one over the sump. The one in the canopy is timmed with the lights.
I think a bigger fan is cheaper compared to a chiller

 

[Fishead77]

what type of lighting do you have?

 

[Rod Buehler]

If the canopy is not completely enclosed, I would mount both fans blowing inwards. If the back of the canopy is somewhat open, the warm hot air will be forced out by the new air that is being blown in.. It will leave naturally.. no need to "suck it out". Haveing them both pointing inwards will also preserve the fans a bit because they wont have warm salty moist air passing through them. You will also get better cooling and better evap,, better gas exchange.. etc.

 

[Elmo18]

If the canopy is not completely enclosed, I would mount both fans blowing inwards. If the back of the canopy is somewhat open, the warm hot air will be forced out by the new air that is being blown in.. It will leave naturally.. no need to "suck it out". Haveing them both pointing inwards will also preserve the fans a bit because they wont have warm salty moist air passing through them. You will also get better cooling and better evap,, better gas exchange.. etc.

This is what I would do. I have both my fans exactly doing this. I was explaining this in another thread as well.

The hot/warm air inside will be pushed out somehow (slight openings...cracks...etc).

Best,
Ilham

 

[Bouke]

how do fans help the tank evaporate more if the tank has a closed lid

and could someone explain n a little more detail how to set up the fans
thanks
is the canopy the part with the lightbulbs in it or the aquarium cover

 

[twilliard]

what type of lighting do you have?

I have 2-250W MH and 4 65W actinics in an enclosed hood 120G tank

 

[Krish]

Welcome to RF fishead! Here's what I did my fans...The 3 on top, suck out air and push it out the canopy, and the 2 side ones blow across cool air

 

[Fishead77]

Here are some picts. of my mickey mouse set up. I'm getting the feeling I should mount both fans on the ends pointing inward and mount the sensors onthe back of the hood. Does that sound right?

 

[Rod Buehler]

Bouke, Most reefers remove the glass lids for a number of reasons. The first is heat build up. Its hard to get enough lighing and keep the tanks cool with glass lids. Gas exchange is another reason. CO2 will build and cause a lower pH with the glass lids...


Krish, Thats a nice canopy, but dont you think that with some fans blowing in, that the hot air would leave through the back or even through the top vents without needing th efans to suck the air out? Seems like a waste of fans ( you could point them inwards), and electricity. Just a thought

 

[Krish]

Krish, Thats a nice canopy, but dont you think that with some fans blowing in, that the hot air would leave through the back or even through the top vents without needing th efans to suck the air out? Seems like a waste of fans ( you could point them inwards), and electricity. Just a thought

Thanks...I'll have to post my 25 page in 1 week thread for you to browse through to see what all I went through to remove heat from my tank. I ended up with buying a chiller.

 

[Krish]

Here you go 1 week, of trying to get rid of heat. I lost the back off of my stand, put a 6 inch fan on my sump, lost a closed loop, put 5 holes in my canopy with vents, (3) 3 inch fans blowing hot air out, (2) 5 inch fans blowing cool air across and now a chiller. To make a long story short, I moved the fans a million times and where I have them now, was the best outcome for me. Dropping my central air a few degrees kept the temp in the tank down, but my wife doesn't like downstairs that cold so I went with the chiller

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14557

 

[Rod Buehler]

Wow, thats quite a thread.. When I get time Ill browse through a little closer.. FWIW, I am running 14 halides in a room that 16x20, and no Air Conditioning. Even when the ambient room temp is 94, I can keep my tanks at 84 with just fans and no chiller. One thing I have learned for sure in this hobby is that what works for one person may not work for another..