Should I vent my stand?

[WarDog]

I am in the middle of designing and fabricating the skin for the stand. I'm wondering if there is a benefit to placing a 120mm computer fan in the stand to vent the air.
Not running a refugium, so heat from lighting is not an issue.

Will this create excess evaporation?
Will it aid with raising the PH?

All thoughts and comments welcome, as I am sure I have over-looked some things.

[gregzz4]

I voted Yes

IMHO, fresh air for you skimmer is a must for pH
Plus, you don't really want stale air around your sump, do you ? Mold and such, or whatever, from all that moisture under your stand

It may also help in warmer temps

Just Do It :smile:

[shrimp]

Definitely have your stand vented.
You don't necessary have to have a fan, but if you leave one side of the stand open if you can, like the back of it if it is against a wall for instance, it will greatly benefit your tank. :biggrin:

[ReEf BoSs]

I vote no ! No to the fan, i would vote yes to leave the back opened up if possible.

[Reefer Rob]

Fully enclosed stand and canopy vented to outside with a variable speed fan keeps the windows of our house from dripping. Definite yes for me.

[Ryanerickson]

Big yes my top is sealed where the lights are with out fan led lights stop working. Not exactly what you asked but big yes to air below also.

[The Guy]

Yes venting the stand is a good idea, I use a small fan in the sump area for drawing air into the stand for circulation and a small discharge fan above my AI lights as well.

[johnnyriker22]

A fan will keep it dry and reduce salt creep. It'll also bring in frest air for the skimmer to use.

johnny

[WarDog]

A fan will keep it dry and reduce salt creep. It'll also bring in frest air for the skimmer to use.

johnny

Reduce salt creep?! I'm all over that like a pig in ....., well you know! Thank you all for the info!

[pinkreef]

imo a computer fan would only work for a tiny space, a desk fan would be better.

[byee]

Venting is recommended especially if there's a sump.

My stand for my 45g cube is vented with 2x Cougar 120mm fans from NCIX. I bought a 4 pack of Cougar fans for $20 - 1200RPM 60.4CFM 17.7DB.

Since the cube is in the main part of our open floor plan, I'm running the fans at 9vdc vs 12vdc to run them even quieter.

I hope this helps!

[neoh]

I use two fans in opposite corners of the stand. One blowing air in during the day, one blowing out at night:

http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/product-info.php?product_ID=cv-sfan04

It also speeds up depending on temperature. I have very little temperature fluctuation using this method during the summer - and don't use a chiller. It maintains my pH and provides good airflow.

Before it was just a sweat camp in the sump area, this definitely improved everything overall. My sump area is also completely enclosed, with a plastic vinyl backing to prevent excess humidity in the room and evaporation. It keeps the evaporation down, and my windows don't sweat (as much.) if it were an open back.