lowering tank temp

[bullit67]

Well now that I have 2 Bigger pumps in my new sump and a MH light I seam to have a temp problem it is running around 85 a little to warm dose any one have any Ideas other than a chiller I have thought about using a couple of fans blowing one up the back of the tank one across the top to move some of the hot air created by the light

[StirCrazy]

suspend two fans above your sump pointing strait down at the water. this will drop your temp considerably.

also have one blowing through your hood to remove built up heat from the MH.

Steve

[Richer]

I lowered the halides (2x175w MH and 1x95w vho) on my tank a few inches and ended up increasing the temps of my tank by a couple of degrees. A computer fan mounted on the side of the canopy fixed that problem quite nicely.

-Rich

[bear27]

How do you run computer fans on normal plugins I thought they needed a difernt voltage

[Richer]

I run a computer power supply for my auto topoff and fans for my bare ballasts. So it was just a simple case of extending the wires on the fan and plugging it into the power supply. It was cost effective for me, because I have a bunch of fans sitting around doing nothing.

I suppose you could just as easily solder the fans onto a 12v transformer as well.

-Rich

[Willow]

is there such thing as a molex to outlet plug? i have a pile of computer fans around and would like to start plugging them in but not sure what to do. i have a bigger fan that i just wired a plug to and it worked, can i do that with these 80mm fans?

[Richer]

is there such thing as a molex to outlet plug? i have a pile of computer fans around and would like to start plugging them in but not sure what to do. i have a bigger fan that i just wired a plug to and it worked, can i do that with these 80mm fans?

It would be nice if you could wire a fan directly into a outlet... but unfortunatly, you cannot. Computer fans run on 12V DC power (at the most)... plugging a fan directly into an AC outlet would put a of AC power through the fan. I wouldn't want to know what the results of that would be :eek:

The simplest way would be to buy a 12v DC transformer and wiring the fan into that. Wiring multiple fans in serial should work if you want to run multiple fans. You could also acquire a computer power supply to give you more than enough juice to wire enough fans to make you go deaf. AT power supplies are the easiest to use in this application, but are hard to come by nowadays... maybe a computer junk store would still have a couple sitting around. ATX power supplies could be easily jumpered to work without a motherboard.

-Rich

[takphan]

i remember there was a super duper used computer store in Vancouver
a warehouse full of computer parts

i would check them first.

[Willow]

jebus an at power supply is what 250 watts on average? that’s kinda extreme isn’t it?

[Richer]

For the last couple of years the minimum requirements for most computers have been 300+ watts :mrgreen: . I run 450watt psus on all of my computers :razz: .

Its not really all that extreme. A power supply won't use that much power unless it has to. If the only thing feeding off of it is a little 12vdc fan, then thats all the power its going to draw.

-Rich

[StirCrazy]

forget the computer fans and go with one of these. more CFM, run on 110, can be hooked up to a speed controle easy.

http://www.progressive-growth.com/proddetail.php?prod=15025&cat=51

Steve

[Rikko]

If you want to ghetto up a PC fan, just get an old AC adapter that's rated anywhere from 7-14VDC and wire it up. The higher the voltage, the higher the fan RPMs (and thus noise), but they all work adequately. I've used a couple of old cel phone chargers to test them out.
If you need AC adapters, try Princess Auto (www.princessauto.com)

[danny zubot]

Holy! that really would be getto rigged! :razz:

[Zerandise]

I get 120mm fans from my work that are AC with a wall plug. They work great and no rewiring. My canopy has spots for 4 of them but i only use two at the moment. that might change as summer comes in. They are prey cheap if i remember right. about $25 or so

[Willow]

hrmmm...

the real question is.. do you have the fans suck the hot air out, push cold air in or have them in alternate positions?

[Zerandise]

Well as i have a window right behind my tank i will have one blowing in at each end and duct to the window with one blowing out. That way the heat goes right outside with any water in the air. That is IF the wife stays out from behind the tank long enough for me to do it without her knowing :)

then i can say "look babe now the heat goes right outside!!!" much better than "hey love you mind if i drop another wack of $$$ on the tank so i can removed heat?"

[bullit67]

The big ? is where do you work and can we buy these fans I put a fan under my stand blowing on my sump and it seems to be holding at around 80-82

[Zerandise]

I work for a computer company and yes i can get them for you no problem.

[bullit67]

Coool I may need to set up some fans to remove the hot air from between the light and the top of the tank how big are they I think you said 120 mm and one more ?do you know what RPM they run at

[Zerandise]

I can just get the 120's will check on RPM's next time a place an order from that distro

[bullit67]

Cool thanks

[bullit67]

Well so much for the fan on the sump holding the temp it is still rising just not as fast so I sat a small fan on my water cooler next to the tank and aimed it under the light I hope this helps

[untamed]

I assume you aimed the sump fan to push air down or across the surface. If that didn't work, add a 2nd one. Watch your evaporation rate because if this works you'll increase it a lot. Evaporation = cooling.

I don't think that removing the hot air around the light is going to make the difference. I think you're heating the rock below the water line.