so i was talking with my friend rob and he brought to my attention a possible issue with how i have my lighting set up and the growth in my tank. i have a canopy on my 75 gallon tank and my TEk fixture sits on legs inside the canopy, all 4 sides are closed and i have 2 big squares cut out the top for ventilation. the exhaust side of the fixture is about an inch off the wall of the canopy. but the air can escape out of the top. do you think the fixture is possibly not venting the way it should be which is causing a drop in par? or the 2 big squares on the top of the canopy should be providing plenty of ventilation for the fixture. sorry for the long post thanks for any advice!
t5 question
- Thread starter Jarrett
- Start date
Doubtful that the ventilation is causing a par issue. If you are concerned about the light not being ventilated properly you can always install a fan blowing into the canopy (a computer fan or a clip on fan) to help circulate the air around and out.
I sincerely doubt your growth concern has anything to do with the ventilation.
Whose tank are you comparing yours too that you thunk your growth is too slow? Many corals grow slowly and it takes years for a tank to develop to it's full potential.
I sincerely doubt your growth concern has anything to do with the ventilation.
Whose tank are you comparing yours too that you thunk your growth is too slow? Many corals grow slowly and it takes years for a tank to develop to it's full potential.
- Location
- Mt Sinai, NY
Proper cooling has everything to do with par and bulb life.
*Whether or not that is your problem with coral growth, I cannot say.
On t5 fixtures, ones with active cooling
* that are running at the correct temp*
will put out more par and it will maintain that par for 10+ months.
This is not the case if the fixture isn't cool properly.
On a side note. Tank stability is what will get you your growth. That is most important above all. My tank took off incredible the past year. But I have noticed a stop in growth recently since I haven't had time to invest in the tank.
JMO.
*Whether or not that is your problem with coral growth, I cannot say.
On t5 fixtures, ones with active cooling
* that are running at the correct temp*
will put out more par and it will maintain that par for 10+ months.
This is not the case if the fixture isn't cool properly.
On a side note. Tank stability is what will get you your growth. That is most important above all. My tank took off incredible the past year. But I have noticed a stop in growth recently since I haven't had time to invest in the tank.
JMO.
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just on the ventilation issue, if 4 sides are closed hot air will rise out the top but it needs an intake from 1 or 2 sides. do as kathy said and put a computer fan on each side blowing in. you won't even need to run them in winter. i have 2 hooked to controller to go on at 80 degrees.
- Location
- port jefferson sta, NY
- Location
- Mt Sinai, NY
If its a Tek Elite, and the exhaust side is blocked at all. I bet the bulbs are running hot.
- Location
- Howell, NJ
never checked it but i have always ran GFO and very little algae in the tank. i actually just stopped using GFO for awhile because i think my tank was nutrient poor and since stopping the colors on the corals have really started to pop.
I don't disagree that par can be affected by high temps, but the OP described his canopy as having '2 big squares cut out of the top'..and since heat rises..he should be fine.
I should have asked for a pic to be sure...
Jarrett - do you have a couple of pics of the canopy tat you can post, including a view of the top?
- Location
- port jefferson sta, NY
my 8 bulb ati fixture inside my canopy would go into safe mode by automatically dimming the bulbs to about 30% untill the bulbs cooled down, that was with exhaust fans in the canopy and huge holes in the top. get an ir temp gun to see what the bulb temps are.
with canopy, and 2 fans exhausting fresh air in the canopy the fixture temp was 44 deg Celcius, W/o canopy temps went down to 28 deg Celcius
with canopy, and 2 fans exhausting fresh air in the canopy the fixture temp was 44 deg Celcius, W/o canopy temps went down to 28 deg Celcius
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The fixture looks like it has fans. Does it? Regardless that fixture is pretty much as ventilated as it gonna get. Basically the whole top is open. I highly doubt that is the cause of you lack of growth. I may have missed it, but how old are the bulbs, and what is the mix. I get crazy growth from my Tek 8x54w so the fixture is quite capable.
- Location
- Mt Sinai, NY
I had the same light. The intake is on top and it exhausts out the side. The slightest back pressure will allow it to run hot.
I'm sure it has nothing to do with the growth problem either. But the holes up top do nothing for allowing heat to get out.
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Good point. I did not realize the fans blew in.
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