Fan question

[Cpt.Ahab]

Hi,

I am ordering two 24 CFM Panaflow fans for a diy canopy that will house 3 36" VHO bulbs. Is this enough air flow? Also, do I need to order anything else from the computer store besides the fans? I know I'll need to hook up the fans to a cord. Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

What voltage does the fan runs at? If it is 12V, you will need the correct power supply if you don't have it already.

 

[Tackett]

24 cfm aint much. If you are ordering plain jane 80mm computer case fans, try going to www.newegg.com and checking out their list of fans. Thermaltake makes some badass fans that push alot of air, somewhere in the 40cfm range. If you can fit a 120mm fan in your canopy somehow, you could almost get the cfm to 100. 120's push alot of air. Anyways, check out newegg and see the selection of 80mm fans, you can get some that push a hell of a lot more air than 24 cfm.

 

[Anonymous]

Are those computer fans reliable under salty-air conditions? What is the advantage over the ones intended for aquarium use?

 

[Tackett]

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.a ... rty&DEPA=0

2 dollars cheaper than the panaflow, and twice as much air.

If you want to wait untill the 11th, these new aerocools have the highest airflow out there.
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.a ... rty&DEPA=0

as far as I know, the ones "designed for aquarium use" are the same exact things as the computer case fans.

 

[Cpt.Ahab]

Thanks for the replies guys. Tackett, the links you provided me didn't work. What models were you talking about. I think I will go for the 120 mm fans then. I was considering Panaflow because I've heard they are very quite and reliable. I found a 68.9 CFM one that only puts out 30 dB of noise for $15.

 

[Tackett]

ok dude, let me look for you. dunno why those dont work, they work on my end. you wanting 120s?

 

[Anonymous]

www.nexfan.com has some cool fans for mega cheap too.

 

[Tackett]

here this has a blue led, but you can sever the power wire and not hook it up. pushes close to 98cfm

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDe ... 122&depa=1

more:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDe ... 113&depa=1
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDe ... 965&depa=1

 

[Tackett]

thats a cool site matt, thanks.

 

[Cpt.Ahab]

Thanks again for the replies and links. Those all look like good choices. I will mull it over.

 

[Anonymous]

If your fans blow in, you will reduce the salt creep probs.

I had a 110V fan on the back of my hood before I got my IceCap. It sounded like a jet taking off

 

[danmhippo]

If you need more cooling, consider cutting a hole on the top of the canopy, placing the fan above the reflector to dissipate heat from the reflector.

 

[Tackett]

I would fix it up like a computer case. i would put a fan on one side blowing toward the lights, and a fan on the opposite side blowing outside the canopy. You will have an intake and exhaust that way, the heat will not have a chance to heat up the water before being blown out of the canopy.

 

[Anonymous]

with one in/one out you'll burn up the 'out' fan long before the 'in'. All the moist saltwater will be forced through the 'Out" fan.

You could cut an exhaust hole on the oposite side as the fan with the same effect.

I left the back of my canopy open when I built it. I have one fan ready to go if I need it. I'll just point it in to move some air. I'm putting a 150DE over a 20.

HTH
B

 

[Cpt.Ahab]

I was going to leave the back of the canopy open and have each fan blow in from the sides. Will this be okay? Also, I currently have a glass top on the aqaurium to keep the water from evaporating. Should I get rid of this? The tank is up against a wall and stair banister. If I got rid of the glass top and had air blowing through the back, would the saltwater ruin the wall and banister behind it?

 

[Tackett]

Salt doesnt evaporate. When you have surface agitation that ends up spraying water (even water that you cant really detect), it collects on an object, evaporates, and leaves the salt behind. This is what causes salt creep. You should be able to keep it to a minimum by keeping your surface agitation to a minimum. However, you will draw alot more oxygen by agitating the surface in a rolling fashon. You just have to find the right balance.

To answer the question. You should be fine to run the canopy the way you want. I would leave the top on in case of carpet surfing fishes. But you will cool it alot better with a fan pushing air out somewhere. It is kind of pointless to have alot of air being pushed at a high rate, and nothing blowing it out of the space at the same rate or higher, if that makes sense. The opened back of the canopy will help a little in this department though.

 

[danmhippo]

The glass shield will cut the light intensity somewhat, and some glass also blocks UV. Air exchange (Oxygen level) usually is not a big concern if you have a skimmer. I would leave the glass off. Besides, VHO usually do not run as hot as MHs, thus less worries of glass break in the event of occassional water splashes.

 

[Cpt.Ahab]

Dan,

Yes, I notice that the glass does limit the light that gets through. Perhaps I will try to go without it for a while and see how things go. Oh, by the way, I ordered my VHO's today. I ordered 1 super actinic, 1 Aquasun, and 1 Actinic White URI's (thanks to suggestions on this forum). The guy from Hellolights said that the superactinics were on back order for several weeks because they were in such high demand. He substituted an actinic bulb that was $2 more from Coralife. He said this was also a good bulb. Do you guys think one is better than the other? I was just curious.

 

[danmhippo]

Ask them when would they expect to fill the back order. If you can wait, they wait for the superactinic. There are usually a reason for a product to be on high demand.