fans-what size do you use?

[Rigby]

I've read several posts over the last few months about fans in canopy, etc. and many of you use radio shack computer fans, i only have a few more little things to finish on my tank one being putting fans in canopy. i have a 175 mh, two vhos (36:") and have had my lights running 24 hours my temp is 82.6. my bulbs sit about 6" off the water. my question is do you use the 3" or 4" fans from radio shack and are there other options some of you have used other than the radio shack or are they as good as any?
Thanks
glen

[ASH]

First my bias, I work at IceCap.
I had two 3" radio shack fans in my home tank for 2+ years till the rust got out of hand and made them very noisy. To address this, IceCap just released a non-metal 4" fan that has an 18" probe to determine the hood's temperature and adjust the fan's speed to it (Min 50 CFM - Max 100+ CFM). It's the least noisy fan we could find. if interested, www.icecapinc.com (http://www.icecapinc.com) .
-Andy

[ignatz]

I am using 2 3" AC box fans over my 20G. It changes the temp approx. 12 degrees. Yes I said 12 degrees, but that is because without them, my hood is completely enclosed.

The fan that Andy mentioned sounds great, but I know that you can pickup a similar product from a surplu store. It does not have a remote temp. probe, but does have a sensor....

Just a thought...

~ignatz

[CRAWL]

I use a Dayton AC plastic 4" fan. It's rated 110 cfm and spins 3400 rpm. It is somewhat noisy and am currently installing a hood thermostat to run it so the fan is not on all of the time. I'm also ordering different fans rated at different cfm to see which works best. All for under $30.

[Brittlestar]

Hi ASH,
<<It's the least noisy fan we could find. >>
Speaking of noise level, what is its noise level at 100cfm? At 50cfm? I couldn't find the info on your site.

Also, what does the remote sensor look like? Is it adjustable? How do you set it? Can it be located underwater (to regulate fans based on water temp.)? Is the speed change continuous, or are there fixed, discreet speeds?

I don't remember seeing any of this info on your site. Sorry if I overlooked it.
Thanks,
Brittlestar
Thanks,

[Brittlestar]

Sorry, forgot to mention what fans I'm using. I just installed 2 x 400W metal halides, to go along with my IceCap 660 with actinics on a 150g tank. I have been researching fans & currently am using 2 types, both Toyo: 4" 78 cfm @ 30 db. (very quiet, though still audible), and 4" 112 cfm @ 41 db. (this one is relatively quite noisy, as spec. indicates.).

I'm interested in establishing some sort of control of the fans based on temperature.

Brittlestar

[Larry M]

Brittlestar--I purchased a controller a month or so ago, it works great for fans. It has a probe that goes in my sump, the fans are plugged into it. When the temp gets to your pre-set level, it kicks the fans on. The thing was Jim Hobbs's idea, he works in the hvac industry. It is made by Ranco.
You can find all the details in the DIY archive here:
http://www.reefcentral.com/ubb/Archives/Archive-000002/HTML/19991109-1-000326.html


------------------
Larry M

My Personal Site, Northern Reef (http://www.homestead.com/larry_reef/index.html)

[Brittlestar]

Thanks, Larry.
I'll be looking into these.

As a possible cheaper solution, I was at Home Depot the other day & they had some $8 single stage, 24v heater/air conditioner controls. I was wondering if these might be usable if one installed a relay on the output. Has anyone tried this?


Of course, by the time I built something that works out of this, I may have to spend significantly more. Decisions, decisions...
Brittlestar

[ASH]

Brittlestar,
The noise level I will post later today. The probe is an 18" wire with a coated metal end. The probe is placed where you want it and is adjustable by means of where you place it (near a heat source or an outside air intake). It's not meant for underwater as it is preset to go at min speed (50CFM) at 75F and max (100CFM+) at 110F or more. Between the min and max is a smooth curve in output.
Andy

[Frisco]

Newark Electronics has quiet fans. I use 2 4" fans to keep my hood cool, and a 3" fan that blows across the surface of the tank to keep it cool.

The radio shack fans are really noisy IMO.