Figuring Stuff Out...... (multiple chances to correct ME)

[rbredding]

OK...

The build is progressing slowly.. mainly because I want to make sure that I include EVERYTHING... LOL...


check the link in my signature to get an idea of what I've got to work with..


Here are the issues:

Cooling the canopy with fans -
*(I've got 2 low voltage fans that will move 44CFM each through the canopy) do y'all think that's enough? (I've got a chiller too, but I'd rather run a fan than a chiller due to noise and increased power consumption)
*Where can I put the fans or how can I orient them so that there isn't any light seepage through the fan assembly when the lights are off and the MH's are on - I want the canopy to "hold" all the light from the MH's & VHO's. (should I build a baffle system in the canopy to direct the fan's cooling efforts?)

Location of Ballasts -
*Where should I locate the Ballasts for the MH's and the VHO's - in the base cabinet, or inside(or)back of the canopy? (pros & cons)

whatta' y'all think?

 

[rbredding]

They have to be mounted on the tank/base/canopy... I'm not going to screw them to the wall or have them setup in another room..

I know it's BEST to keep all electrical components as far away from humidity/leak potential areas, but I also know that 90% of all tanks have these items and others in close vicinity of either the tank or the sump/refugium.. (not everyone has a storage room or basement that they can use as an equipment room)

I'd like to hear something constructive if you're going to opine... (like where WOULD you put them) not just a list of places they shouldn't go..

come on... lets be constructive..


by the way, the ballasts are deconstructed (two piece with a capacitor and coil), they are NOT a singular enclosed unit

 

[harleyguy]

another thing to think of is the heat that is caused by the Ballasts. I typically mount mine on top of the canopy (on the outside) towards the back... As for the fans, I would mount them so they blow across the water. This will promote evaporation and cool the tank better. I would also put a fan in the stand blowing across the sump.

Is the stand open in the back or closed? If it's closed I would mount 2 fans in the back, 1 pushing air in and one pulling air out.

As for the fans being enough... that's hard to tell, and a lot of factors come into play, like the temperature you typically keep your house at. If it were me I would run the tank (during the cycle) with just the fans and see where you're at. It the temp stays good than you'll be fine, but if you see the temp getting to high you know you will have to add more fans or a chiller.

Hope this helps,

Shane

 

[rbredding]

THAT'S CONSTRUCTIVE.....

I was planning on ordering more fans... they run silently and move a good bit of air... i'm going to add a couple to the base cabinet and maybe 2 more to the canopy...
see the pics of the base & canopy in my signature link...

 

[chymos45]

Harleyguy;375287 wrote: I typically mount mine on top of the canopy (on the outside) towards the back... As for the fans, I would mount them so they blow across the water. This will promote evaporation and cool the tank better. I would also put a fan in the stand blowing across the sump.

+1. This is how mine is set up (although I have T5's). I have a programmable thermostat in my house that lets the ambient temp get up to 79 during the day. Even still, the highest water temp I've seen is 82.1.

 

[drnecropolis]

As far as a fan blowing out and one pulling in that is counter productive.. I wish I could remember the link that had the reasoning.. Your going to be better off with both blowing in or both pushing the air out..

 

[lilrobb]

DrNecropolis;375315 wrote: As far as a fan blowing out and one pulling in that is counter productive.. I wish I could remember the link that had the reasoning.. Your going to be better off with both blowing in or both pushing the air out..

TRUE dat.
Both pushing with a non restricted vent works best.

 

[elfloyd]

With my 90 set-up I placed the two MH ballasts (enclosed) and the one VHO ballast on the back of the cabinet. I am running 2 x 250 MH lamps and 2 x VHO acintics in the canopy. Current cooling is accomplished by three 80mm ac fans pushing air into the canopy.

I feel I have a heat problem which I control with an AC Jr., turning lights/fans on/off as the temperature changes through out the day. Current tank temperature ranges 78.5 to 80.5. To stabilize temps a bit more and to give the lamps more "on" time I am constructing a cooling system using eight 80mm dc fans (about 25 cfm each) mounted between two 48" pieces of pvc. These will be facing the water (and about 3" above the water) and controlled by the AC Jr. as a single unit. I also have the powerheads pointed so the flow breaks the surface. I hope to be able to direct these more into the tank.

My cabinet is open at the top, so I am using a 3/4" thick piece of foam to both give a cushion for the tank, and to insulate the tank temperature from the cabinet (sump) temperature. I am also installing a 120mm fan to force air into the cabinet and across the sump.

Ambiant temperture in the room stays at 77 degrees with a ceiling fan also creating movement.

Making the canopy "Light Tight" may cause you a heat issue. I suggest you try a series of baffles between the fan and the outside of the tank. Maybe something like an air vent louve will work... you may need to build a low wall on one side of the ballel to further hold in the light.

I have just gone through my build so all this is fresh in my mind!

 

[rbredding]

elFloyd;375317 wrote: With my 90 set-up I placed the two MH ballasts (enclosed) and the one VHO ballast on the back of the cabinet. I am running 2 x 250 MH lamps and 2 x VHO acintics in the canopy. Current cooling is accomplished by three 80mm ac fans pushing air into the canopy.

I feel I have a heat problem which I control with an AC Jr., turning lights/fans on/off as the temperature changes through out the day. Current tank temperature ranges 78.5 to 80.5. To stabilize temps a bit more and to give the lamps more "on" time I am constructing a cooling system using eight 80mm dc fans (about 25 cfm each) mounted between two 48" pieces of pvc. These will be facing the water (and about 3" above the water) and controlled by the AC Jr. as a single unit. I also have the powerheads pointed so the flow breaks the surface. I hope to be able to direct these more into the tank.

My cabinet is open at the top, so I am using a 3/4" thick piece of foam to both give a cushion for the tank, and to insulate the tank temperature from the cabinet (sump) temperature. I am also installing a 120mm fan to force air into the cabinet and across the sump.

Ambiant temperture in the room stays at 77 degrees with a ceiling fan also creating movement.

Making the canopy "Light Tight" may cause you a heat issue. I suggest you try a series of baffles between the fan and the outside of the tank. Maybe something like an air vent louve will work... you may need to build a low wall on one side of the ballel to further hold in the light.

I have just gone through my build so all this is fresh in my mind!

This sounds pretty close to what I think I'm going to do.. I'm leaning more and more to having the MH ballasts on the right (in)side of the base cabinet(with the sump on the left inside) and keeping the VHO ballast on the rear of the canopy.. that icecap ballast is a little funky how it's got the power coming in and the distribution wires going out of the same harness (660 ballast)

I'll have 5 cords that'll run from the base up to the canopy (which is a lot to me)
*MH Ballast - 2ea
*LED Moonlights - 1ea
*Fan Assembly - 1ea
*VHO Ballast - 1ea

I'm looking into dual MH ballasts so that'll eliminate one of the cords and I've got to check on the voltage of the LED's that I'm setting up, I might be able to run them off of the Fan harness (eliminating another cord)

we'll see...

I'm going to mount the fans on the sides of the canopy which will pull cooler room air into the canopy which will exhaust out the back
I'll mount fans on the sides of the base cabinet which will do the same thing.

 

[elfloyd]

I agree... it amazed me how humid my stand is with the sump. I bought my stand used... all the hinges are corroded. Not from standing salt water but from the humidity.

 

[rbredding]

I know the setup was like that when it was last setup (and was up and running for 7-8 years before It was taken down)

almost every single build I've seen has electrical components and sump/ refugium in close quarters to each other..

here are some I've found with less than 2 minutes of searching..


I'm not saying it's ideal.. but I'll have it separated from any direct contact with water and the entire back of the base is open for ventilation.. with fans blowing across the electrical side (towards the humid side), I don't see what the risk is..

not sure if you looked at the pictures in my link or not... here's the base cabinet
http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=17823&d=1246535366" alt="" />
<fieldset class="gc-fieldset">
<legend> Attached files </legend> [IMG]http://atlantareefclub.org/boards/data/uploads/attachments/375444=18452-REFUG 01.jpg>

class="gc-images" title="REFUG 01.jpg[/IMG] style="max-width:300px" /></a>

>

class="gc-images" title="REFUG 02.jpg[/IMG] style="max-width:300px" /></a> </fieldset>

 

[rbredding]

the 2nd picture above is from Marc at http://www.melevsreef.com">www.melevsreef.com</a>

here's another shot:
[IMG]http://www.melevsreef.com/55g/55g_newlywired.jpg alt="" />