Evil Side of Metal Halide--NEED HELP!

So the fans can be placed in the back... but point up hitting the lights?
Couldn't I put fans (2) in the back on each side... and just suck air out ... hitting the wall 5" away... and hopefully generating less heat under the lights?

 

Try to set your chiller instead for 78*. That's more than acceptable for reef tanks, which can hit as high as 80*.

Regarding fans. I just modded my MH fixture that has only a single fan. Even though heat rises, most fixtures are built on the principle that blowing colder air into the fixture is better than sucking hot air out. If you want to try the fan route, position a single fan blowing straight down into the center of the fixture, and cut two exhaust holes on either end (one on each end). If you do this, you'll feel the hot air being expelled from the two ends of the canopy.

For what it's worth, I've never been a fan of canopies, but I realize lots of people like them. I notice you have an especially attractive one. IMO, canopies are heat boxes.

If none of the above give you any relief, perhaps a discussion with your wife about priorities is in order. If aesthetics are more important to you both than lower energy bills, practicality, and/or the health of your tank's inhabitants, then consider buying a more expensive chiller that can maintain the temperature without running 24/7. Between the halide lighting and the chiller that's always on, you're surely a favorite customer at the utility.

Good luck!

 

You could put a fan on top of the light to blow the air over the light. If you can move the hot air away faster then it makes sense that the air will rise faster. Rather than cutting your hood and trying to shove a fan in the back where it wont get good ventilation.

 

If it was me, I would not cut holes in the canopy. I mean, I don't care for them, but yours is nice and I would not trash it. You will have enough free flow by the large open area in back.

I would try to add two or three fans on top of the canopy to exhaust the air. My coralife fixture blows cool air in to keep the components cool, but you want to remove heat from the tank. At least on top, it would not destroy the cosmetics of the canopy. Move some air. Heck, if it isn't visible, is there any way to just cut the roof out and still have some structural integrity? I'm being serious.

Next, how many internal pumps do you have? Are they in good working order? Not all gunked up and working harder than they need to. Look at the other heat input to your tank and see if you can minimize them. All your pumps, stand ventilation, heaters not fighting your chiller.

 

supriseingly no one sed this allredy, your hippo tangs need about a 150 gallon tank and if u wanted them togethger in a tank u need like a 250 gallon they can die from stress from being to crouded just gibeing u a heads up

 

There is no top to the canopy... I alraady removed it to account for the height of the unit on 5" legs... the integrity of the canopy is still there...
It's a wide open space except in the area of the unit... which is 12 inches wide 49 inches long...
I would have no place to put fans on top without being seen from above... as it stands... the top of the unit can be seen over the canopy...

The only space for fans are is on the back or with cut sides *which I don't want to do*

I have three pumps in the sump...
1 mj1200 for the protein skimmer... one rio 2200 for the chiller... one mag 7 or 9 for the return from the sump to the DT

 

I got it. Ya, you are pretty limited. Turn your chiller up, blow some air onto your water from the back, get an ATO. Or you can get a bigger chiller.

 

I know a lot of manufacturers blow air down but heat does rise and with it the hot air rises (think hot air balloon). Work with physics rather than against it. Fans need to blow in from the bottom and blow out the top. Keep the air moving up rather than down and you will keep the heat away from the tank. When you blow the air down you are forcing the heat toward the surface of your tank where some of the heat will get picked up by the water and therefore add more work for the chiller.

Another advantage of adding fans that blow in from the back along the bottom of the hood is that the cooler air from outside the tank gets to move across the surface of the water. This will increase evaporation but will also cool the tank and the air moving up should help keep the chiller from working overtime.

You could also add a fan to the sump. It will also increase evaporation but will again lower the temp of the water.,

 

Oh also, could you run the chiller inline with the return pump. You would reduce the heat put into the water by the extra pump and lower your power bills. Not sure if the return pump could handle the extra load though.

 

Can you take a better picture of the top of your hood?

I use a Coralife unit that has a side fan and 4 fans ontop. I placed the unit ontop of my canopy and removed the canopy cover. The fans then can blow up away from the tank, if you can not open up the spacd near your fans than you should install a fan.

I'd like to see the top of your canopy tho. If the top is solid over the lights, I'd cut a hole and install a fan blowing out.