My 90 Gallon Reef Tank!!!!

If you must have a closed canopy, you will need to have one fan blowing in and the other fan blow out. The type of lighting also plays a role in this. If your going with MH's, I would install a high CFM(100+) fan on sides of the canopy.


Luna

 

Its not a must that it is a closed canopy... But my thinking it will help with airflow.

Yes I will be using 2 100 cfm ice cap cooling fans. It will be cooling 2- 250w mh's and 2 96w PC's...

My main concern - is this sufficient?

 

Are you thinking that a closed canopy would be better with airflow than an open-back canopy? That's not the case. . . Ideally, open back with fans blowing in from each side. The rear will be a natural exhaust and place for heat to migrate out. The fans would cool the bulbs.

I agree with Luna about the one fan in, one fan out scenario; but only with a closed back canopy.

Like I said on a different post of yours, if you were a bulb, you'd prefer air being blown ON you, rather than sucked AWAY from you. The latter is too passive. In the field, when it comes to heat control, fans always blow upon the hot item, rather than attempting to draw air away. Drawing hot air away is fine, but blowing cool air ON the item is preferable.

 

Its just I never had a canopy.... And I want to do it right the first time...

Im not sure If my focus is to escape the hot air out of the canopy to prevent heat issues. Or to make sure my mh's are staying cool. Or a combination of both.

Well reefsparky you truly do make sense and I agree with you. But not sure which is more effective between these two options we have been talking about.

 

Dude( I hope your a dude...lol), dual 250w Mh bulb give off alot of heat. I would try to install a higher CFM fans, esp if your going to have a closed back. I personally dont like canopies, I prefer open tops myself.


Luna

 

I've never had a canopy either, but one thing is for sure. If you have a source of heat; and the option to either completely enclose said heat, or not to.. . .the better option is NOT to.

An open back canopy will allow at least SOME air circulation. A closed, enclosed canopy would require fans to do all the work.

If you go open back, fans are less important, but still crucial.

Open back will help prevent heat buildup in your scenario.

 

Tat... I will agree with Sparky that the best way to cool something is to blow cold air on it. However, I think in this aplication the context you need to think of is removing heat from your tank, not cooling your halides.

An open back will certainly help that. If you had two fans blowing in it would exit in back and would move a fair amount of air and heat. I do not feel an exhaust fan pulling air out on top would be over kill.

If you want to enclose the canopy in back, it would not be the end of the world. I think 3 fans on top blowing out would be good in that aplication. The cold air would be drawn in under the canopy across the tank and out the top. I think that would be a good way to cool the tank.

With the fans you want to use, it would not be hard to reverse them and experiment. Bottom line is that radient heat from the lights is going to be the same. Convection heating from them is what you are fighting. Move that heat and the way you find what works best is what keeps your tank the coolest.

 

well gentleman looks like Im gonna have to do some good old fashioned experimentation. I will take all of your guys input when I do my experimenting. I will definitely post lots of pictures on cannibilization of the coralife unit and retrofitting it to the canopy.

Im gonna start off with a closed back. One fan blowing in and on the otherside having it be exhausted out. I beleive that with the icecap fans 100cfm it will have some good airflow. With the force blowing in and the exhaust force. This combination will definitely create some good air movement. But the question will be ... Is it good enough? With this option I am putting less holes in my canopy.

But if that fails I will have two blowing in and 2 exhausting out the top. I know I have to keep a balance. Such as.... X amount of air going in = X amount of air escaping. I must follow this scenario to keep proper air movement. I know If I had two fans blowing in and only one on top there wouldnt be a proper air balance and heat would build up in the canopy. My best example would be .... If you have ever gone to a restaurant and it is rather hard to pull their front door open. This is because they have their exhaust sucking out air and their hvac units or MUA (make up air) unit isnt "making up" the air that is being sucked out. Causing an unbalance in pressure making that front door hard to open. Or vice versa the smoke from all the fryers and grills are rolling out into the dining room during peak hours. This example given to show the importance of keeping your air "balanced".

Think of this post next time you have a hard time opening up the door at a restaurant. Or they have smoke rolling out into their dining room during peak hours. Food for thought

Will be doing the canibilization and retrofit at the end of this month... So stay tuned

 

You are thinking in terms of positve and negative draft enclosures, but your canopy is not a sealed enclosure. It will be open at the bottom. You want to keep moving that heat away from the tank. The in and out method may be balanced, but i don't think it will be enough air movement.

Also, let me ask you.... why the desire to enclose the back? Just to shield light?

If that is what you want, then fans up top, and space between the canopy and tank for air movement would look good. No fans blowing at you from the side.

 

Hmmmm... It would be a sealed enclosure when the canopy is sitting on the tank. Nothin but canopy walls and water. No?

That is my main reason why I want the closed back to shield light... Call me picky lol ;D. But I may be forced to have an opening in the back. That is an unknown at the moment.

Im not concerned bout the one fan exhausting because it would be exhausting in an area where nobody is there to feel it.

I may have two on oneside blowing in and two on the other side blowing out.

Im really unsure . And it is driving me crazy!!!!! Cant stop thinkin bout it.

Maybe you guys no someone here on 3reef that has what Im trying to do that can give me their two cents. :-/