T5 fixtures in a canopy .. fan?

I am setting up a tank for my dad as I stated in a previous thread where I want a fixture that has legs that can sit on a tank and then be housed under a canopy. I am looking at Tek fixtures don't think they have a fan built in. Is there a spot for a fan in the Tek's? He doesn't really want a fan in the canopy so what are my options? Go with another fixture that has fans?

 

You can simply install a small room/desk fan to flow across the top of the tank and below the light fixture.

 

The lighting you're going to put over that tank has EVERYTHING to do with what corals, etc you plan on having in it. If you're not doing SPS or clams now, would you consider them later? Is the building well air conditioned? Why not go with a M/H fixture? Why wouldn't you want to do the canopy right away? If it's in an office/waiting room, then you know the canopy is going to help prevent keeping unwanted things out of the tank.

 

Yeah, I should probably just convince him to get the canopy built right away so I can put an icecap retrofit in there and just build in a fan. Money is not a super huge issue he just didn't want it to get too complicated but I'm going to do all the work so I'm sure it will just get done and he will be happy. He wants some interesting corals I think LPS and soft will be sufficient. He is going to have to have the canopy custom made because he bought an Oceanic 70 g 36x18x24 with eurobracing and the stand to match it to is modern black and glass.

 

I have T5s on a 180 with SPS almost all the way down. You do not need MH, I have two 3.25" fans and thats it, they cost maybe $30 and I have bulbs that won't burn out prematurely!!

Happy lighting!!

 

Dr. Frag.. are your T5's overdriven or standard? For my own 75 I am building I was going to go with icecap 4 bulb but if you are having good results with SPS on a 25" tank with standard HO T5's maybe I'll go with a Tek 6 bulb instead.

Oh, also.. are your fans built into canopy and are they quiet?

 

They are workhorse ballasts. Not overdriven, the growth is good and things toward the bottom are doing well. Zoos are tight against the rock even in the sand bed, shrooms are shriveling to nothing or literally MOVING under rocks for shade. I am surprised at how it is doing with out the IceCap. That was the biggest decision I made beside deciding T5 over MH.
What I did was look at tanks that were 24" tall with T5s and looked at what they ran. Many used Constellations which are not overdriven, I also saw, Sfiligio or ATI models all which aren't overdriven, all had great SPS growth 2/3rds the way down if not to the sand bed. I honestly didn't care if I could/can grow stags and that on the sand, where would I put my LPS?;D

When I get my PAR tests done I will post them and you can see how it works out for me.

Also check out the Aquactinics forum on RC and you will find some nice values on 180's with T5s!!

Happy researching!!

Also check out my tank thread to watch the thing progress with the T5s!