Canopy fans question...

maddmaxx · 02/19/2014, 08:20 PM

My tank will be going in the living room. its will be up against a wall. the left side of the tank will be about a foot off of an outer wall and the right side of the tank will be facing out into the open in the living room.

my question is, if i put canopy fans in to help move air and cool down inside of the canopy, how do i face the fans. i would like to put one on each side as an intake/exhaust style setup. is that the right way to do it? or should both fans be used as exhaust fans?..

with one pulling air into the canopy and the other pulling air out of the canopy. how should i set them up? should the left side thats only a foot away from another wall be the intake or exhause side, and the right side thats facing out into the open room, should that side be the intake or exhaust side?

hope that makes sense...lol...

maddmaxx · 02/19/2014, 08:38 PM

addition question... what would be better,

2x 120mm (one on each side)

or

4x 120mm (two on each side)

???

hcl2195 · 02/19/2014, 08:40 PM

You do not want to have a fan exhausting air from inside the canopy because it will be pulling humid salt air through the fan which will shorten its life due to corrosion. You would be better off to face the fans inward and have some other vents for the air to exhaust through. It would be nice to use a fan to pull out warm air, but the fan would not last very long.

hcl2195 · 02/19/2014, 08:48 PM

As for the number of fans, it depends on the amount of heat in the canopy. For a 220 gal. i would go with four fans. That way you have the option of running just the number of fans you need for cooling. That is the way I would go.

maddmaxx · 02/19/2014, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hcl2195

You do not want to have a fan exhausting air from inside the canopy because it will be pulling humid salt air through the fan which will shorten its life due to corrosion. You would be better off to face the fans inward and have some other vents for the air to exhaust through. It would be nice to use a fan to pull out warm air, but the fan would not last very long.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hcl2195

As for the number of fans, it depends on the amount of heat in the canopy. For a 220 gal. i would go with four fans. That way you have the option of running just the number of fans you need for cooling. That is the way I would go.

the back of the canopy will be open, i would say probably a 8" opening spanning the entire length of the tank... i will be running 3x250w halides along with LEDs for actinics inside of the canopy...

maddmaxx · 02/20/2014, 02:25 AM

bump back to the top lol....any body else with advice...

kikoreefer · 02/20/2014, 02:52 AM

Not true a box fan will work my light fixture pulls air in and blows out with no problem id do four fans two in two out just remember to your blowing this into your house lol I put it an exhaust fan to the exterior which I know is not possible for everyone

maddmaxx · 02/20/2014, 04:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kikoreefer

Not true a box fan will work my light fixture pulls air in and blows out with no problem id do four fans two in two out just remember to your blowing this into your house lol I put it an exhaust fan to the exterior which I know is not possible for everyone

An exhaust fan blowing outside is not doable in my situation. ..how would you suggest the fans go on each side? Like what side would you use as the intake side and what side for the exhaust side based off of the info I provided in the original post?

DV2027 · 02/20/2014, 05:15 AM

Is the top covered? I have 2 fans on each side blowing in and slightly down on the water surface causing agitation. I have my top cut with 2 large openings to allow the evap and heat dissipation. Might not be the best design but has worked well for the past few years in texas summers.

maddmaxx · 02/20/2014, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DV2027

Is the top covered? I have 2 fans on each side blowing in and slightly down on the water surface causing agitation. I have my top cut with 2 large openings to allow the evap and heat dissipation. Might not be the best design but has worked well for the past few years in texas summers.

yes the top is covered, thats where the lights will be hung inside of the canopy. like i posted in a previous post, there will be about an 8" or bigger whole in the back of the canopy that runs the entire length of the canopy... as far as surface agitation goes. i have plenty of that with my powerheads and returns disturbing the water surface...

HaroldT · 02/20/2014, 09:26 PM

Put one fan at each end. Face the fans in the same direction. One sucks air into the canopy and the other fan will bring air out of the canopy.

maddmaxx · 02/20/2014, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HaroldT

Put one fan at each end. Face the fans in the same direction. One sucks air into the canopy and the other fan will bring air out of the canopy.

ok what end should do what..left side near the wall be intake or exhaust and the right side thats out into the open room, intake or exhaust?

moondoggy4 · 02/20/2014, 10:55 PM

I had a 120 tank with dual 175 with T-5's and I had 4 fans that were controllable and all blew in, the back of the canopy was open.

maddmaxx · 02/21/2014, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moondoggy4

I had a 120 tank with dual 175 with T-5's and I had 4 fans that were controllable and all blew in, the back of the canopy was open.

yea the back of my canopy will be open. so makes sense to pull the air in and have it naturally forced out the back...

Breadman03 · 02/21/2014, 04:33 AM

I have 2*140mm fans over my 75. They are both blowing into the tank and about 1/3 of the rear of the canopy is screen to allow air to flow out. They kept my tank below 82 when it was 103 in the same room as the tank, and much warmer upstairs. That heat wave lasted for a little over a week. I forget the exact model and have to get ready for work now, but will update with a link to the ones I bought which are essentially silent when run upright, but are noisy if mounted horizontally. If you go to Newegg and look for the model that uses "HDB" bearings, that is it. Also, you could look at my threads and open my fan thread.

myram · 02/21/2014, 07:09 AM

If the back of your hood is open, just have a fan on each end pulling fresh air into the hood. That will naturally push the air out the back of the hood.

I just mounted a 3" fan in my hood, pulling air out. There are enough little cracks and openings that it can pull in fresh air. I have no more condensation build up in my hood, everything is nice and dry.

Steve

maddmaxx · 02/21/2014, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myram

If the back of your hood is open, just have a fan on each end pulling fresh air into the hood. That will naturally push the air out the back of the hood.

I just mounted a 3" fan in my hood, pulling air out. There are enough little cracks and openings that it can pull in fresh air. I have no more condensation build up in my hood, everything is nice and dry.

Steve

i think having a fan on each end pulling air in is what im gonna go with. the back of the canopy will have a 8" or 9" by 6 foot open section for air to escape/forced out of... i like the idea of 4 fans, two on each side, but i think that may be to noisey. so maybe 2x 120mm quiet fans may be the way to go for me.

azjohnny · 02/21/2014, 08:04 PM

Setting up the fans as exhaust fans will do the best job at keeping the temps down. That is why there are exhaust fans in bathroom and laundry rooms and not the other way around

Breadman03 · 02/21/2014, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maddmaxx

i think having a fan on each end pulling air in is what im gonna go with. the back of the canopy will have a 8" or 9" by 6 foot open section for air to escape/forced out of... i like the idea of 4 fans, two on each side, but i think that may be to noisey. so maybe 2x 120mm quiet fans may be the way to go for me.

Spend a few minutes on Newegg. Most of their fans have a dB rating. I went with a pair of Cougar CF-V14H for very high flow and very low noise, coupled with a ling lifespan. They did wonders for my tank during that heat wave. I think 2 would work well for you, but wouldn't hesitate to run 4 of them as they are nearly silent. Seriously, unless I turn everything off when the kids are asleep, I can't tell they are on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by azjohnny

Setting up the fans as exhaust fans will do the best job at keeping the temps down. That is why there are exhaust fans in bathroom and laundry rooms and not the other way around

They are set up as exhaust fans to get humidity out of the house. A fan blowing into the bathroom would cause a significant amount of the moist air to simply blow around the house. In a saltwater tank, a fan blowing out is likely to rust quickly because the commonly used PC fan isn't designed to be exposed to very humid air. In my situation, the fans blowing in prevent damp areas in my canopy because they create a swirling draft that keeps everything dry.

maddmaxx · 02/21/2014, 09:09 PM

breadman i like the 120mm version of them honeslty. and im just looking to push out the hot air caused by my 3x 250w halides. ive never had issues wit moisture in a canopy before but just wanna push or pull the air out. it does make sense tho to not use them as an exhaust tho. cause they will get worn out quicker and become noisier over time. but i think with an open back canopy, 2 of these fans pulling air into the canopy will work good. i think 4 fans would be a bit much, but ill keep researching and see what i like better as far as 2 fans or 4 fans...

maddmaxx · 02/21/2014, 09:16 PM

HAHAHA i remember my old canopy fans. they where soooo loud man. like a loud *** hum. had to turn the tv up type loud lmao.... trying to avoid that this time around...

steiny805 · 02/25/2014, 12:46 PM

I'll be setting up something like this very soon as well. Question, if the air is being pushed out the back will that cause any damage to the back wall? Even though it'll be about 6 inches off the wall will any of the salt damage it?

maddmaxx · 02/25/2014, 03:06 PM

honestly i wouldnt think so. theres paint on the wall. i also used treated dry wall where i knew where the tank was going to go...you gotta think stands and canopys last yrs and yrs wit having the moisture right inside them and they hold up well over the yrs. so a wall with paint couple inches away, i wouldnt think would be a problem...

worst comes to worst, once a month wipe the wall down with a warm vinegar rag...

stancfii · 02/26/2014, 08:57 AM

I have two desk fans from walmart ($7 each) zip tied and hanging from the back of my canopy (open) blowing air in, and my tank is about 3" from the wall. Right now, I'm running one 250w MH, and with only one fan, my water doesn't go above 78. If the fan dies, it is nothing to replace, and I haven't had one fail yet in several years of use, despite getting a little rust.

steiny805 · 02/26/2014, 10:58 AM

Ok cool. So the canopy that I will be using is enclosed, minus the doors on the front of it. It seems like the best bet for good air circulation would be to cut a decent size section out on the back and set up some fans blowing air in. Thoughts?

02/19/2014, 08:20 PM	#1
maddmaxx Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Jersey Shore Posts: 3,003	Canopy fans question... My tank will be going in the living room. its will be up against a wall. the left side of the tank will be about a foot off of an outer wall and the right side of the tank will be facing out into the open in the living room. my question is, if i put canopy fans in to help move air and cool down inside of the canopy, how do i face the fans. i would like to put one on each side as an intake/exhaust style setup. is that the right way to do it? or should both fans be used as exhaust fans?.. with one pulling air into the canopy and the other pulling air out of the canopy. how should i set them up? should the left side thats only a foot away from another wall be the intake or exhause side, and the right side thats facing out into the open room, should that side be the intake or exhaust side? hope that makes sense...lol... __________________ One Life One Shot Current Tank Info: 40B Mixed reef Last edited by maddmaxx; 02/19/2014 at 08:32 PM.

02/19/2014, 08:38 PM	#2
maddmaxx Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Jersey Shore Posts: 3,003	addition question... what would be better, 2x 120mm (one on each side) or 4x 120mm (two on each side) ??? __________________ One Life One Shot Current Tank Info: 40B Mixed reef

02/20/2014, 02:25 AM	#6
maddmaxx Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Jersey Shore Posts: 3,003	bump back to the top lol....any body else with advice... __________________ One Life One Shot Current Tank Info: 40B Mixed reef

02/21/2014, 09:09 PM	#20
maddmaxx Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Jersey Shore Posts: 3,003	breadman i like the 120mm version of them honeslty. and im just looking to push out the hot air caused by my 3x 250w halides. ive never had issues wit moisture in a canopy before but just wanna push or pull the air out. it does make sense tho to not use them as an exhaust tho. cause they will get worn out quicker and become noisier over time. but i think with an open back canopy, 2 of these fans pulling air into the canopy will work good. i think 4 fans would be a bit much, but ill keep researching and see what i like better as far as 2 fans or 4 fans... __________________ One Life One Shot Current Tank Info: 40B Mixed reef

02/21/2014, 09:16 PM	#21
maddmaxx Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Jersey Shore Posts: 3,003	HAHAHA i remember my old canopy fans. they where soooo loud man. like a loud *** hum. had to turn the tv up type loud lmao.... trying to avoid that this time around... __________________ One Life One Shot Current Tank Info: 40B Mixed reef

02/19/2014, 08:40 PM	#3
hcl2195 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 65	You do not want to have a fan exhausting air from inside the canopy because it will be pulling humid salt air through the fan which will shorten its life due to corrosion. You would be better off to face the fans inward and have some other vents for the air to exhaust through. It would be nice to use a fan to pull out warm air, but the fan would not last very long.

02/19/2014, 08:48 PM	#4
hcl2195 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 65	As for the number of fans, it depends on the amount of heat in the canopy. For a 220 gal. i would go with four fans. That way you have the option of running just the number of fans you need for cooling. That is the way I would go.

02/20/2014, 02:52 AM	#7
kikoreefer Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 221	Not true a box fan will work my light fixture pulls air in and blows out with no problem id do four fans two in two out just remember to your blowing this into your house lol I put it an exhaust fan to the exterior which I know is not possible for everyone

02/20/2014, 05:15 AM	#9
DV2027 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Midlothian,TX Posts: 59	Is the top covered? I have 2 fans on each side blowing in and slightly down on the water surface causing agitation. I have my top cut with 2 large openings to allow the evap and heat dissipation. Might not be the best design but has worked well for the past few years in texas summers.

02/20/2014, 09:26 PM	#11
HaroldT Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Fresno, California Posts: 582	Put one fan at each end. Face the fans in the same direction. One sucks air into the canopy and the other fan will bring air out of the canopy.

02/20/2014, 10:55 PM	#13
moondoggy4 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: menifee So cal Posts: 11,042	I had a 120 tank with dual 175 with T-5's and I had 4 fans that were controllable and all blew in, the back of the canopy was open.

02/21/2014, 04:33 AM	#15
Breadman03 New Old School Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Luzerne County, PA Posts: 3,293	I have 2*140mm fans over my 75. They are both blowing into the tank and about 1/3 of the rear of the canopy is screen to allow air to flow out. They kept my tank below 82 when it was 103 in the same room as the tank, and much warmer upstairs. That heat wave lasted for a little over a week. I forget the exact model and have to get ready for work now, but will update with a link to the ones I bought which are essentially silent when run upright, but are noisy if mounted horizontally. If you go to Newegg and look for the model that uses "HDB" bearings, that is it. Also, you could look at my threads and open my fan thread.

02/21/2014, 07:09 AM	#16
myram #347, 19 years Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Biddeford, ME Posts: 1,714	If the back of your hood is open, just have a fan on each end pulling fresh air into the hood. That will naturally push the air out the back of the hood. I just mounted a 3" fan in my hood, pulling air out. There are enough little cracks and openings that it can pull in fresh air. I have no more condensation build up in my hood, everything is nice and dry. Steve

02/21/2014, 08:04 PM	#18
azjohnny Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Gold Canyon Posts: 2,914	Setting up the fans as exhaust fans will do the best job at keeping the temps down. That is why there are exhaust fans in bathroom and laundry rooms and not the other way around

02/25/2014, 12:46 PM	#22
steiny805 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 70	I'll be setting up something like this very soon as well. Question, if the air is being pushed out the back will that cause any damage to the back wall? Even though it'll be about 6 inches off the wall will any of the salt damage it?

02/25/2014, 03:06 PM	#23
maddmaxx Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Jersey Shore Posts: 3,003	honestly i wouldnt think so. theres paint on the wall. i also used treated dry wall where i knew where the tank was going to go...you gotta think stands and canopys last yrs and yrs wit having the moisture right inside them and they hold up well over the yrs. so a wall with paint couple inches away, i wouldnt think would be a problem... worst comes to worst, once a month wipe the wall down with a warm vinegar rag... __________________ One Life One Shot Current Tank Info: 40B Mixed reef

02/26/2014, 08:57 AM	#24
stancfii Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 583	I have two desk fans from walmart ($7 each) zip tied and hanging from the back of my canopy (open) blowing air in, and my tank is about 3" from the wall. Right now, I'm running one 250w MH, and with only one fan, my water doesn't go above 78. If the fan dies, it is nothing to replace, and I haven't had one fail yet in several years of use, despite getting a little rust. __________________ 180g SPS -3 x 250w Radiums, 2 x VHO actinic, DIY RB LED strip, and a EuroReef skimmer modded with a DC pump.

02/26/2014, 10:58 AM	#25
steiny805 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 70	Ok cool. So the canopy that I will be using is enclosed, minus the doors on the front of it. It seems like the best bet for good air circulation would be to cut a decent size section out on the back and set up some fans blowing air in. Thoughts?