SuperColey1
Planted Section
A few weeks ago when it got really hot one day I noticed my tank temperature had gotten up to 30°C I quickly switched off the UV and the heater and left the flap open. I then started to plan some ventilation for my tank.
After a while I came across a thread here on TFF by BigC where he used 2 x 60mm PC fans inside his hood. His were enclosed in the hood and therefore moved the air around inside the hood whereas I wanted the fans to introduce fresh air so I took his ideas and instructions and adapted them to suit my objectives.
With my hood being the original Fluval type I eventually decided that I couldn't fit 60mm fans in mine so I searched the internet and found these fans and fan filters (I'll explain the filters later)
40mm Fans Fan Filters
I ordered 3 of each and this is what I did with them
GETTING THE FANS READY
You can get PC fans with 3 pin and 2 pin connectors. all this means is that a 3 pin connector has a yellow wire as well as the red and black. This yellow wire is so the computer can tell the fan what speed to run at which is why you hear your PCs noise level go up and down. You won't need this. Firstly pull the white plastic pin connector off the end of the wires and throw in the bin. Next trim the yellow wire as close to the fan as you can.
MAKING THE HOLES
Measure up where you want the fans to go and then using a bradawl mark the screwhole positions. Remove the fan and make holes with the bradawl and then using any screw that fits screw the fan to the outside of the tank. Now mark around the shape of the fan's circular border on the hood. Remove the fan and cut these lines. Then cut angled lines horizontally and vertically where the screw holes are. Remove the piece you have cut out and then repeat for the other fans.
FITTING THE FANS
For each fan get 4 M4 recessed bolts with nuts. Place the fixing plate of the filter on the outside of the hood lined up with the holes and screw the bolt into each hole in the hood until there is 3mm showing inside. The bolts may require you to widen the holes a little but not too much as you want them to make their own thread. Place a fan onto the 4 bolts lining it up with them and making sure the wires are coming out of the edge closest to the top of the hood and that the fan's sticker is facing into the tank. Grip the fan and the hood and then screw the bolts until the come through the fan making sure that the fan is flush to the hood. Then put the nuts on and tighten (Make sure they are tight or you will get noise from vibration)
Repeat this process for the other fans.
CONNECTING THE FANS - DO NOT PLUG INTO POWER UNTIL YOU HAVE FINISHED
Using the bradawl or a drill make a small 3-4mm hole in the rear of the hood and feed all the red and black wires through the hole. Check that you have pulled them tights and then tape the wires together. Then twist all the red wires together, then the black wires together.
Now using a 12V transformer (I picked this one up for £5 from a corner shop) conect the red wires of the fans to the wire of the transformer that has a white line on it. these are the earth wire. Then connect the black wires from the fans to the wire of the transformer that is plain black.
NEARLY FINISHED
Now put the hood back on the tank and test the units. They look quite good but you may have some small sections where you cut wider than the fan and can see light through these parts. Don't worry. After you've tested you may have a fan or 2 that is not turning because some of the cutout hole is obstructing it. Turn the power off and carefully trim the offending piece of hood through the fixing plate then test again. Once you have got all the fans working you are nearly there
THE FINISHED ARTICLE
I said don't worry about small gaps because now you can put the filter covers on top of the fixing plate. These are snap on ones so you can just push them on. The fans will now draw air from outside the tank into the tank without bringing in any dust or insects and also will not let out much light at all.
The guide above was for my personal tank but you can se different sizes of fan and different quantities to suit your purpose and hood limitaions.
I hope it is helpful to people and I do have to give credit where credit is due because I got the idea from BigC in this thread here.
Big C's thread - Dawn on the Reef
Andy
After a while I came across a thread here on TFF by BigC where he used 2 x 60mm PC fans inside his hood. His were enclosed in the hood and therefore moved the air around inside the hood whereas I wanted the fans to introduce fresh air so I took his ideas and instructions and adapted them to suit my objectives.
With my hood being the original Fluval type I eventually decided that I couldn't fit 60mm fans in mine so I searched the internet and found these fans and fan filters (I'll explain the filters later)
40mm Fans Fan Filters
I ordered 3 of each and this is what I did with them
GETTING THE FANS READY
You can get PC fans with 3 pin and 2 pin connectors. all this means is that a 3 pin connector has a yellow wire as well as the red and black. This yellow wire is so the computer can tell the fan what speed to run at which is why you hear your PCs noise level go up and down. You won't need this. Firstly pull the white plastic pin connector off the end of the wires and throw in the bin. Next trim the yellow wire as close to the fan as you can.
MAKING THE HOLES
Measure up where you want the fans to go and then using a bradawl mark the screwhole positions. Remove the fan and make holes with the bradawl and then using any screw that fits screw the fan to the outside of the tank. Now mark around the shape of the fan's circular border on the hood. Remove the fan and cut these lines. Then cut angled lines horizontally and vertically where the screw holes are. Remove the piece you have cut out and then repeat for the other fans.
FITTING THE FANS
For each fan get 4 M4 recessed bolts with nuts. Place the fixing plate of the filter on the outside of the hood lined up with the holes and screw the bolt into each hole in the hood until there is 3mm showing inside. The bolts may require you to widen the holes a little but not too much as you want them to make their own thread. Place a fan onto the 4 bolts lining it up with them and making sure the wires are coming out of the edge closest to the top of the hood and that the fan's sticker is facing into the tank. Grip the fan and the hood and then screw the bolts until the come through the fan making sure that the fan is flush to the hood. Then put the nuts on and tighten (Make sure they are tight or you will get noise from vibration)
Repeat this process for the other fans.
CONNECTING THE FANS - DO NOT PLUG INTO POWER UNTIL YOU HAVE FINISHED
Using the bradawl or a drill make a small 3-4mm hole in the rear of the hood and feed all the red and black wires through the hole. Check that you have pulled them tights and then tape the wires together. Then twist all the red wires together, then the black wires together.
Now using a 12V transformer (I picked this one up for £5 from a corner shop) conect the red wires of the fans to the wire of the transformer that has a white line on it. these are the earth wire. Then connect the black wires from the fans to the wire of the transformer that is plain black.
NEARLY FINISHED
Now put the hood back on the tank and test the units. They look quite good but you may have some small sections where you cut wider than the fan and can see light through these parts. Don't worry. After you've tested you may have a fan or 2 that is not turning because some of the cutout hole is obstructing it. Turn the power off and carefully trim the offending piece of hood through the fixing plate then test again. Once you have got all the fans working you are nearly there
THE FINISHED ARTICLE
I said don't worry about small gaps because now you can put the filter covers on top of the fixing plate. These are snap on ones so you can just push them on. The fans will now draw air from outside the tank into the tank without bringing in any dust or insects and also will not let out much light at all.
The guide above was for my personal tank but you can se different sizes of fan and different quantities to suit your purpose and hood limitaions.
I hope it is helpful to people and I do have to give credit where credit is due because I got the idea from BigC in this thread here.
Big C's thread - Dawn on the Reef
Andy
