Diy Cooler Help Needed!

[andyk]

hi
I have just set up a 5x2x2 marine tank and have built my own custom hood for it..
As i do not wish too spend out £100's on a cooler i need a simple and cheap diy method of keep the temperature down.

I have heard that some people have installed computer fans in there hoods that have done a good job..
Has anyone had any experience with this or any other methods...
Any information would be great
cheers
Andyk

 

[littleimp]

If it's open topped a clip on type desk fan does the job, adding fans cools by evaporation (not by cooling the water as some think)
However this sytem only works if you have an auto-top-up running (connected to kalk/carbonate reactor is the best way)

If it's an enclosed hood with normal tubes running fans running in reverse integrated into the hood will act as as extractors & extract some of the heat from the tubes, this might help if the overheting is due to the lighting.

 

[kamel_007]

Connect it to a FREEZER... lo


















No! i'm kidding...

Best Regardsl

 

[andyk]

If it's open topped a clip on type desk fan does the job, adding fans cools by evaporation (not by cooling the water as some think)
However this sytem only works if you have an auto-top-up running (connected to kalk/carbonate reactor is the best way)

If it's an enclosed hood with normal tubes running fans running in reverse integrated into the hood will act as as extractors & extract some of the heat from the tubes, this might help if the overheting is due to the lighting.

hi.. it is a closed hood
it is not overheating at the mo with just t8's(but it is winter)
i was looking in to getting metal halides but have been put off by the price of the coolers...do you think i will need one or will the fan be sufficent
cheers andy

 

[simonbrown403]

Have your thought of using PC fans you would get out of you computer case, set them into the side or lid of the hood.
I use them in my planted tank, the temp use to rise to 27'C, i can ceep it at a constand 25'C with the fans

 

[sub.42]

Well,

Heres my ten pence worth. I have thought about this on many occasions, and I still think that the fans would be better off blowing down into the hood. The idea is that you would be pulling ambient temperature air through the fans, rather than the very hot air from the tank hood. This should make the fans last longer as you will get less 'soak' in the fan casings. The hot air will still find it's way out....it always does.

sub.

 

[andyk]

what did you use to power the fans...what about having one sucking at one end, and another blowing at the opposite .
would this really make a difference under metal halides or will i have no choice but to stay with t8's/t5's as i can not afford a cooler
andy

 

[Matthew5664]

I'm with andyk one fan sucking air in and one out!

What about one on each end sucking air in and then 3 or 4 on the top pulling the air through and out!

As for an actual cooler:

The best I can come up with is a slow flow rate pump, pumping water straight from the tank branched into 4 maybe 6 pipes running horizontal to each other through a large bank of fans, then back to one pipe and back to the tank.

You could buy a small cheap refrigerator like the one you see to cool a 6 pack that run on a 12 or 24v supply and drill the sides and have the pipes run through that?

Hope this helped