GioReef Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 How should i get my BC 14 cool? The house temp is 74-76 and the temp in the tank doesn't get lower than 80? The heater is set to 72 and still it is high. What is the best, cheapest thing i can do to lower temps? Thanks Link to comment
Kirin1 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Here's a link to a fan mod I did to my BC14 hood before I got my sunpod. It's about $30-40 of parts and takes about an hour or two to do. http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...=148535&hl= Link to comment
GioReef Posted April 15, 2008 Author Share Posted April 15, 2008 Thats a pretty good mod. Can i just cut the reflector a bit ans see if that works. And btw, did you replace the stock fans with the sunon or did you put the sunons on the sides? Link to comment
Kirin1 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Thats a pretty good mod. Can i just cut the reflector a bit ans see if that works. And btw, did you replace the stock fans with the sunon or did you put the sunons on the sides? Thanks, I'm happy with how it came out, too bad I don't use that hood anymore, it was actually quieter than my sunpod. Opening up the reflector will give you more airflow over the bulbs, which will reduce your temps some. The big temp drop comes from increasing the amount of evaporation taking place, and that's all from the second set of fans in the back. All 4 of my fans are Sunon. EDIT: Oh yeah, if you only want to do 2 fans, I'd recommend leaving the stock fans in place and adding the two on the sides. If you did it that way wou could have the side fans on all the time and let the lighting fans switch with the lights like they do normally. Link to comment
GioReef Posted April 15, 2008 Author Share Posted April 15, 2008 So are the sunon quieter? Do they push out more air? Link to comment
Kirin1 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Yes to both. Also, using the varriable power supply lets you run them at less than 12V, making them even quieter. Link to comment
GioReef Posted April 15, 2008 Author Share Posted April 15, 2008 So do you just attach them to the old stock fan slots? And do you plug them in into where the other fans were getting the power from? Sry for all these questions but i want to get the cleanest mod. Link to comment
Kirin1 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 The lighting fans do go in the same spot as the stock fans. The Sunon fans I used ate 10mm thick, the stock fans were 20mm (50X20 fans aren't as common), so I used a few neoprene washers (Home Depot Hardware section) as spacers. These fans won't come with connectors on them to plug in like the stock fans do. You can cut off the connectors from the stock fans (Leave 2-3" of wire on the connector) and splice them to your new fan's leads. Remember to match colors, black to black, etc, and insulate any splices with electrical tape or shrink tube. Don't use wire nuts, they don't seal at all and would be too big for this wire anyway. Link to comment
GioReef Posted April 15, 2008 Author Share Posted April 15, 2008 Ya this would be good. But i was planning on having an easier mod.... If i don't connect the fans by splicing, how do i connect them so that they turn on at the same time as the lights? Link to comment
Kirin1 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 You don't. You could power them by an external power supply, and run that power supply on the same timer as your lights, but unless you splice in like I said, your fans won't be operated by the light switch on the biocube like the stock ones. This really is pretty easy, there's no soldering involved, and only light tools (hand drill, cutting pliers or dremmel)). And if you use an external power supply, you don't have to worry about connecting into the biocube's internal wiring. Link to comment
GioReef Posted April 15, 2008 Author Share Posted April 15, 2008 Ok i will do the reflector cutting first. If that doesn't work then i will order the fans. I have an extra biocube fan that i can use. So maybe i can use that for a mod... Link to comment
BDAbio Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 I bought a Pacific Coast Imports- Chiller/Heater. for my BC14 www.pacificcoastimports.com I'm pretty happy with it, I went with the CL-85 which is a thermoelectric heater/chiller, very neat and digitally controled, just set the temp you want and it does the rest for you. Really easy to instal too. I just drilled two holes in the back of the hood, put a maxijet in chaber two and ran non-kink pipe out to the chiller and back up into chamber 3. easy and neat. Link to comment
GioReef Posted April 15, 2008 Author Share Posted April 15, 2008 The chiller would be the best ever but it would cost too much for me. I am only 16... Link to comment
BDAbio Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 I know its an expense, but i think it cost around $180 which isn't much compared to how much your tank and livestock cost. Plus you then have no need for a heater either saving more money. If money is tight though there are some great fan mods on the DIY's like Kirin's, I was thinking about doing his mod myself, but where i live evaporation cooling doesn't work due to an already high humidity. Link to comment
Kirin1 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Ok i will do the reflector cutting first. If that doesn't work then i will order the fans. I have an extra biocube fan that i can use. So maybe i can use that for a mod... There ya go, if you have enough wire on that extra fan you could splice it in with one of your existing fans. Link to comment
GioReef Posted April 16, 2008 Author Share Posted April 16, 2008 Ok so if i put the extra fan towards the back of the hood, should i put it blowing in or out? I think out so that i can get hot air out of there. But will there be no air left in the cube itself? Thanks Link to comment
MichiganReefer Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Ok so if i put the extra fan towards the back of the hood, should i put it blowing in or out? I think out so that i can get hot air out of there. But will there be no air left in the cube itself? Thanks Air will find its way into the hood. You should place your extra fan as an exhaust fan. It will have more than enough flow to bring your temps down at least a few degrees. However, you will have to remember that top off will be much more now. I have a BC8 with fan mods I did at school (EE lol) and before the mods I barely ever needed top off water, now it takes about a cup every day. Good luck! Link to comment
GioReef Posted April 16, 2008 Author Share Posted April 16, 2008 Right now i top off 1 cup every 2-3 days. With the mod i will top of 1 cup every 1-2 days... I have the water and the time... Link to comment
Kirin1 Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 I'd recommend that you top off every day, no matter how small the amount of top off required. The smaller the variance in your SG the better. My 2.5g mantis tank doesn't have an ATO, I top it off twice a day, morning and night. Link to comment
snatchbak Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 If you're upgrading the stock fans I would put both of the new fans blowing into the hood, thats how I have my BC 29. My friend, cut a hole in the rear of the hood towards the top, and put a computer fan blowing across the surface of the water. He also has the BC 29. The hot air will find its way out. Link to comment
Kirin1 Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 My friend, cut a hole in the rear of the hood towards the top, and put a computer fan blowing across the surface of the water. He also has the BC 29. The hot air will find its way out. +1, That's basically what I did with the 2 fans I added to the back of my BC14's hood. Link to comment
GioReef Posted April 16, 2008 Author Share Posted April 16, 2008 This is what i will do... Keep the stock fans for the lights 1 intake one exhaust. Then on the rear of the hood(where you can't see it) i will mount an exhaust fan. I have like 10 inches of space behind the tank so that is where the air will be pushed out. Top of 1 cup every day... and i will be set. Link to comment
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