Cooling with fans

I added some cooling fans to the 55g's canopy finally. Since the water temperature has been reaching 83F and we aren't even in summer yet, I knew it was time to get this done. Over the weekend, I modified the woodwork and reflector to allow for the cooling fans.

These are 24v fans, with a powersupply that can run up to four at a time.

I wanted the fans in the top of the canopy, out of sight. They are removable if necessary by pushing them up from below. These fans are blowing downward into the canopy, and onto the surface of the water. Recessed fans

The canopy flipped open, to see the setup.

A close up of the cooling fan and acrylic bracket I threw together.

This is the side of the canopy. When sitting at the dining table, the lighting was blinding, so I mounted a piece of black acrylic to block that. Above the acrylic, you can see the fan's power supply. The bottom temperature is the tank's temp. Shield

While the canopy was off, I had the opportunity to make a holder for the light timer. Sorry for the blurry picture.

And I finally removed the velcro system I've used to hold the front panel in place. This is a temporary situation that I've been using for months, but until I make up my mind, it is simple. Two acrylic brackets support the acrylic from below, and now two small screws at the top corners are used as hangers for the panel. Neat and tidy

In the past 24 hours, I've watched the tank temperature drop nicely, now that I finally got this done. During the heat of the lighting period, the tank was 79F instead of 82-83F.

I don't like the whining sound of these fans, but it has only been a day. The big fan from Walmart over my sump made much more noise, so this is better. I'll just have to see how I feel in the weeks to come.