Need fan for power compacts??

[Joshsmit56001]

I built a hood for my 30 gallon reef tank that I am going to be putting 2 96 watt PC's in and I was wondering if I need to have a fan built into the side because of the pC's getting to hot. Do they get very hot?? Any help would be great.

Thanks,
josh

 

[XXFirefighter]

Less heat makes for longer bulb life and cooler water. Or water that doesn't need to be cooled !

 

[cj10488]

PCs do get quite hot.. I have 2x55watt pcs that melt my plastic hood i retro fitted them into.. I had to add a fan to save from melting the plastic..

HTh,
James

 

[fishfreek]

96W PC's will give you third degree burns if you hold on to them after they have been on for a period so yes if you can put a fan or two in it would be a good idea.

 

[Joshsmit56001]

It is in a wood case though, will it make a difference in that??
Where can I get a fan and they to wire it up??

 

[Barney]

you can use some computer fans and the old computer power supply.

 

[captivereefs]

I have the ice cap fans on sale right now. They are awesome and are made for the saltwater environment. They also have a temp sensor on them and spin faster as the temprature increases and slower as it decreases.

 

[fishfreek]

I have seen the ice cap fans in person and they run silently. If you use PC fans you need to have an AC/DC converter and drop the voltage from 110VAC to 12VDC. An old computer powersupply will work for this. If you get a new ATX style power supply you will have to hotwire an on/off switch as the new powersupplys require the motherboard to tell it to turn on/off.

I think radioshack has AC fans for sale that you can wire up to your plugs. Then when the ballast has power the fans have power.

When mounting your bulbs try to use some spacers to keep a small air cavity between the reflector and the wood. This will help keep the wood from getting to hot. My wooden canopy is warm to the touch after th elights have been on all day even with a 1/2" air gap.