i need a quieter lighting system

[guitarded]

i have a 48" 4x65watt satallite PC lighting system. the fan noise is very annoying. i surrender. i was going to change out the fan, however, to get a fan with same CFM still creates a lot noise. i need to get another lighting system.

so, i would like to get something similar with a quieter fan. some mention the coralife. i would hate to buy it and find out it is just as noisy.

ok, how about some recommendations.

 

[loganj]

I wonder if a fan with a lower CFM rating would still do the job? I've used the old Custom Sealife PC fixtures for a long time and they didn't even have fans. Granted, they only have one bulb, but I've had as many as three of them stacked up on a tank with no problems other than the occasional ballast death. As cheap as fans are, and as expensive as lighting fixtures are, I'd give it a try first. JMHO.

 

[vertex]

I haven't heard the satellite PC lights, but I have a coralife PC fixture with 2x96W and its fan are VERY VERY quite. You can hardly tell they are running. The bubbles in my skimmer are a lot louder if that helps at all!

Does your LFS have any you can try before you buy??

OR is there any way to open your case up more to help heat exchange and not run the fans?? Like rip out the guts and use it like a retro kit. Might save same $$ if you have a canopy anyway...

 

[captivereefs]

You can barely hear the coralife fans when they run!

 

[guitarded]

vertex...

oddly enough, the LFS's in hawaii are not very good. there are only a couple of LFS's that really do salt water. since most people here don't do reef or even LR (due to environmental laws in our state and the extremely restrictive cost of shipping to hawaii). so lighting is not as critical.

of course, there are those who have LR and reefs here in hawaii, but they can afford it. myself... i will spring to get LR and maybe in a year or two, start a reef (softies).

at any rate, i must go online to get a decent lighting system. by the replies, it seems that coralife makes quite systems. as loganj has sugggested, i will probably try to do a fan replacement first.

 

[cmor1701d]

You can barely hear the coralife fans when they run!

I can't hear them at all unless I'm working on the tank right near them.

 

[guitarded]

well, hands down... the coralife owners all agree that the fans are super quiet.

the sales staff at our local electronics store let me try out some of their fans. however, the problem is that the fan in the satelitte is so small that the blade pitch has to be steep to get the CFM's it needs to keep the lites cool. the fans that i tried out in the store that put out the CFM's and still be small enough are all very noisy. it would be better to run 2 small quiet fans that can, in total, pull in the same amount of air.

i believe this is where the coralife design is better. they use two quiet fans instead of one noisy fan.

hmm... if i gotta replace my lighting system, maybe it would better to replace my 4x65 with 4x96.

 

[theatrus]

96W bulbs are ~ 35" or so.

You'd have to run 50/50s to prevent one half of the tank being more blue than the other

 

[guitarded]

ok, so do you folks feel the 4x65 will be enough for LR and later, a reef (softies)?

 

[XXFirefighter]

ok, so do you folks feel the 4x65 will be enough for LR and later, a reef (softies)?

For SURE !
I have the corallife 4x65 on my 55 and I have tons of softies and clams and even a brain coral ! SUPER quiet.. Cant' hear it and it's next to my couch where I watch TV.

 

[theatrus]

Yes.

 

[Heineken]

Hey guitarded, what LFS do you go to in Hawaii? A good friend of my dad's is a retired lfs owner back in Hawaii. Although he is retired, he still has quite a few connections and can still get dealer rates.

About the Live Rock issue in Hawaii....
Are you sure you can't take a few pounds a day? Maybe the laws only limit the amount you can take, and not if you do so or not. OF course, find out before you go rock hunting. I'm sure the fines are pretty steep!

 

[guitarded]

heineken,

there are only a couple places here. one SW LFS is called "Coral Fish". they don't have any equipment to support LR or reef tanks. they kind of have a reputation of having bad fish. the other SW LFS is called "Modern Pet Shop". i know it doesn't sound like a SW LFS, but it is a mom & pop operation that has, over the years, really leaned towards fish keeping, particularly SW fish. they have a good reputation of having healthy fish, but as the other shop, they don't sell equipment that supports LR or reef. neither shop has LR or LS because it would be illegal for them to sell LR/LS in this state.

as for harvesting LR in hawaii. the law states that a person can pick up 5 gals (yes gallons, not pounds) of LR per day, but it cannot be chipped off. i has to be rubble. the same goes for sand. i want to respect our environmental laws. so while LR would be difficult to get, i will probably get some LS... just enough to seed my arag sand.

 

[Heineken]

Thats funny how the law allows 5 "gallons" of LR a day. How do these politicians come up with this stuff. LOL!

 

[emricson]

I had a questions about the noise that you are hearing, is it the sound of air moving or the fan motor. I just purchased a 24" JBJ lighting system and it has three fans and the noise that I am getting is the sound of air coming from the fans. If Coral LIfe fans can help quite that I would be all for purchasing one.

 

[guitarded]

yes, it the blade pitch noise as it pushes the air. i just won a bid on ebay for a coralife.

 

[tee78]

How are the lights on the satelites? I have one coming in.

 

[guitarded]

the lights them selves are excellent!!!