Air circulation around lights under hood

[GrimReefersDad]

Looking to see if anyone has been faced with solving air circulation around lights under hood. I have a large display with a hood covering 3 sides and top. I will be running both filler LED lights along front and rear along with Ecotech gen 6 lights down the middle. The front and rear are the Quanta Helix. They are ambient air cooled, which means i need good airflow. What have some of you done to solve this problem? I currently have the tank aging as we speak. Will be installing the lights in the coming days and am looking at what i need to purchase for airflow as we speak.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I cut the top off my Wood Canopy, and installed a wood edges around the top and bottom. The Tank and Canopy is tall enough, that I can’t see over the top. I was going to just make a new Canopy, but the Plywood was “Gold Plated,” at that time.

 

[FishTruck]

I use a 4 inch duct with a inline fan in the basement. There is also a fan blowing air across the water to encourage evaporative cooling. The duct vents to the outside.

If was going to do it again, I would feed fresh air to the hood somehow... currently, I have a passive vent into the fish room where fresh air is also needed.

So far, there is no corrosion or wood rot after five years. Not bad.

 

[GrimReefersDad]

@FishTruck and @SteveMM62Reef, my issue is specifically heat from the two Quanta LEDs. I need to ensure I keep them cool. Not too worried about moister as I'm also running dehumidifier.

 

[FishTruck]

@FishTruck and @SteveMM62Reef, my issue is specifically heat from the two Quanta LEDs. I need to ensure I keep them cool. Not too worried about moister as I'm also running dehumidifier.

It is a little tricky to get perfect airflow if the canopy is only open from the back... but a fan or two should do the trick, I think.

 

[DIYreefer]

I use cheap little computer fans from Amazon. These, specifically: https://a.co/d/d9s1E80. They work great!

 

[GrimReefersDad]

I use a 4 inch duct with a inline fan in the basement. There is also a fan blowing air across the water to encourage evaporative cooling. The duct vents to the outside.

If was going to do it again, I would feed fresh air to the hood somehow... currently, I have a passive vent into the fish room where fresh air is also needed.

So far, there is no corrosion or wood rot after five years. Not bad.

Could i get you to send a picture of how you have done it?

 

[FishTruck]

The hole on top pulls air via a 200 cfm inline bathroom fan. Way in the back is a vornado fan, blowing across the water.

 

[UncommonSense]

I’ve got a 2” squirrelcage blower fan intaking air from outside the hood, and blowing across the long span of the hood interior… this creates positive pressure within the hood!

there’s a 1’ air gap between hood and tank at the back, all air vents from this after being mixed by the blower fan!

 

[GrimReefersDad]

I’ve got a 2” squirrelcage blower fan intaking air from outside the hood, and blowing across the long span of the hood interior… this creates positive pressure within the hood!

there’s a 1’ air gap between hood and tank at the back, all air vents from this after being mixed by the blower fan!

Like the setup. I heard from Luca today on the issue as well. Very helpful guy. Now that I'm getting over my fears, I'm looking at buying two more to run along with my RXs. or maybe finding a way to justify 2k more in water movement and just returning them and going with 5 of 71 in helixes across the tank. Scope creek. a term i never thought i'd use for a hobby!

on the use of the bathroom fan, how much sound does it generate?

 

[UncommonSense]

Like the setup. I heard from Luca today on the issue as well. Very helpful guy. Now that I'm getting over my fears, I'm looking at buying two more to run along with my RXs. or maybe finding a way to justify 2k more in water movement and just returning them and going with 5 of 71 in helixes across the tank. Scope creek. a term i never thought i'd use for a hobby!

on the use of the bathroom fan, how much sound does it generate?

Oh, this is a little USB powered chinesium deal; you don’t need anything crazy! — it does have a primitive three- speed controller, so I run it on low to keep fan noise from being detectable over other equipment/water sounds… this is still more than ample airflow to keep 200W of strip LEDs running warm to the touch….

In the long run, I think I’ll do two or three 3-4” computer fans exhausting through the top of the hood, then have the current noisy high pressure blower fan’s exhaust ducted way better (or at all, for that matter!), and on a thermostat!

Mine’s embarrassingly ugly with my quick and dirty plywood 90 degree ducting… it’s definitely still in the prototype phase!

Here’s a pic for context though!

 

[GrimReefersDad]

Oh, this is a little USB powered chinesium deal; you don’t need anything crazy! — it does have a primitive three- speed controller, so I run it on low to keep fan noise from being detectable over other equipment/water sounds… this is still more than ample airflow to keep 200W of strip LEDs running warm to the touch….

In the long run, I think I’ll do two or three 3-4” computer fans exhausting through the top of the hood, then have the current noisy high pressure blower fan’s exhaust ducted way better (or at all, for that matter!), and on a thermostat!

Mine’s embarrassingly ugly with my quick and dirty plywood 90 degree ducting… it’s definitely still in the prototype phase!

Here’s a pic for context though!

Thanks for the pictures. not embarrassing at all. I think in total I'm going to be running for 4 RX's with 4 71" Quanta Helix's unless I return the RX's and go with a 5th or 6th Quanta. Like you mentioned. I think I will add a series of fans to the top of the hood and either point them down drawing air in, or point them up pulling air through. the opening at the rear of the tank is about 9" by 80". Just don't know if it is better to have the fans also break surface tension or just move heat out. I like the idea you had about adding a thermostatic switch. Could be useful. perhaps even one that simply cut power to the lights in an emergency like it gets to hot. Better than ruining 3-4k in lights!

 

[UncommonSense]

Like you mentioned. I think I will add a series of fans to the top of the hood and either point them down drawing air in, or point them up pulling air through.

I recommend having them pull air out via the top of the hood; heat rises, so pushing air back down into the hood from the top is least efficient!

— I think the best bet would be to more or less seal off the back of the hood, and have computer fans mounted vertically there; ducted for air mixing… this creates positive pressure inside the hood, which can then passively vent through holes/slots/etc that are strategically placed in the top of the hood…

I like the idea you had about adding a thermostatic switch. Could be useful. perhaps even one that simply cut power to the lights in an emergency like it gets to hot. Better than ruining 3-4k in lights!

This is always a smart backup failsafe!

In the fan/vent configuration mentioned above, thermostat control for any water cooling fans would likely be necessary, though the air mixing fans could easily just be timed to the lights, or left running to maintain fresh air inside the hood!

Edit: I forgot to mention; the high velocity (noisy) blower fan would be best suited to active cooling duty; blowing air directly across lighting cooling fins… Ideally, also controlled via thermostat, so it only turns on when really necessary!

 

[GrimReefersDad]

I recommend having them pull air out via the top of the hood; heat rises, so pushing air back down into the hood from the top is least efficient!

— I think the best bet would be to more or less seal off the back of the hood, and have computer fans mounted vertically there; ducted for air mixing… this creates positive pressure inside the hood, which can then passively vent through holes/slots/etc that are strategically placed in the top of the hood…


This is always a smart backup failsafe!

In the fan/vent configuration mentioned above, thermostat control for any water cooling fans would likely be necessary, though the air mixing fans could easily just be timed to the lights, or left running to maintain fresh air inside the hood!

Edit: I forgot to mention; the high velocity (noisy) blower fan would be best suited to active cooling duty; blowing air directly across lighting cooling fins… Ideally, also controlled via thermostat, so it only turns on when really necessary!

have you had any issues with your Helix lights getting hot? which size did you have? I believe you had the longest correct?

 

[UncommonSense]

have you had any issues with your Helix lights getting hot? which size did you have? I believe you had the longest correct?

Oh, this is just a freshwater tank; I’m using generic LED shop lights, as plants aren’t quite so picky!

4 X 50w 5ft long 6000k shop lights retrofitted into an old MH/PC reflector array… it works decently, but I’m tempted to redo it much cleaner…