Need a new fan

[hawkinsrgk]

Hello Everybody

Well I guess you get what you pay for. I put 2 $8 Walmart clip on fans over the sump and they are not working out that well for me. One of them is starting to get rusty so Im looking for an upgrade.

I not really ready to go all in a get a chiller yet, but was looking for something that would not be too much of an eyesore that I could sit on the top of the tank that may work a little better.

I found a nice blower fan, but its a little large about 1 foot square and would not pass the eyesore test either.

Thought somebody could point me in the right direction.
Thanks
Randy

 

[fsu1dolfan]

Not sure how big you need but Azoo also makes a twin verison that i have on my tank. Work well and easy to adjust.
Azoo Twin Cooling Fan - AquaCave

 

[hawkinsrgk]

Not sure how big you need but Azoo also makes a twin verison that i have on my tank. Work well and easy to adjust.

Thanks for the suggestion. What has your temperature range been by using this fan? Also, what lights do you use?

 

[fsu1dolfan]

I have a sunpod 150 watt single se bulb. I was running around 83-84 during summer and the twin fan dropped my temps under 80. I would usually have it times to come on around an hour after lights on and as soon as the light went off. Seemed to keep my tank pretty stable around 78-79. Since the winter i havent needed it at all. my tank running constant at 79-80. Although florida temps are starting to creep so it might be time to get it back up soon

 

[hawkinsrgk]

Thank you again. Sounds like the 4 fan model may work well for me.

 

[fsu1dolfan]

No problem
FYI, i bought mine used from a reefer so it was cheaper for me...definitely look around to see if you can find one for a better price. Good luck!

 

[phi delt reefer]

if you have any diy skill get four computer fans and hook them up to a wall wart (12 vDC power supply). Very cheap and you can build a better quality unit by using quieter high CFM fans. I would recommend the 120mm Gentle Typhoon units - they push about 40cfm each very quietly. With a little extra diy you can wire them to come on when the lights come on or the temp gets too high.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Check the spec on the four fan model. According to the information I had, two of 2-fan units together may be stonger than a single 4-fan model. Fans are small and quiet.

I have a two fan unit over my 15 gallon tank. It is at least a few years old. It does okay, but my tank is between a upper and lower corner cabinets in my kitchen and blowing air on my fuge inside the upper cabinet. It does bring temp by a few degrees.

Over my 180, I have a six inch fan which I purchased from an online source. It does a good job. It's mounted in my canopy. I also have a small squarrel cage fan by Lasko over my sump as well. With both going, my 180 stays relatively cool in summer (we keep our house temp around 77 during the day in summer.)

I will not go with 4" computer fans running at top speed. My husband complains about the fan whining. I was thinking about slowing down my 4" computer fans (from Radio Shack) by dropping the voltage on the transformer before I got the 6 inch fan.

 

[hawkinsrgk]

Thanks Tomoko. I was looking for a small blower fan ... kinda like you had on your 120, but haven't been able to find one.

 

[phi delt reefer]

Check the spec on the four fan model. According to the information I had, two of 2-fan units together may be stonger than a single 4-fan model. Fans are small and quiet.

I have a two fan unit over my 15 gallon tank. It is at least a few years old. It does okay, but my tank is between a upper and lower corner cabinets in my kitchen and blowing air on my fuge inside the upper cabinet. It does bring temp by a few degrees.

Over my 180, I have a six inch fan which I purchased from an online source. It does a good job. It's mounted in my canopy. I also have a small squarrel cage fan by Lasko over my sump as well. With both going, my 180 stays relatively cool in summer (we keep our house temp around 77 during the day in summer.)

I will not go with 4" computer fans running at top speed. My husband complains about the fan whining. I was thinking about slowing down my 4" computer fans (from Radio Shack) by dropping the voltage on the transformer before I got the 6 inch fan.

problem with fans you are picking up from Radio shack is they bargin basement fans made with low quality components. Noctua ($25) or the Gentle Typhoon($20) fan uses sleeve bearings and high end build components - they are DEAD silent. They have propietary blade designs as well that pushes more air at a slower rpm. Whatever came with your computer is probably a generic computer fan which is why its loud. Squirrel Cage and Blower fans will always be loud(er) by design than a high quality computer fan BUT they push significantly more air so there is a trade off.

 

[SaraB]

Not sure how big you need but Azoo also makes a twin verison that i have on my tank. Work well and easy to adjust.
Azoo Twin Cooling Fan - AquaCave

I've got a new 4 fan unit still in the box I've never used for $35 and add shipping.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

The fan that I had on 120 is a Lasko 4904 pivoting task fan. I did not know that anyone noticed the insignifiant looking fan perched on the corner of the tank. 8Ball had it mounted on a small wood piece and installed it inside his sump area under the tank. It is a strong little fan. I bought it locally at Lowes several years ago, but no one seems to carry them around here any more. It is still sold, but it seems to be a seasonal item. Both Amazon and Neweggs are out of it.

Noctua ($25) or the Gentle Typhoon($20) fan uses sleeve bearings and high end build components - they are DEAD silent.

I have to check them out. A year or so ago, with a help of some people on the other forum, I reviewed spec's of many 120 mm fans. Most of those that deliver a high cfm have high db rating as well. There seemed to be clear linear relationship between cfm and db ratings. My radio shack fans have the same level of db rating as many other fans with same cfm levels. I also recognized that the larger the fan blades, the quieter the fan's going to be. The six inch clip on fan is silent.

 

[hawkinsrgk]

How well did the Lasko 4904 pivoting task fan do at keeping your temperature down. I'm wondering if having one on the top and one beside the sump would do the trick.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

It makes a big difference. If I didn't remember to turn it off on some nights in the fall, my tank temp went down to 74 .

 

[hawkinsrgk]

Thanks again Tomoko. I was not able to find a Lasko 4904 fan but was able to find some close. I went ahead and ordered this Air King 9904 Space Saver Pivoting Personal Blower. It pushes 144 CFM of air and is just a little larger than the one that you had.