Biocube 32 cooling issue solved! - 3D printed.

[rmorris_14]

can the lid still open without having to remove the fan?

 

[Kiboshed]

can the lid still open without having to remove the fan?

Yes if you install it as instructed. Very very important to install with the wording up.

 

[biofish]

My first fan lasted 1.5 years.. it was still working when i replaced it, however it was a bit louder. I blow fresh air in, and use brass screws so there is no corrosion there.
Evaporation IS where the cooling is from... so more evaporation= more cooling. If evaporation is too much for you, you can always get a top off pump and connect it to a jug of RODI water. That's what I do.

 

[biofish]

Yes if you install it as instructed. Very very important to install with the wording up.

YES. you must install with the wording UP, also it helps to look at the bracket and make sure the "Lip" is resting on the bottom of the hood's access hole. This is why i designed it that way, so that the hood could be opened without issue.

 

[Kiboshed]

My first fan lasted 1.5 years.. it was still working when i replaced it, however it was a bit louder. I blow fresh air in, and use brass screws so there is no corrosion there.
Evaporation IS where the cooling is from... so more evaporation= more cooling. If evaporation is too much for you, you can always get a top off pump and connect it to a jug of RODI water. That's what I do.

It's not really bad, but noticable. Since we are on the topic do you have an ATO that you like to use with the Biocube?

 

[biofish]

It's not really bad, but noticable. Since we are on the topic do you have an ATO that you like to use with the Biocube?

I have a JBJ Nano ATO. I put it in the left compartment (the return pump) of my Biocube 32

 

[Kiboshed]

I have a JBJ Nano ATO. I put it in the left compartment (the return pump) of my Biocube 32

That actually works perfect since I want to put a skimmer in the second chamber next to my Intank basket. Fills up all of my back chamber slots efficiently.

Thanks!

 

[Tazman]

Sound Logic. Looking forward to seeing your results. I am developing a design where you can "clip in" the fan rather than using screws. I noticed my screws started rusting due to the salt content in the tank.

Hi biofish,
How’s the new design going ? I would think screwed in would make less noise and plastic dipping the screws would help with the corrosions. Anyway I don’t have a 3D printer and would like to ask if you could make me one. I’ll pay for it. I also have a Biocube 32

 

[chad.wick]

Biocubes are known for their lack of cooling with a hood on. I have solved this by creating a bracket to hold a computer fan in one of the cable ports. It is available on Thingiverse for those of you who have a 3d Printer. Snaps right into place. - Hooked into my Inkbird controller and I never had to worry about overheating again. Just had to re-route all my cables to the other port.

3d File: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4708739
Fan: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CNJ4DYX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If anyone has any questions, let me know.

Question, I purchased both the same fan and clip. However, I'm unable to screw the fan to the clip since the screws are so short. May I ask how you did it? I was going to get new longer screws but want to make sure I'm missing something. Thank you!

 

[Kiboshed]

Question, I purchased both the same fan and clip. However, I'm unable to screw the fan to the clip since the screws are so short. May I ask how you did it? I was going to get new longer screws but want to make sure I'm missing something. Thank you!

Thingverse instructions list 20mm screws. Very important to read the instructions. In my case several times lol

 

[Mmillz81]

Will this bracket fit a 16 gallon bio cube? Does anyone sell them for those of us without a 3d printer?

 

[Asm481]

I would also be interested in purchasing this before summer.

 

[joepdiver11]

Is anyone making these for the 32?

 

[BryanLZ]

Bought the fan and 3D printed bracket.....installs easily and works great! Thanks @biofish

My next task is perfecting my feeding on the Biocube 32. Would you be willing to design a basket that slides down into the opening in the front of the hood for frozen food?

 

[biofish]

Bought the fan and 3D printed bracket.....installs easily and works great! Thanks @biofish

My next task is perfecting my feeding on the Biocube 32. Would you be willing to design a basket that slides down into the opening in the front of the hood for frozen food?

I don't have one specifically for frozen food. But i did design the below one to fit the biocube..

Fish Feeding Ring - Biocube 32 by biofish

Remix from SteeveGLDev design. Made it compatible with a Biocube 32 as well as a generic 20gal RIMMED aquarium. Possibly will fit other rims on different aquariums.The Biocube remix fits in the center front of the aquarium and is positioned below the feed door. It allows the hood to be closed...

www.thingiverse.com

 

[BryanLZ]

I don't have one specifically for frozen food. But i did design the below one to fit the biocube..

Fish Feeding Ring - Biocube 32 by biofish

Remix from SteeveGLDev design. Made it compatible with a Biocube 32 as well as a generic 20gal RIMMED aquarium. Possibly will fit other rims on different aquariums.The Biocube remix fits in the center front of the aquarium and is positioned below the feed door. It allows the hood to be closed...

www.thingiverse.com

That looks nice, however, I need something that works for frozen food.

Would be happy to pay you for your time if you want a new challenge/project.

 

[ImFryd]

Would anyone be able to help me out and 3d print one for me?

 

[just_matt]

@biofish Just wanted to say thanks for this. Absolutely fixed my temperature issues. Grabbed some stainless countersink screws at Lowe's, and used a countersink bit to relieve the face of the bracket to accommodate them.

In return, I want to pass along a tip. I purchased the fan linked upthread, but found it fairly noisy even at its lowest speed, and it seemed to resonate the lid at a tone that I found particularly annoying. I'm also in the "build your own computer" sphere, so I have TWO expensive hobbies. In that arena, one of the best cooling companies around for dead silent builds is Noctua. I went looking for what they offered in this form factor, and found this...

Noctua NF-A4x10 FLX, Premium Quiet Fan, 3-Pin (40x10mm, Brown) (Amazon non-affiliate link)​

I cannot recommend this change enough. It moves as much air (or a little more) as the upthread fan does on its lowest speed, which was plenty to keep my temp where it needed to be, and it is DEAD silent while doing so. And it's really no more expensive than the OP fan. It can be screwed to the bracket like the OP fan, but it also comes with silicone retainers that help with noise transmission, and that's what I used.

Noctua does also make a thicker (20mm vs 10mm) fan (NF-A4x20) that moves more air if you need that, but it's not dead silent like the 10mm (though it is still VERY quiet). Note also that the A4x10 comes with a 3-pin to USB-A adapter cable, but the A4x20 does not, so that would have to be purchased separately if you choose the fat fan.

Thanks again beyond belief for this solution. I owe you beer.

 

[biofish]

@biofish Just wanted to say thanks for this. Absolutely fixed my temperature issues. Grabbed some stainless countersink screws at Lowe's, and used a countersink bit to relieve the face of the bracket to accommodate them.

In return, I want to pass along a tip. I purchased the fan linked upthread, but found it fairly noisy even at its lowest speed, and it seemed to resonate the lid at a tone that I found particularly annoying. I'm also in the "build your own computer" sphere, so I have TWO expensive hobbies. In that arena, one of the best cooling companies around for dead silent builds is Noctua. I went looking for what they offered in this form factor, and found this...

Noctua NF-A4x10 FLX, Premium Quiet Fan, 3-Pin (40x10mm, Brown) (Amazon non-affiliate link)​

I cannot recommend this change enough. It moves as much air (or a little more) as the upthread fan does on its lowest speed, which was plenty to keep my temp where it needed to be, and it is DEAD silent while doing so. And it's really no more expensive than the OP fan. It can be screwed to the bracket like the OP fan, but it also comes with silicone retainers that help with noise transmission, and that's what I used.

Noctua does also make a thicker (20mm vs 10mm) fan (NF-A4x20) that moves more air if you need that, but it's not dead silent like the 10mm (though it is still VERY quiet). Note also that the A4x10 comes with a 3-pin to USB-A adapter cable, but the A4x20 does not, so that would have to be purchased separately if you choose the fat fan.

Thanks again beyond belief for this solution. I owe you beer.

Good to hear. I might try one of those fans out. While my fan is not super noisy, if the room is quiet, I do hear it go on.
Putting it in my shopping list.

Next time you’re in Chattanooga, I’ll take you up in that beer!

 

[KittyKibbles]

Does anyone have results on the average temp drop? I am in FL and trying to cool my tank enough to safely keep some CPDs