Science about cooling area?

[Miami Reef]

I have a canopy with 2 6 bulb ATI T5s inside. I’m having a mild overheating issue, so I drilled 4 vents on the top of the canopy to get air exchange.

I want to place fans to cool down the lights. I know that hot air travels up and cool stays low, so the hot air will naturally gas off above the canopy.

What will cool the light area more:

1) Adding fans that are placed to point horizontally in between the water surface and light bulbs?

2) adding fans that face horizontally to hit the area on top of the fixture?

3) adding a fan that sits on top of the vent which blows toward the ceiling to extract the hot air from the canopy out?

The AC person said the best way is to face the fans toward the ceiling to extract the hot air.

 

[Gp!]

You want the air to blow on the heatsink fins if you are trying to cool the light fixtures

 

[Miami Reef]

You want the air to blow on the heatsink fins if you are trying to cool the light fixtures

Is that the top of the fixture?

 

[Gp!]

Sorry, that was a generalized answer "for science" - for example, the radiator in a car is placed in the front so that air is forced over it. An air cooled computer puts a fan on the heatsink attached to the cpu while a water-cooled computer puts the fans on a remote radiator. Or what have you.

It could be design specific. I'm not familiar with those lights in particular. However they likely cool from above. If they have their own active cooling fans then air movement from where they draw would be effective as well. If the problem is "mild" you would probably be fine with the most cosmetically appealing solution.

However, if you had someone with HVAC knowledge look at it in person you should probably take their advice and move on. But you can post pictures if you like