Show me your stand / sump fan ventilations

Fishingandreefing · Mar 24, 2020

So, I am trying to either purchase or diy a fan to draw out the moisture in the stand where the sump is for my Red Sea 350.

I am thinking getting a couple or three of them computer fans, cut the pin wires and hook up a 12V adapter.

Show me how yours look like or how do you deal with the moisture

divermike_99 · Mar 25, 2020

i built a temp controled fan in my stand build and you can see the display for stand temp and controll features on right side

Fishingandreefing · Mar 25, 2020

divermike_99 said:
i built a temp controled fan in my stand build and you can see the display for stand temp and controll features on right side

Nice. Just curious how you are going to level the stand with the wheels on if you leave them there.

Click to expand...

divermike_99 · Mar 25, 2020

it is level as it stands, but could use shims under wheels if needed

AlexG · Mar 25, 2020

Dealing with moisture a fan will help some but I would consider making covers for the sump to keep the evaporation and salt spray down. A good computer fan will last a year or two and there are some other small fans you can get but they might produce more noise.

Fishingandreefing · Mar 25, 2020

AlexG said:
Dealing with moisture a fan will help some but I would consider making covers for the sump to keep the evaporation and salt spray down. A good computer fan will last a year or two and there are some other small fans you can get but they might produce more noise.

Prob just throw a piece of acrylic on the top

AlexG · Mar 25, 2020

Fishingandreefing said:
Prob just throw a piece of acrylic on the top

I will help a lot and the fan can help vent heat from any equipment housed in the stand. Just make sure that air has a method to flow into the cabinet along with an optional air filter to keep some dust out.

Fishingandreefing · Mar 25, 2020

AlexG said:
I will help a lot and the fan can help vent heat from any equipment housed in the stand. Just make sure that air has a method to flow into the cabinet along with an optional air filter to keep some dust out.

It’s crazy how much moisture it can get when the doors are closed. I shut off the pump and let it overnight, this morning, I can see moisture already form on the surface.

AlexG · Mar 25, 2020

Fishingandreefing said:
It’s crazy how much moisture it can get when the doors are closed. I shut off the pump and let it overnight, this morning, I can see moisture already form on the surface.

Yes it will form quickly and the ambient temperature and humidity will play a role in evaporation. That is why I have covers on my main sump tanks as the water agitation from the overflows and skimmer generate lots of mist. When I pickup a cover it normally looks like its raining inside the sump from the cover.

Reefpharmer · Apr 11, 2020

How do you prevent the acrylic from bowing ?

Fishingandreefing · Apr 11, 2020

Reefpharmer said:
How do you prevent the acrylic from bowing ?

Not going to use acrylic cover. My brother built me a ventilation unit by using two old computer fans and working out like a charm. However, I try to use a timer to set it 2hr on 2 hr off, still has moisture so I leave it on 24/7.

Fishingandreefing · Apr 11, 2020

Picture

FortReef · Apr 12, 2020

To help extend the fan life set it up to draw fresh dry air in instead of pulling moist air out.

Fishingandreefing · Apr 12, 2020

FortReef said:
To help extend the fan life set it up to draw fresh dry air in instead of pulling moist air out.

I am not too worry about the fans being out if they can last for about a year. What do you use to draw out the moisture air then?

FortReef · Apr 12, 2020

Fishingandreefing said:
I am not too worry about the fans being out if they can last for about a year. What do you use to draw out the moisture air then?

The same fans. Just have them suck air into the stand. If it’s sealed well you’ll need a vent but it won’t corrode the fan motor as fast.

Fishingandreefing · Apr 12, 2020

FortReef said:
The same fans. Just have them suck air into the stand. If it’s sealed well you’ll need a vent but it won’t corrode the fan motor as fast.

I am just going to stick with my set up as of now and see. If I need to replace them every year then it wouldn’t be too much. Thanks for the idea tho

Tastee · Apr 15, 2020

Reefpharmer said:
How do you prevent the acrylic from bowing ?

If you want a plastic cover then use polycarbonate, not acrylic. It will not warp as acrylic will due to moisture.

Futuretotm · May 20, 2020

Fishingandreefing said:
Picture

This is exactly what I’m trying to do
I like the idea of pulling in fresh air with the fans instead of pulling salty air out... to make them last longer

thanks @FortReef

Fishingandreefing · May 20, 2020

Futuretotm said:
This is exactly what I’m trying to do
I like the idea of pulling in fresh air with the fans instead of pulling salty air out... to make them last longer

thanks @FortReef

Oh no. I am pulling air out. Without constant venting air out, the inside of the stand gets wet. I have tried it one hour on one hour off, and didn’t work. It’s now working great.

Barnabie Mejia · May 21, 2020

I have two of these fans I got on amazon and wired in a temp switch to them with an optional over ride if needed. I mounted the body on the backside of the tank so it would make it easier to swap them out when the time comes. and I also have another fan the ventilates the controller cabinet of heat that has its own temp probe that increases speed if needed (reef octopus)