MY tank is running at 26C/78F I put 2 12v fans in the back of the hood last weekend to slow down evaperation and stop it getting on the light cover but since then I have noticed the water leval in the sump is going down faster is this because of the fans ?
cooling fans
- Thread starter TEL
- Start date
Air flow across water causes rapid evaporation. (and cooling)
If you are trying to just cool the lights try turning down the fan speed or running just one. Make sure the airflow isn't striking the water surface. You can also cover your tank with glass. This will greatly reduce evap. It will reduce the oxygen transfer too which won't be a problem if your tank isn't heavily loaded but otherwise could be. You will also have to watch for a surprising temp increase as the evaporation is cut.
If you are trying to just cool the lights try turning down the fan speed or running just one. Make sure the airflow isn't striking the water surface. You can also cover your tank with glass. This will greatly reduce evap. It will reduce the oxygen transfer too which won't be a problem if your tank isn't heavily loaded but otherwise could be. You will also have to watch for a surprising temp increase as the evaporation is cut.
Running the tank at 78 - 80F isn't a problem, unless you're housing colder water species. Issues tend to arise for most people if temperatures exceed 85F for an extended period of time. I run our reef tank at 81 - 83F all the time without any problems.
Just an FYI but the configuration of the fans makes a difference as well. If you have an enclosed canopy, ideally the fans should pull the air from inside the canopy rather than push. If the configuration is setup to push the air, the air flow actually drives the heat into the water.