Large tank owners and reef vets i need your opinion

[lilc64]

So my house is coming together nicely and i still plan on building my 96*30*30 tank peninsula, just told the builder i needed a dedicated breaker install where im placing the tank and i told them i need a humidity fan installed above where the tank will be. My question to you is do i really need to have this duct/fan installed above the tank if i still plan on getting a dehumidifier to sit in the room? Most tanks i see have some kind of ducting installed venting the tank to the fish room, since i dont have a fish room i thought it would be smart to have this installed just like the one in the bathroom. Tell me what you think guys, all input appreciated.

 

[tom obrecht]

If you are in the building phase and have the opportunity I definitely would install the fan. A fan will take a lot of humidity out of the hood and perhaps even keep you from using a dehumidifier. Many builders are clueless when it comes to aquarium builds so you may have to take them step by step thru the process. I think it would be worth the time and money to install it now while you have things opened up.

 

[lilc64]

Thanks tom i too believe its a good decision but wanted to make sure i was cutting an extra hole in the ceiling for nothing if i had a dehumidifier in the room.

 

[BigOldReef]

If you are building, than I would have more than one dedicated breaker installed. Break things down more, so that in the event something fails and trips the breaker the entire tank doesn't shut down.

Don't let the builder put in a bathroom fan... Too noisy...Have him find you an inline turbine fan. While the fan blades are plastic the motors are not. Although the inline turbine fans have plastic housings. But make sure this fan is put somewhere accessible because its going to be an item that will need replacing at some point.

 

[dahenley]

breaker for half the lights and a second for the other lights. (split some lights and some equipment on one, and same on the other)
then have a 3rd for sump and extras.

if your running halides on a 8 ft tank, its going to take 4. which will pull almost 20 amps if using mag ballasts and less for electronic, which is a full breaker!
thats not including sumps skimmers pumps and what not.
and thats not any safety or fail safes.

a dehumidifier is like an air conditioner. it uses a lot of electricity and can be noisy. also, if there is a lot of humidity, you will need a dirrect drain because it will pull a lot of water out of the air.
so its better to throw in a hole for an exhaust fan.

i just installed a 6" suction fan (like what people use with hydroponics) in my 240 (8x2x2) tank and it can keep my tank cool with only a few deg fluxuation. (about 3 deg which isnt bad for 3-400w lights and 4-VHO's.) im going to be installing a 4th 400W light which will push my temps up more.... but thats just life.

 

[lilc64]

hmm this is the fan i wanted to put in http://www.amazon.com/Electronics-V...41973021&sr=1-1&keywords=humidity+sensing+fan think thats a bad choice

 

[dahenley]

this is what i installed
http://www.amazon.com/EcoPlus-Supreme-Inline-Fan-440CFM/dp/B004JKFP2A/ref=sr_1_3?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1341976742&sr=1-3&keywords=ecoplus++fan

 

[dahenley]

before i installed that fan, i had a regular fan blowing in my canopy with all the doors open and still had temps up to 86 deg..... (which isnt recommended)

now i can keep all doors closed and it never gets above 82 deg.
well worth the 110$

 

[lilc64]

nice ill check that out

 

[cmclean06]

I'm with Dahenley on the fan, I run the same one and it's definitely cut back my costs. CM