Problems under 180 hood--mold!!

[Canarygirl]

I've been running my 180 about 8 months now and the hood was custom built for me. It's tight-fitting and only has an air slit in the back across the length of the 72" canopy. Fans (2 computer fans) are on one side of the air slit and run during the light cycle.

The problem is that so much humidity is building up under the hood that it has started to trip my GFCI for the lighting and powerheads, and now I see that black mold has grown all over the inside of the hood! I have to take care of this immediately before my corals and fish are poisoned by mold spores (that's my worry anyway).

If you were me, would you build a new hood with cross-ventilation and more fans, remount existing T-5 lights? Or scrap the idea of a hood and buy hanging fixtures, and find some other way to protect the fish from jumping out, like an eggcrate top?

I'm assuming it's not a good idea to try to clean off the mold from the existing hood and cut more ventilation slits etc. because there's no telling how deep the roots of the mold go, and it might just grow back (?). Tell me if you think differently.

Of course, cost is a consideration. Hanging LED light fixtures would be nice but I'm not sure I could afford it! Your advice is much appreciated!

Jan

 

[TruReef]

Try letting the fans run at night as well. Humidity is still in there day and night, if you don't get it out somehow it will cause problems.

If that doesn't work, Can you cut new holes in either end of the canopy for your fans?

You should be able to kill the mold in there. Take it off the tank and outside. Spray a light bleach solution on the mold area and let dry a few days. You could seal it some way
to prevent mold again. Use mold resistant paint like Killz.

I have two fans on either side of the canopy, 1 in and 1 out. No humidity problems. and my hood is not sealed with any killz, just stained on the inside.

 

[Canarygirl]

thanks, TruReef. That sounds like a reasonable approach--I'll give it a shot.

 

[Unome]

Just make sure if you do use Kilz that you are in a WELL ventilated place. I used some in a bathroom once. I had the door closed & a window open with a fan blowing out. My wife was in bedroom on other side of the house with door closed and she still smelled it. It also caused her to get a migraine headache.