Heat Issues

[Becca]

My new Exo-Terra Setup (18 x 18 x 24) has been up and running since about Novemeber or early December. I bought some really cool T5 lights, a 2ft 8-bulb set up. I closed off the top of the tank with a piece of acrylic to help keep the humidity in, and I have no problems with the humidity. What I have a problem with is the dang heat put out from the lights! I have a small Coralife fan hanging from the acrylic ceiling, and it barely creates a breeze so it does little to help cool the inside. It has been getting up around 96-98 during the day. While most of the 'chids inside don't seem to mind the temps and have been growing like weeds, I am still concerned. Most are Cattleyas and Dendrobiums and a few various other 'chids that do well in intermediate to warm temps. I am afraid I am going to cook them with the heat. I need help with solutions. I have been thinking of adding another fan, but I really think that would help more with air circulation then heat. My lights are vented on the tops and I don't really have a way to put a fan on them that I can think of since there is little room between the lights and the top of the tank, the lights basically sit on the tank. Please Please someone help me come up with a good solution that isn't ugly!!!!

[Ross]

Wow! That's high! Mine doesn't get that high in summer. So we need a solution. I am totally convinced the answer is how the fan blows through the lights.

First of all, you understand t5 lights run at 95 degrees F, correct? Thus the temperature climb. The solution is to evacuate all the heat before it radiates to the tank, which, in your case isn't happening.

I think I sent you a pic as how I do it with mine The fan is upper part of pic just at right of t5 bank. Yours might need 2 fans because it is twice as wide as mine. The fan is adjusted to blow directly through the tubes all the time the light is on. You must run it constantly when the lights are on. Any further help, let me know.

[Becca]

Originally Posted by Ross

Wow! That's high! Mine doesn't get that high in summer. So we need a solution. I am totally convinced the answer is how the fan blows through the lights.

First of all, you understand t5 lights run at 95 degrees F, correct? Thus the temperature climb. The solution is to evacuate all the heat before it radiates to the tank, which, in your case isn't happening.

I think I sent you a pic as how I do it with mine The fan is upper part of pic just at right of t5 bank. Yours might need 2 fans because it is twice as wide as mine. The fan is adjusted to blow directly through the tubes all the time the light is on. You must run it constantly when the lights are on. Any further help, let me know.

Ross,
The only fan I have is on the inside of the tank and it hangs from the acrylic glass. I guess I could try a clip on fan on the outside of the tank to run on the lights, would that work? Otherwise, unless I lift the lights some how, there is not enough room to put a fan like you have on the lights.

[Ross]

Originally Posted by Becca

there is not enough room to put a fan like you have on the lights.

Becca, ther is always enough room, depends on how it's done I made a couple aluminum clips that bolted to the fan and bent them to fit under the end of the light fixture. Can your hubby do this? Show him the photo, and if he needs more details, I'll retake the photo to show the details of how this is done. I will be on you to cool down those lights, 'cause that's the source of the problem

[Becca]

Ok I will show him the picture and if he needs more details I will let you know, he can jimmy-rig just about anything....lol...I love handy people! Also, I was thinking about hanging my light just about an inch from the tank as well to see if that might help. I am afraid the moisture will still get trapped inside so one idea, not my idea I so I won't take credit for it, is to cut a hole in the top acrylic piece and insert a fan in the hole to push or pull air through. The problem is trying to figure out how to mount the fan in the hole, and will it cause a problem of allowing to much humidity to escape, thus the reason I have the acrylic piece on top.

[Ross]

Still think you need to blow the heat away by running fans thru the lights. Just my opinion. Any hole you make in the tank top will let more heat through than you can exhaust.

[Becca]

I just talked to my hubby.....he sounds sooo thrilled let me tell you....lol.....his first reaction was there is no way to put a fan running air through the lights and that fans I have aren't strong enough, so I said I would get a stronger one...lol. And he didn't like the idea of hanging my lights either.....it will put a hole in our newly painted room....lol.

[Ocelaris]

So the lights are outside?

how about a little stilt for the lights? then you can get a fan underneath them...




Are you pulling in fresh air through the tank regularly? That always helps me keep ambient temps at least...

If you wanna go high tech $$$ I am considering a 1/10th to 1/5th water chiller like they use for aquariums, and radiators to move heat through the system...

Chillers:


Then you make a water cooling kit like they use for overclocking computers, little radiator, and small pump to drive the system... It's expensive, but I've played with peltiers and other complicated cooling solutions, and they're just not powerful enough.

[Becca]

I haven't done anything as of yet, I moved the orchidarium to a different spot in the room since we were repositioning some other furniture and the temps have been a little cooler since moving it, the highs have been around 90 instead of 98. I don't have a way to move in fresh air from the outside with a fan since the sides are all glass. I may try hanging the lights still and positioning a fan on them. I need to keep the top on to keep humidity in the tank. I will probably start brainstorming more this week to see what else I can do to help the situation. Thanks for the idea's!