14g Biocube Fans

[SkinnyArtist]

I've been looking around for some fan replacements for my 14 gallon Biocube.

Currently with the lights on during the day, the temperature is peaking at 84 degrees. It's not terrible, but I'd prefer to keep it around 80-82 degrees. When winter comes around, the temperature certainly won't be any issue at all and I'll probably actually have to run the heater quite a lot to keep the temperature up (my room's ambient temperature drops to the upper 60's in the winter months).

But it's not going to hurt to plan for the future and if I can find a new set of fans that will lower the temperature by 2 or 3 degrees that'd be fantastic.

I already tried switching both fans to be exhaust rather than one intake and one exhaust to see if that had any affect, but it doesn't.

The problem though is finding an easy to install set of fans that will simply replace the existing ones without the need of dealing with wiring beyond unplugging the old ones and plugging the new ones in.

I've tried the past several days to search around for recommended replacements online, and the best suggestions I've found come from Nanotuners, but they appear to require some wiring knowledge beyond what I'd probably comfortable with.

Any suggestions?

[Fishboy321]

figure out a way to elevate your hood a bit like an inch or two above were it is now, could help? i had a heating issue with my cube was going to that but never got around to it

[SkinnyArtist]

It's a possibility, and so is just leaving the feeding hood open. However, I find that look extremely unattractive.

My main concern is just how many pins are used in the stock fans. I'm fairly sure they're 2 pin, and pretty much any other fan you can buy that will fit the hood (50mm) is 3 or 3/4 pin.

I'm told that you "just don't have to have the 3rd pin connected" because it's to monitor the RPM, but I'm concerned that's going to require me to do cut and/or splice wires.

Has anyone simply unscrewed the stock fans and just plopped in new ones with 3 pins? Do they simply "plug in" to the 2 pin connectors?

[cody6766]

cutting and splicing wires is no big deal. Just make sure they're twisted tight and taped up well and you'll be just fine.

You may drill a few holes in the sides of your splash guard to help air flow in the tank too. I did that and dropped a degree or so w/my MH retrofit.

[SkinnyArtist]

Would you happen to know if the fans in the 14g run on AC or DC?

From what I'm finding, it shouldn't be terribly difficult to take it from 3 pins to the 2 pins, but the bigger issue is having to rework the power supply if the stock system runs on AC and not DC.

[sedor]

Check out: http://www.nanotuners.com/

I would look for more powerful fans. They are made for cubes so you shouldn't have a problem finding plug and play equipment.

[SkinnyArtist]

That's the problem with Nanotuners, the ones they offer, aside from replacements of the stock fans, aren't plug and play. They appear to require modification and come with a DC power supply.

So I can only assume the stock fans run on AC, so if I truly wanted plug and play, I need 50mm 2 pin AC fans, or at least 50mm 3 pin AC fans and I just wouldn't connect the third pin for the RPM control.

I'm hoping someone who has done some mods to the fans themselves by replacing them would have some input. I definately want something more powerful than what's in there, and I wouldn't mind getting some longer screws to install something thicker than the 10mm stock fans.

I just want the easiest thing to pop in there, basically.

[cody6766]

the fans are 12v DC IIRC.

[SkinnyArtist]

Really? That's fantastic. So then I can pretty much buy any 50mm 3 pin fan. That makes life a lot easier.

Thanks Cody.