Cooling Fan needed?

[seadub1]

I have a 4 bulb IceCap 660 over my 55. The canopy is hanging above the tank and there is about 5" between the water and the bulbs. I have an open top so my water temp raises about 2 degrees when they are on. I have the ballast attached to the canopy about 1" above the fixture. My set up is in the basement, so it's probably between 65 - 70 degrees most of the time. Is it necessary to have a cooling fan?

[210reefer]

If those temps are from today then you will likely need a fan or 2 in the summer in Illinois, I did when I had a 55 in our basement in northern IL several yrs ago. When I upgraded to a 90 it was less of an issue and now with my 210 it is even less of an issue so volume plays a key factor as well.

[stevek480]

Yeah I'd say a 2 degree swing isn't much concern, but you will probably need one in summer.

Is your ballast inside your canopy? If so, you might want to think about moving it out to the back of the canopy or something. I don't think all the moisture in there will be very good for the ballast.

[jdthomas24]

+1 on ballast location.. Proper air to cool the unit will be needed. if its electronic which is sealed then moisture doesnt matter but the heat does. you life cycle will be shorter if the unit gets to hot all the time..save yourself some trouble and relocate it

[seadub1]

Ok, the ballast isn't in a sealed location (the canopy top is open), but it is warm (not hot) so I'll move it. In some of the reading I've done I've noticed that some suggest you need the fan to cool the bulbs...is this true?

[sedor]

Although 2 degrees isn't much of a swing stability is what we strive for and a fan should help you do just that. A fan will keep the temp down and your heater will keep it up and the goal is not to see much of a change at all. I run 2 250 MHs in a closed canopy with 2 fans and my temp swings from 77.9 - 78.1 when the lights go on...not bad. The trick is to get the air flowing under the bulbs so they can "carry" the heat out with them. You may need to raise your fixture a little bit.

[seadub1]

Thanks for the advice, Ryan!
Cindy