Reef Discussion

[potatocouch]

What's your thought of using fan that is constantly ON (or ON by probe) for display tank in reef aquaria?

The fan would (constantly or by temperature probe) blow:

• either across the surface of the agitated water.
• or directly into the surface of the agitated water.

My objectives are:

1. Help to put more oxygen to the water as the surface of agitated water ripples hence help with pH.
2. (if by temperature probe) help to put the temperature down on hot summery weather.

 

[IJG3145]

It will have almost no effect on oxygen levels unless its helping to draw air into an enclosed space. It will help considerably with cooling, you just have to allow for additional evaporation (top ups).

Cheers

 

[macca_75]

No issue.

I have a STC-1000 controller and a fan mounted on the room. Currently the fan is just plugged into a power point and I turn it on manually but the plan if to put it on the "cooling" relay on the controller.

 

[potatocouch]

It will have almost no effect on oxygen levels unless its helping to draw air into an enclosed space.

@IJG3145 *helping to draw air into an enclosed space?* meaning drawing fresh air from outside into the tank room?

 

[Sam Parker]

yeah I have some nice clip on fans that I use in my hood and a Jebao fan set I use on my frag tank.

I have two clip on fans controlled by a STC-1000 that also does my heaters and two that aim directly at my metal halide reflectors for when they are on. Just helps keep temps down, your skimmer should be putting enough oxygen into the water.

 

[potatocouch]

Just helps keep temps down, your skimmer should be putting enough oxygen into the water.

I see. so my theory (or thinking) about more chance of O2 exchange than just surface agitation is inaccurate. I would've thought blowing wind across the surface helps with gas exchange :D

 

[IJG3145]

@IJG3145 *helping to draw air into an enclosed space?* meaning drawing fresh air from outside into the tank room?

I was thinking more of into an enclosed cabinet but the principal still applies. Just opening all the windows in my house effects ph, stabilises it in fact.

I once had a fishroom in an insulated 10ft x 10 ft shed (freshwater) and while heat wasn't too much of a problem, ph was. Eventually someone suggested I put one of those spinning roof vents on the shed and that fixed my ph problem.

A mate of mine bought a bathroom exhaust fan for his fishroom and runs it for 20 minutes every 3 hours on a timer. Seems to work for him.

BTW, all you need for gas exchange to occur is to break the surface tension of the water. Having strong surface movement actually provides more surface area for the exchange to take place otherwise the amount of turbulence would be somewhat irrelevant. (I was a bit of a chemstry nut when I was younger).

Also most people who worry about gas exchange, overlook everywhere else it's happening. overflows, returns, skimmers, over sump baffles and in the sump itself, in fact anywhere the water is moving and breaking tension. The single biggest and important aerator is the skimmer.