Need help, espcially from fellow Biocube owners

K

kat74

Guest
As you know, I set up a 14 gallon Biocube here at home. I think I have a problem with the fan. Fan isn't working or something. The temperature in my tank is running 83-84 when the lights are on and 79 when the lights are off. I have a 50w stealth heater in the back chamber, but it's unplugged for now, as it's certainly not needed. When I put my hands in the tank, it doesn't FEEL 83-84, but it's what the Coralife Digital thermometer says. We checked the temperature with one of those laser "aim and hold" digital thermometers and it confirms the same temperature.

I have a small yellow watchman goby and some corals in my tank, and so far, they do not seem affected by these temperatures at all. I know that it's not good for the temperature to be that high though.

I sent an e-mail to Central Aquatics, who now handles the warranty problems for Oceanic, but knowing that it's the weekend, I'm probably on my own until it's over.
Is there supposed to be a fan on each side? Because feeling the top of the hood, the right side vent feels very hot and the left side vent is very cool. Obvious, huh??
Soooo.... what do I do?? Right now, I have the lid propped open about 4 inches. Can anyone offer me any suggestions on what to do to keep the temperature more around 80 or so? Use a clip on fan to blow air across the surface? Anything?
My SWF.com Picasso's are arriving in the morning and I don't know what else to do regarding the temp./heat in my Biocube until I hear back from the warranty department and get a replacement fan.

Any help will be greatly appreciated!~
 
K

kat74

Guest
While I am waiting for help.... how about if I only used my actinics? Would that hurt anything too bad? If it would only affect the corals, I could take my corals from the 14 and move them temporarily to my 29 until the temperature problem resolved....

Help?
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Well first that temp isnt necessarily bad, what your problem is, is how quickly it rises and falls. I have found even with 2 working fans that I needed a small clip on fan, when I had the hood on my cube. I opened the rear door and rested a fan there blowing into the tank. I also opened the front of the tank to let the air pass through dispursing the heat. This worked for me, allowing little to no fluctuation in my tanks temperature. Hope this helps...
 
coral keeper

coral keeper

Active Member
Hey KAT74.

The biocubes have 2 fans on each side. One is intake and the other is outtake. Size 14 biocubes have the same kind of fans that the size 8 biocubes have. I have and owned a 8 gallon biocube for 1 year and 1 month so far. I also have VERY big heating problems during the summer. One time the temp went up to 87!!!
So, I got a computer fan and put it on top of the tank where the intake fan is. That solved my heating problem. Here are some pictures. Good luck!

 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
I don't know about the 14 but the 29 has two fans. One pulls air in and one blows it out. Maybe a cig or something to show the flow from the smoke to see if they are working until your hear from central. Open the back hatch over the sump fully and the front feeding hatch as much as you feel comfortable with if you have fish.
 
K

kat74

Guest
On the Biocube, the intake fan area runs cool and the outtake hot? Because that is what it is feeling like to me. I can HEAR the fan running when the daylights come on and can hear them go off when the daylights go off....

PD... on the 14, unlike the hoods on our 29's, there is no rear door that opens. The whole hood just flips up and is on hinges. I'm thinking about going out to get a clip on fan, just don't know where I would put it? Maybe prop the tank open and let it blow across it?

CoralKeeper, so you have heating problems too? I had a 14 gallon Biocube originally and never had any heating problems with it. Maybe we just got wonky tanks.
But yours went up to 87???

spanko, I don't smoke, so no cigs here to test that fan theory out. The 14 doesn't have the rear hatch like the 29's do, the whole hood just opens up. I hate to have to prop the whole hood up because tomorrow I get my Picasso's and I definately don't want them jumping out of any opening!
Ugh... I'm frustrated. The daylights just went out and the temp is 84.8!! I believe that's the highest I have seen it.
Does this mean that I am forever stuck with this problem or is there probably a true problem with the fans? I am thinking of paying someone from my LFS to come over tomorrow to take a look and tell me what they think...

don't mind me, I'm just rambling and trying to figure out something.

Walgreen's just told me they have a 9 inch clip on fan... if I can't get this to be workable with my tank, should I just run actinics until something is figured out?
BTW, thank you to all who have responded...
 
coral keeper

coral keeper

Active Member
Hey, I don't have any problems any more. I used to have them last summer but I solved it my adding a strong computer fan. Get one of those clip on fans and put the fan to blow across the water surface. The corals need daylight and actinics. The corals wont last very long if you keep the daylights off. So, just get a clip on fan and put it so it would blow across the water surface.
 
K

kat74

Guest
Okay, we took apart the casing and the fans ARE working properly, so why isn't it cooling the temperature??
I never had heating problems with my other 14 gallon Biocube and I don't have them in my 29 gallon. I am NOT going to be happy with having to make more modifications to this tank when it's supposed to function properly in the first place!
Keep my hood propped open and have a noisy little fan blowing across the water surface all the time?? I can't deal with that. I'm saying this as I have the hood propped open and a "personal" fan used for joggers blowing across the surface...

Seriously though.... we should not have to be dealing with and modifying our hoods when we are using our tank for what it's supposed to be used for.
Yes, I'm still upset... I'm hoping that Oceanic pulls through and maybe send me another hood with better fans or something, because I KNOW that they don't think that they are going to just send me a replacement fan part and think that I am going to sit here and play with all those wires that are around those fans.

 
matt b

matt b

Active Member
Originally Posted by KAT74
http:///forum/post/2561684
Okay, we took apart the casing and the fans ARE working properly, so why isn't it cooling the temperature??
I never had heating problems with my other 14 gallon Biocube and I don't have them in my 29 gallon. I am NOT going to be happy with having to make more modifications to this tank when it's supposed to function properly in the first place!
Keep my hood propped open and have a noisy little fan blowing across the water surface all the time?? I can't deal with that. I'm saying this as I have the hood propped open and a "personal" fan used for joggers blowing across the surface...

Seriously though.... we should not have to be dealing with and modifying our hoods when we are using our tank for what it's supposed to be used for.
Yes, I'm still upset... I'm hoping that Oceanic pulls through and maybe send me another hood with better fans or something, because I KNOW that they don't think that they are going to just send me a replacement fan part and think that I am going to sit here and play with all those wires that are around those fans.


Send it to me I will fix it... And send it back
 
halostalker

halostalker

Member
well good luck sorry kat can't be any help but what is the temp of ur room where the tank is???
My tank has 4 fans and it has a halide and the temp never rised above 80 and we keep my house pretty warm lke 78.
 
clownfish11

clownfish11

Active Member
try bags of ice and put them in the tank and then mby lower the temp on the heater...for a bit? idk it could help lower it
 
coral keeper

coral keeper

Active Member
Originally Posted by KAT74
http:///forum/post/2561684
Okay, we took apart the casing and the fans ARE working properly, so why isn't it cooling the temperature??
I never had heating problems with my other 14 gallon Biocube and I don't have them in my 29 gallon. I am NOT going to be happy with having to make more modifications to this tank when it's supposed to function properly in the first place!
Keep my hood propped open and have a noisy little fan blowing across the water surface all the time?? I can't deal with that. I'm saying this as I have the hood propped open and a "personal" fan used for joggers blowing across the surface...

Seriously though.... we should not have to be dealing with and modifying our hoods when we are using our tank for what it's supposed to be used for.
Yes, I'm still upset... I'm hoping that Oceanic pulls through and maybe send me another hood with better fans or something, because I KNOW that they don't think that they are going to just send me a replacement fan part and think that I am going to sit here and play with all those wires that are around those fans.


The tank fans do cool itself all on its own and works properly without mods. But when the room temp is high, the fans that are on it cant keep up. People always have heating problems when its summer because the air temp is 80-85F itself and expect the little fans to keep the tank at 80F or lower when the lighting is on and the room temp is at 80-85F+ and the fuge lighting in the back that are on all at the same time.
 
sazarac

sazarac

Member
Ah HA! I'm having heat problems too! It's been driving me batty! I've been holding off getting any fish until I figure it out.
I replaced the stock fans due to noise. But to get silent fans I had to give up RPM and CFM.
(BTW if the stock fans were ball bearing (I didn't notice) they would only last about a year before performance degrades, and it is impossible to tell just by looking)
I ordered 2 new brushless fans last night with a higher RPM and CFM then what I currently have. I believe the stock fans are 2 pin, but an adapter can be purchased, which is what I did. Also, I've done the fans both ways. One in, one out, both out. No difference at all on the heat. I also ordered a new pump, I know the one I have in there is adding heat (not stock).
I found a site that has blower fans small enough to fit in the bc29 hood (60mmx15mm). I have no idea if the fans in the bc14 are the same size. And I found on that "avction place we don't talk about here", someone selling "squirrel" blower fans $30 for one, and $50 for two that just plug into an outlet. Both would need some mods to work well. That will be my plan B, if the fans and pump don't work. I can NOT afford a chiller!
Your water might heat up with just the actinics, those don't have a fan.
You might want to make sure your heater isn't "sticking".
Ice can be used in an emergency, but I'd think it would cause too many temperature fluctuations. If you do go that route, I've heard the long thin plastic ice packs used for water bottles work well. That way you don't have to worry about affecting the salinity with meltwater.
BTW, the fans are "plug and play" Just unscrew and replace. Easy peesey. I've done it twice.
Saz <- also all hot and bothered!
 
K

kat74

Guest
Just checked on the tank and the temperature is 81 with both lights out and only the moonlights on. Don't know what the room temperature is, but it feels about 80 in here.
CoralKeeper.... using the computer fan, is it just a regular 'ol computer fan, and is there anything "special" that it needs to connect to besides a regular outlet? And maybe the room temp is too high? We've got the fans running in the room, so we'll see if that will make a difference.
Matt... This hood doesn't come off like the BC29, and I know that I could probably get my Dad, brother or someone else to put the fan in for me if it comes down to that.
I appreciate the offer though.

Halo... Not sure what the room temp is, but it feels like 80.


ClownFISH11... I'll try the icepack/bottle method if it gets too drastic.

sazarac... Sorry to hear that you are having heating problems too.
I'm gonna try a few different things today and see what, if anything works.
BTW, my heater is no longer in the tank. I just removed it since I obviously don't need it right now!
 
sazarac

sazarac

Member
Turn the ac up. That will make quite a bit of difference. We keep ours at around 76/75, JUST for the tank! If I forget and leave the ac off, it spikes big time.
To jump in a steal the reply from CoralKeeper, no, a standard off the shelf pc fan can not be plugged into an electrical outlet. There are two types of computer fans, the ones that plug into the power supply and the type that plugs into the motherboard. The hood uses the second type. It is a MUCH smaller plug/connection on the end. Teeny weeny.

But maybe it could be attached to an inverter?
I REALLY think your problem is going to come down to the hood fans. I've been trolling ALL the forums since my heat problem, and have read several posts where bc owners have gotten/replaced their fans and had substantial decreases in heat.
Yeah, I read you unplugged the heater. AFTER I replied. I missed it the first time. And you may still need it. You don't want the temp to dip down too low at night. And continually plugging it in and unplugging it can cause problems. But for now, I think you've done the right thing to take it out of the equation.
This heat problem has really bummed me out. I'm continually checking the temp, and every time it gets high, I get more bummed. And it's not even SUMMER yet! argh..
Oh, but congrats on the Picasso's! GORGEOUS fish!
Saz
Originally Posted by KAT74
http:///forum/post/2561897
Just checked on the tank and the temperature is 81 with both lights out and only the moonlights on. Don't know what the room temperature is, but it feels about 80 in here.
CoralKeeper.... using the computer fan, is it just a regular 'ol computer fan, and is there anything "special" that it needs to connect to? It doesn't have to be connected to a computer, does it? Just a regular outlet is okay? And maybe the room temp is too high? We've got the fans running in the room, so we'll see if that will make a difference.
sazarac... Sorry to hear that you are having heating problems too.
I'm gonna try a few different things today and see what, if anything works.
BTW, my heater is no longer in the tank. I just removed it since I obviously don't need it right now!
 
K

kat74

Guest
Tank temp is down to 79 with only moonlights on. I have the hood slightly propped open with a desk fan blowing air across the surface. I just turned the fan off because I don't want the temp to drop lower than that.
 
mojo46825

mojo46825

Member
Kat if your room temp is that high you are going to forever have a stuggle with High temps on your tank with the lights on. And like already posted if you want to only go with one bulb go with the daylight. It has the transformer for the fans wired into it. So you will be running your fans. On my 14 I added another pc bulb and the temps went from 78 at night to 79.4 during the day. The room temp is always about 71 degrees. I did put higher output fans in after teh stock one started making some noise. You could replace the fans with some simple wiring. But like you said. Why should you have too. My experience with Oceanic is that they like to send parts , not hoods. Just a heads up. I have replaced several peoples fans from the lfs. They kinda refer them to me when this happens. I have gotten to know the poeple a little to well I guess. Keep your room temp down and I think this will solve most of your issues. Mojo~
 
K

kat74

Guest
Well, I'm thrilled to say that I no longer have heating issues at the moment in my tank!~

Heater is still out of the tank and this morning, after the temp was 81 with just the moonlights on, I propped the top open and had a desk fan blowing across the surface and after a little while, the temp dropped down to 78 so I turned it off. I was expecting the temp to go between 83-84 again when the actinic and daylights came on, but nope.... 5 hours later, and the temp is 80.4.
The room temp has been between 74-75 today. Maybe we just need to keep the room temperature a little cooler and I won't have those problems again!

THANK YOU to everyone who tried to help me! Your help was greatly appreciated!~
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top