muffin fans

[goldenrose]

I'm taking the plunge & setting up a terrarium for masdies & dracs. I'm looking into muffin fans & assuming I want ones where the motor is enclosed in plastic (due to the humidity) vs. those that are open. Even so how long might they last before needing replacement?
Thanks guys.

 

[NYEric]

Yes, that would be better, they're available at radioshack.
BTW, make sure that it's not fully enclosed or else you will steam your plants. Good luck.

 

[goldenrose]

Thanks Eric! I'm surprised you're the only one to respond , I know there are more the have enclosed cases that they grow in! The other thought was to leave it outside of the terrarium, blowing down but I think I'll lose too much humidity?

 

[NYEric]

I tried a terrarum, 55 gallon w/ fan, ultrasonic fogger, and pump circulating water. All I got was some invunerable algae creature and some steamed pleurothalids. Inside the heat build up is too great without venting to the outside continually.

 

[arcticshaun]

I used regular computer muffin fans running off a 12 volt power supply. I do get corrosion where the wire is soldered to the motor connections. I will have try a dab of grease or something to minimize the corrosion. The top of my tank is open with 3 fans running inside. Mister comes on for 15 minutes about 6 times a day. Originally I salvaged fans from old computers but now I just buy a couple from computer parts store whenever I'm low (they last at least a year without any corrosion proofing). More air movement has been critical in preventing rot.

Shaun

 

[goldenrose]

Thanks Shaun! What is the size of your tank/enclosure? I'm starting out with an aquarium that's 24" long, 18" high & 12" wide. I'm thinking a 3-3.5" fan should suffice, as I don't want to windwhip the plants! There are quite a few listings for muffin fans on ebay but I'm trying to decide what I need & want. If all goes well with my 4 trial plants in this setup then this summer I'm gonna toss the 2 remaining fantails out to the pond & use the 70 gal. aquarium, which should make an awesome display. Do you use fungicides on a monthly(+/-) basis as a preventative or if the air movement is right, then it's not needed?

 

[Ron-NY]

I bet you can get away with 2 fans with that size tank. I wish to build a Pleuro tank as well. I have been gathering materials, just need to find the time. I want to make it a natural looking environment, just not a case to keep potted plants in. I purchased a four foot, 4 light T5 unit for it and plan on a waterfall and pond. Trying to decide on if I am going to do auto watering.

 

[Rick]

I also use them in my pleuro case (3X3X1) with humidity in the 70 to 80% range, but they do not get any water sprayed on them.

They are salvaged out of old computers. So can't tell how old they were to start with, and I finally had one seize up after about 2 years of use in the case.

Mine are also 12 volt units. For the price they can't be beat!!

The main humidification unit is actually a mini wet pad with a salvaged refrigerator fan pushing air past the wet pad. Its been in use for over 3 years now, and the refrigerator was over 10 years old when I took the fan out of it.

I use no fungicides

 

[arcticshaun]

No fungicides here either. I'm growing in a 48" x 18" x 18" tank with no lid on and a dual 48" shop light on top (also lit by CFL's). Humidity is provided by a mister unit in a ceramic bowl set to be on for 15 minute intervals throughout the day as well from water trapped in eggcrate across tank bottom. One fan blows across the mister and resevoir while two others are hanging from the top and don't blow directly on leaves. With the lids on I can maintain much higher humidity 75-95% but due to spikes growing too tall and damage to plants I have removed them (now only 55-75%, but I mist/spray manually as well). I've tried to inject cooler air from outside but not very successfully. My saving grace for this type of setup is my cool-ish basement which is warmer in the winter and cooler during summer months when I turn off my furnace. My grow area doesn't usually experience extremes in temperature (outside +32 to -48 degrees C, inside +27 to +12 degrees C). Another benefit is that by keeping the resevoir full a plant sitter can maintain my most thirsty orchids when I do travel.

Here's part of it, mostly Pleurothallids on right and Miltoniopsis and Oncidium intergerics on left.

Shaun

 

[cnycharles]

sorry, didn't see post sooner

another way to get air moving but not pointing the fan directly on them is to simulate a jet fan tube that's in a greenhouse. either inside or over the top, put the fan on one side of the tank pointing across. attach it to one end of a pipe like pvc or make a roll of plastic and seal the other end. put holes in the pipe where you want air to come out, or buy the pvc drain pipe that already has holes spaced about 30˚ or so facing downwards to direct your air flow. also you can have something like a bathroom vent fan unit, a tub filled with water with a floating ultrasonic humidifier in it, a cover over the top and the bathroom fan on top over a hole, and then tubing pointing into your case or cart. also if you have glass cutting tools you can put a fan on one side of the tank sealed to it but blowing out, and another tube with humidifier on other long side blowing in, and cover top. air movement and pressure will pull moist air through the tank but never have a fan blowing on plants.

I believe some aquarium places or people might have cutting equipment for use to put cooling tubes of chilling units that go into and out of an aquarium, to stabilize the temps increased by high output lighting units. if have high output or just regular bright lights over tank but want to keep it cooler if you can find some of the film that reflects or blocks infrared light/heat from getting in glass but lets light through, that might help keep the heat down

also for short periods if you want to cool a tank, you could put large reusable ice packs into a water container and move some air across it

 

[goldenrose]

Thanks for the input guys, you're giving me some ideas, they may not apply to this smaller tank but can be useful if & when I go to the big tank! I do happen to have 2 small 12v. fans, so I'm putting one to use & have a backup. I'll be going by a Radio shack tomorrow, so I'll check out what they have. I've been playing around with venting, I shouldn't have a problem with keeping the humidity up. Now all I need is the plants ...... Saturday is almost here!!!!

 

[biothanasis]

Good news... and good luck...

 

[goldenrose]

Radio Shack was useless! The guy there knew nothing about wiring. I figured there should be some adapter to plug my 12v. fans into, so I could then plug it into my household current. It seems this would be more economical than to use a $70 Die Hard!

 

[biothanasis]

Did you do what he suggested or what you said??? You can take the fans to any electrician and tell him/her to connect the two fans on a power converter/adapter so that they share one and the same plug!!!! I think there are some kinds that you can choose from...!!!!! (I do not know if this was what you wanted..lol)

 

[cnycharles]

Radio Shack was useless! The guy there knew nothing about wiring. I figured there should be some adapter to plug my 12v. fans into, so I could then plug it into my household current. It seems this would be more economical than to use a $70 Die Hard!

at radio shack they have a multi-adapter thingy where on plug transformer it has different voltages and milliamperes if I remember right. on the other end of the wire there are a good number of adapters connectors that will hook onto the power intake of your battery operated device; pick the one that matches the voltage you need and cut off the specific adapter and splice those wires to the fan, then set the power switch on the transformer to the desired speed you want the fan to be at. there may be only one switch, don't remember exactly. it may not matter which connector you cut off as power goes to them all, will just have to slide the switch on the transformer until you get the speed you want. you can always just buy the ac fans there and splice a regular power cord to it. I have one like this I haven't hooked up yet and an older one that is dc powered and hooked up to the spliced transformer

 

[goldenrose]

Thanks Charles! I think I probably need to try another Radio Shack. My husband found one thru Grainger but at $40, now add a second one for backup & I could buy another Die Hard! I hope these pleuros appreciate it!