condensation on lights every morning?

[danthenewreefman]

My T5 light fixtures sit on top of egg crate, the tank has a HOB overflow so you can imagine the water level sits very close to the bottom of the egg crate.

 

Every morning, I've began to notice that my light bulb reflectors are soaked in water

 

never really noticed because by mid day the bulbs have been on long enough to heat the water away.

 

 

 

Do you think it's evaporation doing it? Should I try using a fan to fix it? Anyone else ever had this happen?

 

My house temp at night is 63-66 F and my tank temp is 78F

[Arc Katana]

It sounds like its not evaporation (which is the water being absorbed into the air) but condensation / splashing from the HOB. A fan would speed evaporation and keep the lights cooler, but it might be easier to simply place a sheet of plastic under the light / over the eggcrate to stop it from splashing. Depending on your lights, it might be easier to get some legs for it and just raise it up 2-3".

 

Good luck

[danthenewreefman]

you're right, it isn't evaporation -- condensation.

 

But it's not splash, the watever coverage is too uniformed.

 

Just curious, never heard anyone else report this as happening.

[danthenewreefman]

will a fan keep the condensation from forming on the reflectors though?

[dling]

Raise the lights a bit higher from the water surface. BTW you do have a splash shield for the lights correct ?

I hope so, I dont see how the water is getting into the reflectors. But I would raise them and see what happens.

[danthenewreefman]

Raise the lights a bit higher from the water surface. BTW you do have a splash shield for the lights correct ?

I hope so, I dont see how the water is getting into the reflectors. But I would raise them and see what happens.

 

 

no splash guards for me, too much heat build up and light reduction.

[dling]

The lights them self should have some sort of splash guard. If not the salt creep gets on the lights a you still get reduced light power and a greater chance of an electrical fire . Power and water dont play well.