Hands on with the Silent Air: a solution for managing aquarium heat

The Silent Air proportional fan controller is such a simple and effective way to cool an aquarium, it is a wonder why it no one has ever made one before. None of the technology of the Silent Air is cutting edge but this is one piece of aquarium tech that is clearly worth more than the sum of it’s parts. We’ve been using a review unit of the Silent Air and a 12 volt fan kit from MCU Research and we hope they have a lot of these units in stock because this cooling solution is really easy to install, elegant to apply, and very eco-friendly in it’s efficiency.

For starters, the few parts and clearly labeled ports of the Silent Air make for a very eeasy set up; you are not likely to need to look at the directions. The 10′ temperature sensor includes a durable, high quality cord and the probe can be used wet or dry. The fans will start turning at 76F and they will ramp up to 100% when the temperature reaches 82F if the controller is in sump mode or 90F if it is in canopy mode.

We’ve been fortunate to experience mild weather and our aquaria do not get warm enough to really put this gear to the test but trust us when we say this is one affordable heat management solution that really works; in short the Silent Air should start venting heat before temperatures reach critical levels. The MCU Research Silent Air is still going for a cool $69 and the fan kits are $44 for two 3″ fans or $49 for two 4″ fans, available only from Finsreef. Follow the break for more pics and full tech specs.

• Supports up to 8 Computer-Style 12VDC Muffin Fans (2.5 Amps output).
• Super Quiet: 35% Reduction in Fan Noise at 90% Power Level.
• Fans completely Shut Off at 76ºF.
• Wet or Dry Temperature Sensor included- Can be Submerged in Sump or Mounted in Lighting Hood.
• Dual Temperature Range, Switch Selectable: 76-82°F (Sump Mode) 76-90°F (Canopy Mode).
• Accepts Standard Banana Jack Connectors (Available at Radio Shack, etc) or Twist Lock with bare wires.
• Includes Controller, Power Supply, Temperature Sensor, and Hookup Instructions.