Next newbie question...

[DanielHoerr]

Ok, how does everyone feel about aquarium chillers?

We have our tank out of direct sunlight, and in our living room where the AC kicks pretty good. It's about 75-78 in the room, but about 82-83 in the tank. I know we're over the recommendation for temp and am curious how people get the temp down.

Does anyone have experience with chillers? Which one(s) are recommended/recommended against? They seem pretty pricey, is there better and more economical methods to regulate your water temp?

I don't want to make the same mistake we made on the protein skimmer, which BTW, we ordered the AquaC Remora today. YAY!


Thanks,
Daniel:p

[mogurnda]

82-83 is tolerable. I use 84 as my "start to worry" temperature. Before spending hundreds on a chiller, fans are a good start, though. Directed at the water surface, the increased evaporation helps cool the tank. Even just blowing at the tank will help carry away heat from the lights and pumps, and may bring it down a few degrees.

[Cearbhaill]

I'm in a hot climate with electric bills to prove it- avoiding the use of a chiller has been a challenge but I think I've got it.

First- raise the thermostat on your heater so the water temperature never gets below 81ºF at night. Then when your water gets warmer during the photoperiod at least it rises only a small 1-2-3 degree increment. It's not the high temps that get you- it's the wide swing between the high and the low.
So with a minimum of say 81º, a rise to 83-84º isn't quite as drastic as if the temps fell a great deal in the night.

I raised my lighting high enough to blow a fan across the surface- I have to top off much more frequently but them's the breaks. I also have a fan blowing over my sump as well as a ceiling fan in the room.

We're trying for stability more than anything, and while you may run into an item or two that doesn't do well (although nothing comes to mind) most will be absolutely fine.

[mygreengoldfish]

I've found that a pair of electric fans from an electronics store works great. I have them set up to blow air across the water surface and at the metal halide bulb. Even on an 85 degree day with lights on the temperture rises 2 degrees max but the water evaporates really quick.