Aquarium Chiller help please - My water is getting over 80 degrees even with no heater
- Thread starter thespsguy
- Start date
I would start at the very beginning and ask you what are your goals for this system? Fish only, soft coral tank, full blown SPS reef? It matters. Yes adding a chiller would reduce your water temps but selecting the right equuptment to get the job done is important. I'm not trying to bash you just trying to help you get a tank your happy with.. your lights are heating your tannk.
What kind of coral do you have? SPS, LPS, soft corals? My tank is a 120g soft coral, no chiller. I run a room a.c. on the hottest summer days. My summer tank high was about 84 with no coral issues. My winter temp is about 75. I think it large temp swings that will cause the greatest issues. Then again I choose soft corals because they are very forgiving creatures.
dz6t
Acro Garden, BRS Sponsor
It depends on what temperature you want to maintain.
For chillers, first of all you need to pipe the exhaust hot air out side, otherwise it just heat up your room and in turn gives the heat back to your tank.
If you have AC in the summer, there is no need for a chiller.
Second, simply put a fan blowing on the surface of the water will bring down temperature a lot. The fan can be installed on the sump or main display. There are inexpensive clip on fans for this purpose.
Third, unless the chiller has titanium coil, also there is no leak, I wont use it. Chiller does not last very long so buy it new will save you a lot of headache down the road.
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For chillers, first of all you need to pipe the exhaust hot air out side, otherwise it just heat up your room and in turn gives the heat back to your tank.
If you have AC in the summer, there is no need for a chiller.
Second, simply put a fan blowing on the surface of the water will bring down temperature a lot. The fan can be installed on the sump or main display. There are inexpensive clip on fans for this purpose.
Third, unless the chiller has titanium coil, also there is no leak, I wont use it. Chiller does not last very long so buy it new will save you a lot of headache down the road.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I'll just jump in and agree with the others that you can likely cool things down with evaporation, and checking for what equipment might be dumping stray heat into the water. Start by double checking your heater(s), aquarium heaters are notorious for being unreliable and sometimes sticking "on".
As dz6t said above, in addition to being expensive to buy and run, Chillers dump a TON of heat into the room (if you don't vent it out somehow) where you are trying to cool the tank which is rather self defeating and can make for a happy tank and miserable humans.
As dz6t said above, in addition to being expensive to buy and run, Chillers dump a TON of heat into the room (if you don't vent it out somehow) where you are trying to cool the tank which is rather self defeating and can make for a happy tank and miserable humans.
Guys.... I have been using a JBJ 1/4 HP for a 100 G total water volumen and have been happy for the last 4 years.
All what have been said is correct. But for me a chiller is peace of mind. Unless you have very cheap corals and fish, a disaster can cost you more than a $500 chiller.
I first got the 10 HP. It was just enough. Used for 1 summer. Then I got the next size and kept the small as back up. Have been connected and running the full year. Rare that start in winter. But is just there....just in case. I can,t stop the pump because is one of the water circulating pumps of the tank.
If you are concerned about the temperature ...... go and buy the chiller. Take a look to the correct JBJ size chiller and pump. They have tables on line to guide you.
Cheers
All what have been said is correct. But for me a chiller is peace of mind. Unless you have very cheap corals and fish, a disaster can cost you more than a $500 chiller.
I first got the 10 HP. It was just enough. Used for 1 summer. Then I got the next size and kept the small as back up. Have been connected and running the full year. Rare that start in winter. But is just there....just in case. I can,t stop the pump because is one of the water circulating pumps of the tank.
If you are concerned about the temperature ...... go and buy the chiller. Take a look to the correct JBJ size chiller and pump. They have tables on line to guide you.
Cheers
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About the circulating air for the chiller:
I have a Red Sea Max 250. The right side of the cabinet has the door that at the bottom has an opening of less than an inch. All along the door. In other words, the floor is short for less than an inch leaving an opening between the floor and door. At the back has an opening the size of the chiller.
The air enters under the door and goes all outside from the back.
Never had the door open as many suggested that the front of the chiller has to be fully open.
The Red Sea tank cabinet design takes the air at the floor lever that is usually the coolest.
Cheers!!
I have a Red Sea Max 250. The right side of the cabinet has the door that at the bottom has an opening of less than an inch. All along the door. In other words, the floor is short for less than an inch leaving an opening between the floor and door. At the back has an opening the size of the chiller.
The air enters under the door and goes all outside from the back.
Never had the door open as many suggested that the front of the chiller has to be fully open.
The Red Sea tank cabinet design takes the air at the floor lever that is usually the coolest.
Cheers!!
Last edited:
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