Chiller help and suggestions.

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Otto_VonBacon

Otto_VonBacon

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Nov 16, 2008
1,354
1
36
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Montgomery TEXAS
I have a 90 gallon tank with an 18 gallon or so sump. About 108 gallons in total. I have not ran a heater the whole life of the tank. Ever since I installed my T5 light fixture the heat has risen considerably. I'm fighting it off of 90! I leave the canopy cracked open for heat escape. I leave the stand doors open. It's still hot. It's usually anywhere from 85-89 degrees. My fish don't seem to mind, or have gotten use to it. But I don't feel good adding new, more sensitive fish and inverts to the tank.

What do I need to know about chillers? What size of a chiller would I need for a 90 gallon? Do you think some fans pulling the hot air out of the canopy would be enough? or should I go full out chiller?
 
Well you're suckin the heat from the surface - from the lighting, so leavin the stand doors open won't do anything in the bigger scheme of things. If you have a glass top, and your lighting is separate I'd suggest removing it, as glass is a conductor for heat and will trap it above the surface. If it's not, and you have a built-in lighting canopy, then you're gonna need more than just a crack open. Fans work to deflect heat, yes, but if your lighting is right over the water, a fan won't be able to reach much.

Chillers are usually rated based on horsepower and BTU (British Thermal Units). BTU's are the measurement units used to describe the amount of energy required to change one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. Manufacturer's will usually recommend the maxiumum aquarium size that the chiller can be used on. Use that as your guide. If your tank is on the borderline size wise and you're having a hard time deciding between two similar units, go with the higher capacity unit. It should save you in energy costs.

Below is a table of sample chiller sizes. This is just for example purposes. Of course, sizes and capacities may vary depending on the unit. This is just to give you a general idea of what's available.

HorsepowerBTU............Max Aquarium............ SizeTemperature............ RangePrice Range (USD)
1/3~ 4,000...........360 gallons (1363 liters).....60 - 85 °F (16 - 30 °C).......$600 plus
1/4~ 3,500...........260 gallons (984 liters).......60 - 85 °F (16 - 30 °C).......$500 plus
1/5~ 2,500...........180 gallons (680 liters).......60 - 85 °F (16 - 30 °C).......$500 plus
1/10~ 1,500..........70 gallons (265 liters)........60 - 80 °F (16 - 27 °C)........$400 plus
1/15~ 800.............50 gallons (190 liters)........60 - 80 °F (16 - 27 °C)........$300 plus
1/20~ 600.............25 gallons (95 liters)..........60 - 80 °F (16 - 27 °C)........$200 plus


You will usually see two different styles of chillers as well. There are "drop-in" and "inline" chillers. The drop-ins have a cooling coil that is placed in the sump. The upside to these drop-in units is the fact that you don't have to run any plumbing and you don't need a separate pump to get the aquarium water to the chiller and back. They are not in favor as much nowadays though.
The inline units are more frequently available. You will most likely need an aquarium pump and some flexible tubing to run back and forth from the tank or sump to the chiller. It stinks to get the chiller delivered and then have to wait until the next morning or the weekend to go out and purchase a pump! So, keep that in mind.
Here are some links I pulled for you, from some good distributors. Hope some of the info helped.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/fish-supplies/aquarium-water-temperature-chiller/ps/c/3578/4900

http://www.marinedepot.com/chillers__index-ap.html

http://www.petmountain.com/category/161/1/chillers.html


pulled latter info from fishlore...because i was too lazy to type it. lmao.
 
water_baby83;3651025; said:
Well you're suckin the heat from the surface - from the lighting, so leavin the stand doors open won't do anything in the bigger scheme of things. If you have a glass top, and your lighting is separate I'd suggest removing it, as glass is a conductor for heat and will trap it above the surface. If it's not, and you have a built-in lighting canopy, then you're gonna need more than just a crack open. Fans work to deflect heat, yes, but if your lighting is right over the water, a fan won't be able to reach much.

Chillers are usually rated based on horsepower and BTU (British Thermal Units). BTU's are the measurement units used to describe the amount of energy required to change one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. Manufacturer's will usually recommend the maxiumum aquarium size that the chiller can be used on. Use that as your guide. If your tank is on the borderline size wise and you're having a hard time deciding between two similar units, go with the higher capacity unit. It should save you in energy costs.

Below is a table of sample chiller sizes. This is just for example purposes. Of course, sizes and capacities may vary depending on the unit. This is just to give you a general idea of what's available.

HorsepowerBTU............Max Aquarium............ SizeTemperature............ RangePrice Range (USD)
1/3~ 4,000...........360 gallons (1363 liters).....60 - 85 °F (16 - 30 °C).......$600 plus
1/4~ 3,500...........260 gallons (984 liters).......60 - 85 °F (16 - 30 °C).......$500 plus
1/5~ 2,500...........180 gallons (680 liters).......60 - 85 °F (16 - 30 °C).......$500 plus
1/10~ 1,500..........70 gallons (265 liters)........60 - 80 °F (16 - 27 °C)........$400 plus
1/15~ 800.............50 gallons (190 liters)........60 - 80 °F (16 - 27 °C)........$300 plus
1/20~ 600.............25 gallons (95 liters)..........60 - 80 °F (16 - 27 °C)........$200 plus


You will usually see two different styles of chillers as well. There are "drop-in" and "inline" chillers. The drop-ins have a cooling coil that is placed in the sump. The upside to these drop-in units is the fact that you don't have to run any plumbing and you don't need a separate pump to get the aquarium water to the chiller and back. They are not in favor as much nowadays though.
The inline units are more frequently available. You will most likely need an aquarium pump and some flexible tubing to run back and forth from the tank or sump to the chiller. It stinks to get the chiller delivered and then have to wait until the next morning or the weekend to go out and purchase a pump! So, keep that in mind.
Here are some links I pulled for you, from some good distributors. Hope some of the info helped.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/fish-supplies/aquarium-water-temperature-chiller/ps/c/3578/4900

http://www.marinedepot.com/chillers__index-ap.html

http://www.petmountain.com/category/161/1/chillers.html


pulled latter info from fishlore...because i was too lazy to type it. lmao.
Click to expand...


I have 6 T5 lights on a Sunlight Supply TEK light that I installed inside my canopy like a Retrofit. I do have the stock glass lids on the tank. I will take them off and see if that does anything.
 
Tank is running at 84.6F now that I took the glass off.
 
mr.reef24;3652150; said:
84 is still a bit high if you get a fan to blow across the surface are it should help significantly get something like this

http://www.marinedepot.com/Azoo_Coo...uarium_Lighting-Azoo-AZ71021-FILTACAF-vi.html

mr.reef24
Click to expand...


Yeah I thought about that. I also got my timer working again so it's running a vastly shorter light cycle. Before I would turn it on when I woke, and turn it off when I slept.

Could I put one of those fans on my sump and get somewhat the same effect too? I'm not sure if I have enough room in the back of my canopy to fit one. I'll measure tomorrow.
 
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