Hey all, just wondering how many of you use chillers for your tanks. I dont currently have any tanks set up because I am in college, but I might want to set one up for a school, and I was wondering how much an average one (one rated for this size tank) would drop the temp in a 30-40 gallon tank in case I wanted to raise some native fish that dont thrive in 70+ degree heat.
chillers
- Thread starter pckt moose
- Start date
Pick the fish first. Then build the tank and environment to support them. 1/10 HP chiller will make the water cool but how cool do you want it and what will the max temp be outside of the tank? The hotter it is outside the more HP you will need to battle the heat and keep the water cooler.
Better yet - DIY
http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/dyiprojects/l/bldiydonchiller.htm
Better yet - DIY
http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/dyiprojects/l/bldiydonchiller.htm
I know that it will make the water cooler, but my question was by how much? Before I pick a fish, I would first need to know what I can realistically expect the chiller to do. There is no sense in picking a fish and finding that I have to spend more money on a more powerful chiller when with a little research I can find out what fish would be most comfortable within the range of a chiller designed for that size tank. Room temp would be between 65 and 75 degrees. Thanks for the link anyways.
if your room temp is 65-75 than almost any native will be fine and you won't need to spend the money on a chiller
I know that it will be ok for most species, such as sunfishes and bass, I have kept them before. But fish like brook trout (and I know that they willoutgrow the tank and require larger housing) would more than likely benefit from the drop in temp. Someday I would like to try keeping Alaskan blackfish, although I am nowhere near ready for that yet, and I would be hard-pressed to find them available.
Then just get a fish that can deal with 65-75 degrees and don't get a chiller. If you want to try to breed coldwater fish then you will definitely need a chiller since many coldwater NAs will not be sparked to breed until the water is cooler.
Anyway, with 1/10HP (~1200 BTU)you could expect the 40 gallons to be about 30 degrees cooler than the outside temp if it is run continuously, you are at sea level, and you do not have insulation.
If you can guarantee that the temp outside of the tank will always be 65-75 then you can expect to have water that is 35-45 if you have the chiller running all the time. Even a larger unit will run more often than not without insulating material. With a thermostat and and only a moderate load on the chiller say 50 percent you may be able to get 55-65 degrees and maintain it without breaking the bank.
These are just quick estimates chiller performance will vary from different manufacturers, elevation will play a big roll, and the amount of insulation will help conserve $$. Insulate the non-viewable sides, bottom, and lid. Using a compact flourescent will make less heat for the same amount of brigtness as conventional flourescent bulbs. Rewire the canopy and move the ballast out of it.
Finally, aim for 1/10HP and you can make the water about 30 degrees cooler than the maximum temp.
This is kind of why you want to pick the coldwater fish first so you can see if you have the resources and dedication to keep them happy.
Anyway, with 1/10HP (~1200 BTU)you could expect the 40 gallons to be about 30 degrees cooler than the outside temp if it is run continuously, you are at sea level, and you do not have insulation.
If you can guarantee that the temp outside of the tank will always be 65-75 then you can expect to have water that is 35-45 if you have the chiller running all the time. Even a larger unit will run more often than not without insulating material. With a thermostat and and only a moderate load on the chiller say 50 percent you may be able to get 55-65 degrees and maintain it without breaking the bank.
These are just quick estimates chiller performance will vary from different manufacturers, elevation will play a big roll, and the amount of insulation will help conserve $$. Insulate the non-viewable sides, bottom, and lid. Using a compact flourescent will make less heat for the same amount of brigtness as conventional flourescent bulbs. Rewire the canopy and move the ballast out of it.
Finally, aim for 1/10HP and you can make the water about 30 degrees cooler than the maximum temp.
This is kind of why you want to pick the coldwater fish first so you can see if you have the resources and dedication to keep them happy.
You guys seem to approach things from a different point than I do, fish first, then resources, but thats ok I guess. I always see what I can set up first, and then what that setup will allow me to keep, because more often than not the limiting factor on what I can keep is not based on obtaining the fish but on fulfulling its requirements regarding tank size/water parameters. I guess the point of this thread would not have been what fish do you not need to keep a chiller running with, but to see who actually uses one and see the fish that they keep because of it. Thank you for the advice on the 1/10 hp chiller though, I will do more research on it.