Help DIY chiller

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jarcher1390

Gambusia
MFK Member
Feb 15, 2006
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Cumbria
ive got a 180gal tank im hoping to make it in to a native tank but ive herd they need chiller ive looked on the net and found they are $500 but too much
iv bet some one has made a chiller for less but i would not know where to start

help
jarcher
 
rottbo said:
you could probally run a coil through a little frig but it would take some trial and error getting the temp right

Thats a pretty good idea, you could also use a transmission cooler from a car (new of course) instead of coils. Then add a valve to adjust flow and I would think that it would work.

Never thought of that! lol
 
I dont know where your located, but Ive got a chiller that works that I will let go of cheaply. Ive never used it (previus owners have) but I have tested it for the water cooling ability.

I have heard of setting up a canister filter in a refridgerator before. You just need to adjust the flow well
 
fishguy306 said:
I dont know where your located, but Ive got a chiller that works that I will let go of cheaply. Ive never used it (previus owners have) but I have tested it for the water cooling ability.

I have heard of setting up a canister filter in a refridgerator before. You just need to adjust the flow well
He is in the UK, I have helped build one for under $150, made from a compact fridge, a 350 gph pump, some 1/2" plastic tubing, and some silicone sealant. It just takes a drill and some patience. use a long coil of tubing inside the fridge and rough tune the temp by using the fridge's thermostat, you can fine tune it for your tank by adjusting how much tubing is inside. It worked well enough to give a 20F degree drawdown in a 200+gallon salt water tank and still had room for a couple of beers and a container of sand shrimp.
 
The 1.5-1.7 cubic foot ones fit under the tank stand and are 2' tall.

HSE02WNAPG_dt.jpg
 
I have seen bascially the same idea as the one on the link, but using a water cooler (water fountian). You can get them for about the same price as a fridge, if not a little less. I'll keep looking for the actual article
 
MonsterFishKeepers.com