Low cost chiller

[Burgman]

Hi All,

A good way to drop your tank temp a couple of degree's is to open your hood at night if you have one. I have been doing this all Summer and it drops the tank temp by about 2 degree's. I prop my hood open with a block of wood. Then close it in the morning when I get up to go to work. I have a 75 gal. reef with 2-110W VHO's and 2 175WMH's. Give it a try and see if it works for you.


Burgman

[Rhodophyta]

You can add a small personal fan so it blows across the water surface of the sump. Of course the more effective either of these methods are, the greater the need for make up water. Both are evaporative cooling strategies.

If your tank is built in to a wall, you can lower the air temperature on the back side with a room air conditioning unit. Don't overdo it or you may need a coat and gloves to work behind the tank.

[Nahla]

I am gonna try my hand at a home made chiller this week, using a small power head, tubing, styrafoam cooler and ice packs. Has anyone else ever tried this?

[Rhodophyta]

Yes, although the more common way is to use a small "dormitory" refrigerator instead of a cooler with ice packs. The results are a lot more controllable.

[scrummyotool]

I would think you would want to crack open canopy during the day so temps would be consistant if possible,less stress on corals and fish?

[Burgman]

Hi scrummytool,

Good thought, but I have reduced my lights(MH's) on time during the Summer by a couple of hours to keep the heat down. Hate to loose those photon's.:eek1: I hate running the air conditioner in the Summer unless I have to so I guess we need to look at different ways to cool our tanks. There has to be a economical way to cool our tanks without buying a chiller?

Dave

[Rhodophyta]

I remember that Pete Mohan bought a used grocery store cooler and set a tank inside it.

Using a small powerhead to circulate water through a coil of plastic tubing inside a dorm refrigerator is simple. You don't need to drill holes in the unit or have metal piping inside even though it would exchange heat faster, just use more plastic tubing.

Now is about the best time of year to find a used dorm refrigerator in Tradin' Times.

[Nahla]

Update...the chiller made of a styrafoam cooler did not work too well...I am considering just placing ice packs into the tank every now and then. What do you all think??

[Rhodophyta]

Originally posted by Nahla
Update...the chiller made of a styrafoam cooler did not work too well...I am considering just placing ice packs into the tank every now and then. What do you all think??

I think that might work with very hardy freshwater fish, maybe.

A room air conditioner to spot cool that room even when you are not using the whole house air, would be safer. When you factor in the cost of replacing your livestock.....