Chiller selection

KosB21 · #1 04/30/2005, 06:12 PM

I found a chiller that had a good price, but i want to see if it is worth the money.
CL-280 http://www.myreefcreations.com/chillers.htm on my reef creations.

With that chiller will this pump work well.
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_...ua.asp?CartId=

boxfishpooalot · #2 05/02/2005, 11:21 AM

why get a chiller imo they are a waste of cash. unless you have metal halides i would not get one. instead of spending 500 bucks on that get air cond in your house instead lol. this would work too.
Also in nature temps get hot too so not to worry!

KosB21 · #3 05/02/2005, 10:00 PM

a chiller in california is not a waste of money. The summers get sometimes to 100 degrees. Also, the price of energy is alot more in california than in canada, i would assume. I do have two 250w MH. And no temps in the ocean to not have a 4 degree swing.

Beckmola24 · #4 05/02/2005, 10:24 PM

KosB21, I have been reasearching chillers for awhile and am considering the same one. I've heard that the Pacific Imports chillers are a great buy. I also need a chiller as I live in Houston, Tx and our summers get very hot. I'm not sure about the pump as I have not gotten to that point yet, but I'm sure someone else can chime in on that. I find chillers an important part of a reef tank because extemely high temps in a tank will kill a lot of things overtime. IMO. If you have 2 halides and live in CA then I would say that buying a chiller would keep you on the safe side as you may not need it every day, but when it's super hot, you'll be glad you bought it. JMO

integlikewhoa · #5 05/02/2005, 10:25 PM

That chiller is a not big enough for a 110 you need the cl-650 or a 1/4HP. but there is a group buy on the nice US made ones (jbj articas) nice prices. You might get away with a 5th but would be running for some time to cool.

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...hreadid=567780

boxfishpooalot · #6 05/04/2005, 08:11 AM

Do you have air conditioning and does it keep the room temp stable if you do? Because i cant see why you would want to spend so much. I am just trying to save you money( you could get a much better skimmer with that extra cash)

But on the safe side if it does get really hot then a chiller would be a great addition. In Canada where I live its -30f right now brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

dhall9 · #7 05/04/2005, 08:23 AM

I would go with the CL-650. I bought mine from andy at myreefcreations and couldn't be happier. The tank stays between 77-78 no problem. If you go with the CL-650 don't use the elbows that come with the chiller, go buy some 1" PVC elbows and some teflon tape. You'll get much better flow that way. I'm also using a mag 12 on my return that goes through the chiller. I tried a mag 18 but the overflow couldn't handle that much flow. The mag 12 is perfect for my application. Also remember that the CL-650 produces 3-4 feet of head pressure alone, so keep that in mind when choosing a pump. Hope this helps.

integlikewhoa · #8 05/04/2005, 02:57 PM

How much was it? the cheapest i found was 489.00 and they have cheap shipping. was like 510.00 shiped to me for that chiller. I did alot or research and found that its not a bad chiller. Articas are built a bit better and better known and also local for me so if there happens to be a problem it can be fixed chaep and fast. All chiller companies are going to make you pay the 20-50.00 shipping each way to have it fixed They both cool the same and have same inlet and outlet sizes. ONly diff i found is the quality. And at normal price i wouldnt spend 200 extra for the artica but there is a group buy local and its only a few bucks more for the better know and higher quality chiller so i decided to do it. But i was looking at the cl-650 for quiet some time. and this link was the best price i found atleast.

http://www.customaquatic.com/customa...dexid=ch-ch-il

dhall9 · #9 05/04/2005, 03:35 PM

I know I paid a bit more buying from andy at myreefcreations, but his customer service is great. So I don't mind paying extra, if I know my problems will be taken care of if I ever problems.

Ulric · #10 05/04/2005, 03:58 PM

Box,

Dealing with 90+ temps with 80% humidity, relying on an A/C unit is not always the best or easiest thing. Add a large home, or a home with vaulted ceilings/large rooms and relying on A/C to keep a house cold enough as a primary means alone of keeping a tank cool can be an even more expensive option, even with canopy fans.

KosB21 · #11 05/05/2005, 12:04 AM

well, I did buy the smaller one bc i just don't have the money for the 650. Also, it said that it will cool 110g 10degrees so.... I will be running two fans with the chiller and ice cubes so i think i am set for the upcoming months. Maybe a reverse cycle if it gets too hot. Now i just need a pump. Dhall9 is it about 3-4 head?

integlikewhoa · #12 05/05/2005, 01:23 AM

very dissapointing. a 1/10th HP is way to small for a 110 gallon. should have saved a for a bit longer and got 1/5 or 1/4 a cl-450 is in the middle. the 1/10th will be on for hours straight just trying to bring the temp down.

benray4fun · #13 05/05/2005, 01:32 AM

whassup guys,
I have a chiller and let me tell you.....any chiller you may get will definitely cool off the aquarium and send that heat right into your living room or where ever that tank is, so you're still gonna need an air conditioner if you don't wanna bake as you watch....

dhall9 · #14 05/05/2005, 08:29 AM

KosB21, if I remember right when I emailed pacificcoastimports about the chiller they said it was 4' of head and the 650 needs 300-600gph to work properly.

I would email one of these guys
info@pacificcoastimports.com
andy@myreefcreations.com

They both will get back to you within a day.

psuedopimp · #15 05/05/2005, 12:42 PM

so if I wanted the chiller to dump into my display which already has 5ft of head, the chiller adds 4ft, do I buy the pump based on the flow at the end of all the plumbing (9ft fo head) or what the pump is rated for?

integlikewhoa · #16 05/05/2005, 02:25 PM

usally you want to find the flow at the end. you first need to figure out how much flow you want to end up with. Then find how much head you have at the end of all you turns and hight and what not. Then you find a pump that pumps the amount you want at what ever your head pressure is. Hope that helps

dhall9 · #17 05/05/2005, 03:46 PM

I went from a mag 7 for a return to a mag 12 after hooking up the chiller.

KosB21 · #18 05/05/2005, 08:06 PM

integlikewhoa
I figured out my total volume and it is about 85 gallons. So it probably won't be as bad.

I have a seperate pump for my retrurn so i was thinking in buying a via aqua pump bc they are cheap and very effective. I don't like my mag 7 that i have for my skimmer. It seems to heat my water and that not one thing i want to do.