Chiller or NO Chiller?

[Sheni Angel]

I was all set to by my chosen Chiller today online, but started to question if I really need it or not before I purchase? Someone made a comment to make me ask this question. ;)

I have a 125 gallon with a 20 Sump and live in Washington. We are experiencing our biggest heat wave this year right now,days in a row at 96 degree days and such. The highest my tank has gotten is 86 and I worry. I know a chiller would reduce worry but I have two fans going in the hood, have kept the lighting off and canopy open (although I won't do that when my jumper fish get here). I float bottles or bags of ice in my Sump and it stays around 84 degrees. I know it would put my mind at ease with a chiller, but I'm looking at $500 too, so wanted to ask first.

Thanks................. ~Sheni

[bertoni]

Tough question, but if the animals aren't showing any sign of trouble, I'd stick with the fans. Maybe add a bigger fan, too.

[sir_dudeguy]

get one of those really powerfull fans that have a really concentrated flow...i forget who posted a thread about them..but the title was something about "how to cool your tank by 5 degrees" or something like that. the fan is made by stanley, and its like, 30 bucks or something.

[Sheni Angel]

Thanks for the tips. :) I'll check into bigger fans first then.

[Avi]

I'll just add that I resister...seriously resisted...getting a chiller, but this season, when the tank went up to 86 degrees, I decided to just go ahead and get one. I spent a lot of money and I wasn't sure that I wasn't just spending it when there were other measures that I was taking that were a struggle to keep the temp down, that were minimally effective with a lot of hassle. Since it's on the tank, I have no concerns about the temp anymore and it's really given me peace of mind and there's much less stress on the coral in the tank. I'm really happy that I got the chiller and I have no regrets about it at all.

[Sheni Angel]

Thanks for your replies. Avi, I decided to ease my mind as well with my tank wanting to easily go up to 85 degrees right now and being so busy to watch continually. I bought my Chiller and will feel much better when it's on and going. :D Thanks, Sheni

[jezzeaepi]

Sheni, I buckled and bought an AC for my fish room =P From what I have read, the organisms from the gulf like it a little cooler so I try to keep my tank between 77-79. Well the tank hit 82 yesterday even with all fans going and lights off, so I broke down and bought another exepensive thing to keep these silly organisms happy.. lol oh well.. Now atleast its a lot mre comfortable to sit and watch the tank too.

[AZDesertRat]

Fans in the canopy are a help but get a $8 Wal Mart clip on fan and blow it directly across your sump. Long term a chiller is a good investment but a clip on fan or two is the best money you can spend. People underestimate the power of evaporation but it works great.

[tjrxtn]

I was thinking of buying a chiller too since we've had several days of record high temperatures in the NorthWest. My tank peaked at a 87F yesterday, but I bought a cheap clip-on fan from Walmart and managed to bring the temp down to 81F by this afternoon (still cooling down) even with the indoor air temp standing at 92F. At first I tried floating a bag of ice and turned off the lights for a day. But still the tank temperature was at a steady 84F to 85F. The fan was much more effective, although it did, of course, cause very rapid evaporation.
I don't think a chiller will be necessary if this heat wave lasts only a few days.

[Sheni Angel]

jezzeaepi, it's AMAZING the amount of $$ I have spent on just the set up alone in comparison to what I originally thought.
:lol: I have to have the best of everything and I am a huge one for PEACE of mind. :D I understand your purchase completely, although my hubby would've LOVED an AC for the room and I went with a chiller for strictly the fish, ha. We are DYING of heat while they will be swimming with ease and eating steak and lobster. :cool:



Fans in the canopy are a help but get a $8 Wal Mart clip on fan and blow it directly across your sump. Long term a chiller is a good investment but a clip on fan or two is the best money you can spend. People underestimate the power of evaporation but it works great.

GREAT ADVICE, AZDesertRat. Thanks, I'll pick some up tomorrow for my Sump and the other tank. :)



I don't think a chiller will be necessary if this heat wave lasts only a few days.

You may be right, but I still like the peace of mind I will have and being able to run my lights on their automatic system as I am gone so much and so busy. Will relieve a lot of stress in case we do have the longer spells through the years. :p

[spoiledcats]

I bought 2 fans from Walmart for 12.99 each. I have one blowing across the top of the tank and one blowing on the sump. Last week the temp was in the high 90s here, and the tank didn't get above 80 degrees. But I was adding about 4 gallons of water every day. That was only for the really hot time. Now the tank is down to 77 degrees. Next year I think I might just buy a room AC, so we can all be as comfortable as the fish and corals.:)

[ricks]

I don't seem to understand??? If your tank was to cold, would you put a hot water bottle in??? It's not just high temp. It's the fluctation of temp. For me it chiller all the way, and peace of mind. I even have a back up chiller. I've heard to many horror stories about tank meltdowns.......

[spoiledcats]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7802366#post7802366 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ricks
I don't seem to understand??? If your tank was to cold, would you put a hot water bottle in??? It's not just high temp. It's the fluctation of temp. For me it chiller all the way, and peace of mind. I even have a back up chiller. I've heard to many horror stories about tank meltdowns.......


Yes, but if you have an air conditioner running, it produces the same result, except you get to be comfortable too.

[ricks]

I've found that air conditioners, won't help much with temperature draw down in your tank. Tried it myself years ago.. Still had to buy a chiller.....

[Sheni Angel]

Not to hijack my own thread, but wow Ricks...a 500 gallon... How cool! :cool:

I am sooo looking forward to the peace of mind and normal light schedule also that I get with a chiller!

[ricks]

Yeah, a chiller cost you $$$$ but in the long run your livestock is more important.. I'm getting ready to post some pictures of my 500 gallon. It was setup July of 05. I upgrade from a 300 gallon. Now this one's almost full. And I don't know if the wife will take a 1,000 gallon... I love this hobby...

[jezzeaepi]

With 500 gallons of water your probably right about the AC =P
I still use a fan to blow water accross the surface though. Fan + Heat = hot tank. AC + tank = hot tank. Fan + AC + tank = cool tank and happy me =)

[spoiledcats]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7802818#post7802818 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ricks
I've found that air conditioners, won't help much with temperature draw down in your tank. Tried it myself years ago.. Still had to buy a chiller.....


I really don't understand this statement, since in the winter when the temperature is cooler in the house, we have to run heaters to keep the water warm. Since an air conditioner essentially keeps your home at winter temps, I don't see how it wouldn't keep the tank cooler. In fact, my neighbor has a saltwater tank for many years and her only method of keeping the tank cool is to run an air conditioner in summer. She doesn't even blow fans on the sump, or across the top of the tank (which wouldn't be possible as she has a hood).

[ricks]

Alot depends on your tank... I don't even have a heater. I run (6) 400 watt halides, (4) 160 watt atinics and (4) 96 watt PC's. Almost 3,500 watts of lighting. Along with (7) external pumps... For me an air conditioner won't cut it. Some people will do ok. My opinion is you will be better off in the long run with a chiller. Although that creates it's own problem with venting the heat....

[Sheni Angel]

Although that creates it's own problem with venting the heat....

What does this mean? :confused:

Also, do you run a Chiller in the summer only and then disconnect the rest of the seasons, or just leave it always plugged in?

Thanks~ Sheni

[spoiledcats]

Also, do you run a Chiller in the summer only and then disconnect the rest of the seasons, or just leave it always plugged in?

I would unplug it in the winter, since it won't be used. I figure the less plugged in the better. And you could plug the heater into where the chiller was.

[Avi]

That is my intention. There's little likelihood of the tank getting into the low 80-degree range in the winter unless your lights are so intense that this is an extreme source of heat. Even if it approaches 81-degrees or so, going back to the fan over the sump would easily keep that under control.

[rickh]

In the cooler months we strive to keep out house about 70 degrees. The pumps and lights on the tank bring the water temp up to about 80. All is well. When summer hits I run the house AC to about 75 when we are home and 78 when we are out. If you add the 10 additional degrees from the equipment thats a tank temp of about 88--too hot. Sometimes I leave the house in the morning and it's 60 with the AC off. When I return at 6PM it's 85 in the house and the tank would be over 90 without a chiller.
You can cool a tank with your AC but you need to keep the house set to about 70. Keeping entire house at 70 is much more expensive than only chilling a tank. I have a friend who tried to use a window AC unit to cool the fish room. The unit ran constantly and the tank was still too hot.
You can play with fans, but sooner or later a chiller is in your future. RRRR

[jezzeaepi]

That all deepnds on how many lights and pumps you are running. I can generally keept he tank 4 - 5 degrees BELOW the air around it using my fan.

[rickh]

It depend on many things: lights, pumps, and how much you are willing to allow your salinity to vary due to evaporation from all those fans. Most auto top-off devices are an accident waiting to happen.
Your system needs to be robust enough to be able to be left unattended for several days. You need to be able to go out of town. Your wife/girlfriend will love a vacation from your fish. Finding a friend to feed every day or two is much better than asking a novice to feed, dose, check water level, adjust salinity,etc, etc. You will run out of friends in a hurry. The only thing worse is asking someone to feed your pit bull:) R

[jezzeaepi]

I fell yah rickh. When I move out of my apartment I plan on upgrading to a bulletproof system. Just no sense in buying a ton of high end equipment for a tank that is going to be 2 or 3 times the size a year from now.
There a lot of different ways to keep a reef, and for my 40 gallon tank, ill gheto rig it a little to get by. If that means ugly fans next to it to keep it cool, or 1 hour training course for people tank sitting, then so be it. I just cant see myself spending an extra 1000 on top of what ive spent to make it easier on myself.... yet =P

[rickh]

I really don't want you to spend big bucks, but you need to remember the money and HOURs you spent on your tank. You wheel and deal buying frags, now they are large specimens worth a lot of cash. Just don't lose thousands of dollars worth of livestock trying to save $500 on a chiller. R

[seattlerob]

Yup, I agree with Rick about the need for a chiller being a factor of how much money, blood & sweat you've put into the tank. In fact, it ends up being the same decision for most all equipment. I made the chiller plunge a couple of months ago, and now about to make the CA reactor plunge as well. Sure, right now I'm manually dosing and could keep doing so I suppose. But as I keep investing more of my time and money into making my tank thrive, the more I'm willing to pay for good equipment to make it as 'bulletproof' as possible. Fishtank insurance if you will.

My 2cents. Rob