Chiller. Do I Need One ?

[terrific01]

I have a 155g Bowfront FOWLR tank. My temperature is running at 84 F. It's just the beginning of summer. I live in Houston. I keep my house at 76 but the room the tank is in runs at about 81 (lots of computers in there). The lights only heat it about 1 degree during the day. They have built in fans. I don't have a canopy. Do you think I need a chiller ? if so would a smaller one work like one that was made for a 70 gallon tank (just take longer to cool)? Or do I need to spend the money and get the right size.

Thanks for any input.

 

[sditch]

I leave in Houston aswell, I keep my downstairs temp at 66 durning the day and two fans keep me below 80 degrees with over 700watts of lights. You should not need a chiller if you use good fans in a good location.

 

[AZDesertRat]

Before you invest in a chiller, go to WalMart and get a $8, 7" clip on fan. Clip it on the side of the tank rim or sump and let it run overnight. You might find you need a timer to keep it from lowering it so much that your heater kicks on. I used fans for years here in Phoenix with no central air conditioning and only an evaporative cooler on my home at the time and they always kept my tanks no higher than 81 even with high humidity.

 

[T Man]

Re: Chiller. Do I Need One ?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10060431#post10060431 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by terrific01
I I keep my house at 76 but the room the tank is in runs at about 81 (lots of computers in there).

Computers + saltwater = corrosion

 

[terrific01]

Well I ran 2 fans accross it last night with no luck. Just a side question. How loud are chillers ? What is a good brand ? Opps that's 2 questions.

 

[bgiles11]

Where did you run the fans? I bought a Wally World special clip on, and my tank holds fast at 79-80 degrees. it used to run 84. I clipped it to my stand, aqnd pointed it at the sump. IT WORKS!

 

[AZDesertRat]

I am surprised fans didn't work. What size and type of fans did you use? Like bgiles11, I have found clip on fans work wonders even in higher humidity conditions.

 

[terrific01]

I used a 7" clip on fan blowing across the top of the tank and a 10" box fan to blow the heat out of the room.

Today I replaced the glass top with the egg crate material and left the fan blowing right across the top. I'll see what it is tomorrow. I also put some deflectors on the air conditioning vent to point it tword the tank.

 

[Aquarist007]

Any chance you can move the sump to the basement or another room--over even the ballasts for the halides.My tank was in a small room and with summer all most here I had to.
Being from the north we have furnaces---I run the furnace fan 24 /7 even with the air conditioner--that removes heat from that room also.
I did all this for about 150 dollars--alot cheaper then a chiller--it brought the temp down to 79 degress plus or minus .5 degress--before it spiked one day to 84 and I lost two corals over the spike:
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[terrific01]

Neat setup. The aquarium is in what used to be the dinning room. No basements here in Texas. The 2 adjoining rooms are the living room and kitchen. So I really can't move the sump. It is enclosed in the tank stand. It has large openings in the back of the stand but it is 8" from the wall. Could there be heat building up in there ?

 

[terrific01]

Right now I'm using an 18" pedistol fan blowing across the top with the open grate top and it is down to 80.

 

[jimbo045]

I say temp. 76-79. Chiller is the easy/safest way. Worth it to me. JD

 

[DarG]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10069191#post10069191 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jimbo045
I say temp. 76-79. Chiller is the easy/safest way. Worth it to me. JD

Me too. Fans couldnt drop my tank below 82 and that was years ago when I was running low wattage lighting for fish only. Right now, my tank would run in the upper 80's without a chiller. The tank would laugh at fans. Sometimes you need to just bite the bullet when all else fails. Ive been running chillers for over 10 years. In fact, aside from an initial poor choice, I'm only on my second chiller. First one was too small for the tank upgrade. It ran 10 years itself without problem. If you can afford the initial investment and if you can afford the extra electric bill (not all that much) and if your tank is right on the edge (or over the edge) that you have to worry about a hotter than normal day or you can't add that lighting system that you want, or are afraid to add another pump for circulation, or that larger skimmer .... then it's time to bite the bullet and get a chiller. Definitely not something to invest in if fans will do the job. But sometimes they just arent enough.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10066358#post10066358 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by terrific01
Neat setup. The aquarium is in what used to be the dinning room. No basements here in Texas. The 2 adjoining rooms are the living room and kitchen. So I really can't move the sump. It is enclosed in the tank stand. It has large openings in the back of the stand but it is 8" from the wall. Could there be heat building up in there ?

thanks--what lighting are you running--if if is halides and ballasts then the ballasts will definetly heat up the sump area--my first step was to remove the ballasts from underneath---I put them to the side of the cabinet and they were not very visible--but it did make a difference to the rise in temp over the 10 hrs that they are on.
Scott

 

[terrific01]

I'm Running a 72 inch 6x96 Watt Current USA PowerCompact Orbit Fixture. My tank has kept at 79-80 all day with the new fan. It's very big but it's not really hot here yet. Only got to 94 today. I better start saving some money now. What's a good brand ? I was looking at a Arctica Titanium Chiller 1/4 HP. I have a 155 gal bowfront.