Help me pick a chiller for my tank!

RobsReefs

RobsReefs

Premium Member
I have come to terms with needing to get a chiller within the next month. So I would like to get some input on cooling my tank and a good chiller that can handle my tank. I live in northern Ca, in the valley were summer temps can get hot 110-120 but average in the upper 90’s I keep my house at about 78-84 on the hot days.

Ill start by describing my set up, It’s a 55g acrylic w/ a velocity T3 external return pump and a Euro-Reef Rs-80 skimmer and 2 Seao 820’s lighting is 2x 250w Se halides that are about 11 inches off the surface of the water and the reflectors are attached to a metal closet shelf that is made from wire (From Lowe’s). I like it very much. Then I made a 3 sided canopy out of Oak that slides on and off very easy. The top and back is open.

The temp in the tank is 82.7 now with the canopy off. The house temp is 73 now and if I put the canopy on all day the temp will get into the mid to upper 80’s like 86-88. I am also going to put 2 fans in the canopy before I use it next, and I have a 10 inch fan over my sump witch dose all the cooling right now. I would like to take off the sump fan and add a 1/10hp JBJ chiller and 2 fans in the canopy. Do you think this will handle the cooling issue?

I was thinking about the JBJ 1/10hp chiller. It clams it can chill up to a 130g tank. But that sounds very high for a 1/10 hp. And then I used this link http://www.jbjlighting.com/prod_chiller_size.asp and it said I need a 1/5 hp chiller. Dose this sound right? Can anyone suggest a chiller for my setup!
Thanks for the input, Robert
:thumbsup:
 
You'll never regret getting an Aqualogic chiller, they are reliable and great customer service if needed. I have them from 1/3hp to 20hp.
 
You dont want to go too big because the compressor does not like too short of a cycle. 1/10 is too small IMO. I would go 1/5 th HP. I had a Universal Marine 1/5 on 75 gallons of water and it did the job very well here in S. Florida although it did run maybe a little too long. It served me well, no problems for 9 years and was still runniung strong when I upsized my tank and bought a bigger chiller. I keep it now as an emergency spare. It would be perfect for a 55 gallon. Universal Marine Chillers are very expensive now with a 1/5th being over 1K. Aqualogics are very good. For a little less money, Tradewind has a good reputation in my parts as do the Current USA Primes ... (although one member here at RC has had many problems with them). I have had a Prime 1/3 now for 6 months and it's been great. Whatever you do, stay away from the real cheapie units and again, I would consider 1/5th HP. I think 1/4 would be too large but I could be wrong. I think you will regret going with a 1/10th. Also, the cooler the ambient temperature that the chiller has to work in, the more efficient it will cool. 84 degrees is getting up there and is definitely another reason not to undersize the chiller.
 
I don;t know much about them but the price on that site you linked to is way too high. So is 350 for a used one. There is a new one on ebay for 429. Thats a 1/3 hp unit by the way and I'd be afraid that it will be oversized for your tank. Again, if the run time is too short, it will take a toll on the compressor.
Also, 429 for a 1/3 hp chiller is very cheap and you know what they say ... if its too good to be true, it probably isnt too good. But again, I know little about the reputation of that Chiller.
 
Yea I thought that price was high it is the link he gave when trying to sell it.

I am seriously thinking about the 1/5 HP JBJ Arctica Titanium chiller. I don't know why I keep leaning toward the JBJ but I do. dose any one have this chiller?

Is a chiller one of those things that you just shouldn't buy used or is it ok for the most part if you trust someone (as hard as it is to nowadays)?

I am looking to spend 500 -600 or so on a chiller, is there any more 1/5 hp chillers that come highly recommended?
and yes i know the jbj is more than that, it is just so hard to type the price.
 
I love my heater chiller combo live in Mi. the chiller runs in the day and the heater runs at night :D all winter
Its a pacfic cost import
 
i have a 1/10 pci chiller on my 90 and it works great. it comes on less often now than when it was on my old 45.

i also have an ac jr which turns on twin fans in my hood when the temp hits 78 and the chiller doesn't come on until it hits 78.5. so the chiller does have help.
 
I just bought a tradewinds and I love it. It comes on for a minute then it goes off for about 30. This lasts from 4-7 in the heat of our Northern Calif days. If you ever want to upgrade your 55, Buy only one chiller.
 
Marko9 ... you have a chiller that only cycles on for a minute?
Please explain, I'm confused and intrigued.
 
ok most of you are recommending a PCI chiller and I like the price a lot better than the JBJ 1/5 but all I see is the GenX CL-600 Aquarium Chiller 1/4HP. do they make a 1/5Hp? or just 1/10Hp then 1/4Hp? are these quiet? and i dont plan on upgrading within the next 2 years, so is a 1/4 to much I.E. short cycles and so on? isn't it better to have one that runs a little longer. than have one shoot out ice water for a min than go off for a wile?

Also i have plans to upgrade in 2 years to a 180+ so any chiller i get now wont work with the new tank. So with that being said is there a possibility that a 1/10Hp could work with out having to stay on if i get a good fan setup in the canopy?
Thanks, Robert
 
You dont want to oversize to the point that the chiller is going to run for real short cycles as it wears on the compressor and will shorten its life. I think that a 1/10, or some of them would be listed as being large enough for your tank. But if a chiller is going to have to run for 2 hours each cycle at 3 or 4 amps its gonna run up the electric bill some. So, maybe ask the manufacturer what they think regarding size. Alot depends on the ambient temp., how much your other equip. impacts water temp - how warm the tank normally runs etc, So, every situation is different. I know that a very good (Universal Marine) 1/5 ran for an hour and fifteen minutes to and hour and a half on my old tank (about 65 total gallons) and I cant imagine a 1/10 woking well for that one. But again, every system is different.
 
yea I am going to stay away from the 1/10. the t3 return pump adds some heat. 1/4 just sounds so big for a 55. but 2x 250 halides over a 55 is a lot also so it is down to the 1/4Hp PCI and the 1/5Hp JBJ. Their isn't any JBJ fans out there? i just have this feeling it will be quieter. i have taken a lot of steps to make this tank run quiet and it is and i would hate to add the last pc of equt. and make the system loud.
 
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