hello everybody. i got into tucson about two years ago from jersey. not my first time in tucson (born in sierra vista) but this will be my first attempt at a reef tank here. i am in the very beginning stages of starting a tank (my 5th). i recently bought a brand spanking new 125 aga drilled tank/stand and canopy. ive got a 30 gallon sump for it and a 46 gallon bow im gonna use for a refugium. i plan on running plumbing into the garage where the fuge will be. of course im gonna have to have a chiller. i plan on building a 1hp chiller---------------not a dorm fridge chiller either, a for real chiller with a compressor, cooling coils and a titanium heat exchanger all for about 500 give or take(1/3 the cost of a comparable retail chiller). im still buying equipment and drawing and redrawing the blueprints, still really early in the process (by the way if any of you have any pumps of protein skimmers youd like to get rid of lemme know). would like to have it all done by august. anyway any and all input would be greatly appreciated. was very active in my reef community back in jersey and would very much like to be active in this one. -anthony
New Guy
- Thread starter amnesiac
- Start date
fishaholic911
New member
Hello all I have left is a top fathom skimmer and it might be sold.I do have a little giant 4-mdxq-sc pump.
fishaholic911
New member
Sorry new shipped is 155.00 I will sell for 75.00
AZreefkeeper
In Memoriam
hows your project coming along?
still gathering
still gathering
still hunting for all the parts and redesigning. ive redesigned the setup hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm this will be the 4th time. for the plumbing to the refuge i was gonna use a pump to get water there and a pump to get it back. i started thinking what if one pump failed?? so instead of having two pumps what ill do is run the refuge off of one. have the plumbing split from the ceiling so it gravity feeds into the refuge and the chiller then have the refuge gravity feed, via drilled overflow, back into the plumbing right before the intake of the pump. so the loop will feed the refuge and drain it, all before going into the pump. ive also decided to connect this pump to a temp monitor in case if the chiller should happen to fail. the main purpose of this loop is to provide water treatment via the refuge and temp control via the chiller. since all of this is in the garage where temps will be soaring, if the chiller should happen to fail water will continue to pump in and out of the scorching garage and the main tank will more than likely be destroyed!!! thats where the temp controller will come into play. temps go up, temp controller shuts down the pump, check valves swing close and the main tank lights will go off. granted id still loose the refuge and all inhabitants but this is a replacement cost im much more comfortable with ;-). still need to buy my lighting (got the 250 watt ballast just need the fixtures and bulbs) and need to decide which company i want to buy live rock from. ive just gotten my heat exchanger for the chiller. since my compressor is rated for 1 and 1/4 i went with the 2hp heat exchanger. its a tubular module with titanium coils on the inside with 1 and 1/2 inlet and outlet. i just need and attic fan for the compression coils and a good refridgerator repair dude!! i just got my order for 400lbs of caribsea at 37 bucks a pound (that freaking hurt) but i dont think i have enough honestly. still really early. i want to get this off of the ground soon but with school starting up and the young one wanting new school clothes this project might get the brakes for a month or too. ill keep you guys updated and also im taking plenty of pics. take care. -anthony
still gathering
still hunting for all the parts and redesigning. ive redesigned the setup hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm this will be the 4th time. for the plumbing to the refuge i was gonna use a pump to get water there and a pump to get it back. i started thinking what if one pump failed?? so instead of having two pumps what ill do is run the refuge off of one. have the plumbing split from the ceiling so it gravity feeds into the refuge and the chiller then have the refuge gravity feed, via drilled overflow, back into the plumbing right before the intake of the pump. so the loop will feed the refuge and drain it, all before going into the pump. ive also decided to connect this pump to a temp monitor in case if the chiller should happen to fail. the main purpose of this loop is to provide water treatment via the refuge and temp control via the chiller. since all of this is in the garage where temps will be soaring, if the chiller should happen to fail water will continue to pump in and out of the scorching garage and the main tank will more than likely be destroyed!!! thats where the temp controller will come into play. temps go up, temp controller shuts down the pump, check valves swing close and the main tank lights will go off. granted id still loose the refuge and all inhabitants but this is a replacement cost im much more comfortable with ;-). still need to buy my lighting (got the 250 watt ballast just need the fixtures and bulbs) and need to decide which company i want to buy live rock from. ive just gotten my heat exchanger for the chiller. since my compressor is rated for 1 and 1/4 i went with the 2hp heat exchanger. its a tubular module with titanium coils on the inside with 1 and 1/2 inlet and outlet. i just need and attic fan for the compression coils and a good refridgerator repair dude!! i just got my order for 400lbs of caribsea at 37 bucks a pound (that freaking hurt) but i dont think i have enough honestly. still really early. i want to get this off of the ground soon but with school starting up and the young one wanting new school clothes this project might get the brakes for a month or too. ill keep you guys updated and also im taking plenty of pics. take care. -anthony
AZreefkeeper
In Memoriam
so your doing one of those AC/heat exchanger chiller systems? I'd like to talk more about it when you have some time. This is something I am very interested in doing myself.
Thanks
Vince
Thanks
Vince
yeah sure no prob. you can email me if you want. i really want to post the how to on this site as the original how to that i got is not online anymore. matter of fact the gentleman that had it up only had it up for a month or two and then he took the webpage down and that was close to 3 years ago. fortunately i spoke with him before he did and printed and kept all the emails and his webpage before he disappeared. ill tell you what i know but eventually youre going to have to find a refridge repair guy for the charging and brasing of the copper pipe. his original plans called for the polar eyes heat exchanger sold only (havent found it anywhere else) on aquatics eco. that one was expensive before and its really expensive now-600 bucks!!! the one i found was half that price. drop me an email. ide be happy to discuss it. -anthony
