chiller

[Rock]

How many people use chillers? Are do most use fans and deal with the added evaporation

[jroescher]

I use 2 fans with a controller to turn them on when the temp is high. Someday I am going to add 1 more to vent my sump. Just opening the doors to the sump lowers my temp by several degrees.

[Jonthefishguy]

Considering the amount of chillers I have sold I would say a great number of people use them. I personally have one on my own system.

[SABOB]

No chiller on my 55 gallon,but I have a fan blowing across the top of tank lengthwise when lights are on.Both lights and fan are on a timer together,seems to keep tank temp unde 80 degrees during the summer.I ave 265 watts of PC lights so het not as much as an issue as with Halides.

[CoryDude]

I think it ultimately depends on the lighting system you're using. That seems to be the source of most heat in a tank. Personally, I had to add a chiller after I went to halides.

[Fish4life]

Chiller is a small price to pay to insure that your tank doesn't crash due to high temp. You may be able to get away without a chiller if you keep your central air at 75 and use fans. I would get one.

[princer7]

We had the A/C go out in the house last year. The reef tank was fine as it had a chiller. I was stressing over my other tanks though.

[DrMark]

I have two tanks and two chillers, soon to be three tanks and three chillers. With the complexity of equipment and heat production from all the different equipment (not just lights), I think it is almost a mandatory piece of equipment. True, many people use multiple fans and deal with high evaporation rates successfully. Most people, though not all, who run halides, use chillers. Even my little nano (redSea Max) got up to 84 degrees without a chiller while house at 75. The point about house a/c going out is valid also. Chillers are, of course, not perfect solution and can fail also, but best we have for now.
mark

[TinyTanker]

Depending on Lights above the tank and how many motors are cooking the water. dry external motors wont heat up water as much as ones that are immersed. If your running flourescents then no need. Another alternative is the frozen blue cooler chillers, freeze them and drop them in your fuge. during the time the lights are on

good tanks need no chilllers:hypnotyized: only ice and vodka

[loans_n_fishes]

How much extra electricity do these use? I'm a little nervous about the meter spinning!! I think I will HAVE to put one on my seahorses, though. It is recommended to keep them at 74 or below. I have t-5s on my reef, so not as much heat. It stays around 83 with my AC on 78. My seahorse tank stays around 78-80 without--still way too high, though.

[Rock]

so what is the optimum temperature? Does it vary by what you are keeping in the aquarium?

[Fish4life]

A good temperature to keep is between 76-77 constant. However, this might be a little unrealistic for some. I set my chiller to cycle on at 80 and cycle off at 79. My stone garden grew thick and dense.

cheers,

Kurt

[Bill S]

Three tanks, one chiller. Other 2 tanks don't have MH lights....

[des]

Yeah I was sweating it out and finally relented and got a chiller and it was one of the best things I did. Not so much topping up, set it and forget it. I think in texas with strong lighting you gotta have one.