Chillers

[Archerfish]

I have an interesting challenge and would appreciate input from those who have used aquarium chillers.
Situation: My 90-gallon Archerfish tank resides in a sunroom where in July and August, the water temperature without mitigation, would reach 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29.5 Celsius).
Mitigation:
1. I have used an array of evaporative cooling (fans) to hold the temp down 3 degrees which is about the max the fish can tolerate.
Problem: Water evaporation (duh, that's the whole idea of evaporative cooling!) but the result is tremendous loss of water and inaccuracy.
2. For really hot stretches, I resort to HV/AC.
Desired: I would like to avoid cooling the entire room and provide just enough aquarium chilling capability to reduce 90-gallons of water from 85 degrees F. down to 80 or 81 degrees during the hottest part of the day. The air cools off in the evening.
Do any of you have experience with chillers? If so, do you have experience with a chiller that might meet my needs?
I thank you in advance!

 

[Colin_T]

archerfish should be fine at 30C for a few months over summer.

 

[Archerfish]

Thanks for the response. I am looking for anyone who is using a chiller. I probably should have posted this question on a saltwater forum.

 

[Boundava]

To be perfectly honest chillers are extremely expensive. I would look to other alternatives. Keeping the whole room cooler is a better alternative and probably cheaper than buying a chiller for your tank. I know you're looking for someone with experience with chillers, which I don't have.

 

[eatyourpeas]

I run a chiller to keep my Puget Sound Biotope at 50F, and it works great. However, when they fail (it did after the one year mark) it is a hassle to replace. The company was very responsive and shipped a replacement unit promptly, at no cost to me, which was great.

Things to keep in mind:
- They are loud.
- They can consume a lot of electricity, depending on the brand you get.
- They are large.
- They are not cheap.

If you can get away with not having one at all, I would suggest going that route. As @Colin_T said, fish can adapt for a short period of time, and he knows fish!

 

[GaryE]

I knew a guy who used a beer fridge, drilled, and said it did the job.

I have a similar issue with fish that don't handle the heat well. The fishroom reaches 27 in high summer. My solution has been to use AC. It isn't free, but it has worked.

 

[Archerfish]

I run a chiller to keep my Puget Sound Biotope at 50F, and it works great. However, when they fail (it did after the one year mark) it is a hassle to replace. The company was very responsive and shipped a replacement unit promptly, at no cost to me, which was great.

Things to keep in mind:
- They are loud.
- They can consume a lot of electricity, depending on the brand you get.
- They are large.
- They are not cheap.

If you can get away with not having one at all, I would suggest going that route. As @Colin_T said, fish can adapt for a short period of time, and he knows fish!

Yeah, I am aware of those issues (loud, expense and the fish can live at that temp etc.) but that is not what I am asking. What brand do you have?
I don't want to debate whether the fish can endure the heat because that is not what I am asking. I have had the archerfish for 15-years. They live a long time. I am just looking for those who have chillers and would like to discuss brands and lessons learned. I too have heard some of those chillers are short lived but still want to inquire.

 

[Archerfish]

I knew a guy who used a beer fridge, drilled, and said it did the job.

I have a similar issue with fish that don't handle the heat well. The fishroom reaches 27 in high summer. My solution has been to use AC. It isn't free, but it has worked.

Oh my gosh, @GaryE! I haven't run across anyone for many years who knew of the beer cooler/dorm room refrigerator idea. Showing our age!

 

[Slaphppy7]

I knew a guy who used a beer fridge, drilled, and said it did the job.

What did he do with the beer???

 

[Archerfish]

Welllll, college dorm room....

 

[WhistlingBadger]

What did he do with the beer???

You just float it in the aquarium.

 

[Back in the fold]

You just float it in the aquarium.

That won’t work. The cans will have all been taken out in one hour.

 

[Slaphppy7]

You just float it in the aquarium.

I don't keep my tanks cold enough...I'll stick with my non-drilled beer cooler

 

[GaryE]

Back to the original question - I have never encountered someone who used a chiller to reduce temps but as small a margin as you are aiming for. I always think of tanks with condensation on the other glass in summer with chillers. I'm curious to see if anyone here knows of any 'subtle' chillers of that sort.

 

[davros]

Interesting problem. Exchanging water with another tank inside the dwelling? Is you municipal water cheap? stick a radiator in the tank and pump municipal water thu it?