"I must be insane" aka "chiller question"

[EagleEyes]

None of us are ever truly "out of the water" so to speak when it comes to this hobby. Even after postponing the inevitable again until I have a steady income, I've aquired a BRS RO/DI, and a 48" Current T5 fixture. Figures.

The worst part is, my house doesn't have central cooling and I'm in the low desert of Arizona. So it'll be a move into central air or at some point it's a chiller I'll get. I'd use a fan, but it won't work on account of the humidity. True to fashion and dumb luck, BRS is having a special on their chillers, too. They seem reliable and quiet from the comments.

So here's the question:

In terms of quality over time, what are some good chillers you've put your trust into?

 

[DaveK]

How big a tank are you trying to cool and what is the current temp?

Generally, you want to do everything else possible before you invest in a chiller. You might be able to do it other ways.

Why wouldn't a fan work for you? Desert humidity is usually low, and this allows water to evaporate easier, thus cooling the tank. Plus fans are a lot less expensive. Even if you think a chiller is in your future, try a fan first. You might get lucky and that might be all you need.

 

[whippetguy]

I know a lot of people including myself have been very happy with the JBJ Arctica chillers.

 

[EagleEyes]

Well, during the monsoon season here (which ends mid to late september) humidity can get to 50-60%. Basically from mid June to mid September our evap coolers don't work because of this humidity. Fans over a tank work on the same principle as these evap coolers. Water evaporates and uses up heat energy, cooling the remaining water. If I start it in September, I could use a fan, but I'd absolutely need something to cool it next June-September. I figured I'd ask about it now and be ready for the future.

Tank is a 29g, 36" long. I know lights are 12 inches longer than the tank, but I plan to upgrade later, and I got a deal.. Ambient temperature in the house ranges between 82F to 89F.
So you can imagine my seasonal predicament.

 

[DianaKay]

I live where the Summers are usually HOT & HUMID. My house has 2 central heat & Air Conditioning units....both are practically new. Once already the one in the back part of the house has had to have a motor replacement. Thankfully it's still under mfg. warranty. Even tho it wasn't the one that cools the room my tank is in....it very well could have been. Took a week to get it repaired. I didn't sleep well even with a fan on
That's why I love my JBJ Chiller.....tank stays between 77 & 78 degrees and it's peace of mind that my fish & corals will be just fine if the home AC goes out. Chiller is a good investment IMO.

 

[EagleEyes]

Thanks whippetguy, BRS knows their stuff then!

 

[EagleEyes]

Thanks for your input Diana! It's miserable isn't it?? I can't imagine having two AC units. Glad you could get yours fixed!

Funny how we can have such amazing control over our tanks and not our house environment. JBJ Chillers seem to be the choice here. Do you have a heater in your tank as well Diana? For in case the chiller becomes Mr. Freeze from Batman?

 

[DianaKay]

Thanks for your input Diana! It's miserable isn't it?? I can't imagine having two AC units. Glad you could get yours fixed!

Funny how we can have such amazing control over our tanks and not our house environment. JBJ Chillers seem to be the choice here. Do you have a heater in your tank as well Diana? For in case the chiller becomes Mr. Freeze from Batman?

Yes, I have the stock heater that came with my RSM 250 but I don't like it. I'd rather have a digital reading one that also shows when it's heating or not. I'm going to be replacing that heater when I install my sump.
I also have a generator that I can hook-up in less than 15minutes to keep my tank running in case of a power outage. Just tested it the other day when a storm knocked our power out for several hours.
Now if I could just figure out how to easily move my tank to the tornado shelter when one of those OKLAHOMA TORNADOS decides to blow my house away. no control there

 

[EagleEyes]

Generator is a good idea, Diana. Lightning puts us out of power once or twice a year. Sounds like you've got most everything figured out, too. I'm reading through your chronicle now. Found out there was 37 pages, read a few and skipped to the end to see your livestock. Looks amazing! I'll read the rest in a bit.

Tornado's should track around your house if they know whats good for them. Reefers are fairly protective..

 

[saltfan]

I still have this if interested. http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...-jbj-nano-arctica-chiller-dbi-038-1-20hp.html

 

[EagleEyes]

Thanks Saltfan, that looks like something that could work..

 

[saltfan]

No prob just let me know.

 

[EagleEyes]

Thanks. In the meantime I'll wait for the humidity to go down, set up my RO/DI, maybe start a cycle since I've got at least 4 weeks left before monsoon season is up.

 

[Akshay]

Yup chillers are important. I live by the sea and we have very nice breeze almost all the time, even when it's blazing hot. The tank to sump circulation also helps as more water is exposed to the breeze. But the fact is that it is unreliable to keep things cool. Also there is a big difference between air cooling and chiller cooling (depending on where u live ofcourse ). With a chiller you know your system is gonna be stable.
Infact a friend who is running a SPS tank, actually keeps a backup chiller aswell!
Am currently using a 1/2HP Hailea HC 500A.

 

[EagleEyes]

Good points and suggestion Akshay! Chillers cool without water loss to evaporation, and have controllers for consistency too. That consistency in temperature is actually pretty crucial to the success our systems.

One day I'll have two chillers, but this is not that day! I looked up the Hailea, and it appears to be based in Australia. The one review suggests the price and the quality are good. Thanks again!