Chiller Recommendations

[moppy]

Does anyone use one? If so what is recommended (I need it for a 120 gallon).

Size and Brand please?

If I have a chiller do I need a heater or does it regulate both?

Thanks...

[Mech Eng]

Your requirements will depend on how the tank is set up and where its set up.

Are the pumps in your sump (submersible) or dry, what lighting do you have. What is the airflow around your tank and lighting like, does it have direct sunlight on it?

Chiller required if the tank heats up by more than 1 deg during the day.

The setup I have doesn't seem to require a chiller as the max temp increase I have seen so far is 1/2 deg F. However all my pumps are external now and I have great airflow between the tank and the light. When the pumps where in the sump and the lights didn't have as good of air flow around them I was seeing 2 deg F during a mildly warm day.

Heater = must have for tropical fish.

[fishytime]

buy a portable air conditioner.....then everyone is happy:wink:

[petlaur]

buy a portable air conditioner.....then everyone is happy:wink:

My sentiments exactly.:biggrin:

[imcosmokramer]

Chiller required if the tank heats up by more than 1 deg during the day.

That's certainly not true.

You can have a fluctuation of several degrees within a day as long as the tank stays within an acceptable level.

Now, it is preferable that you fluctuate as little as possible. I used to have a chiller on my 75 for a year. Then, I placed fans blowing across the tank on a temp controller.

So, I want my tank at 78:
a. if the tank goes up to 80 the fans turned on
b. if the tank went up to 81 the chiller would turn on

The chiller never went on again...

This of course is one specific case. Can you give more details about the temp levels throughout the day?
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[moppy]

I haven't got the tank upstairs yet. I just know from previous experiences that, since I don't have AC in the house, there is inevitably a few days in the summer where the tank heats up to 86 degrees. I've tried the fan thing and it didn't seem to work that well.

Also, the room it is going in is really big and a portable AC won't be able to cool such a large, open room...

[imcosmokramer]

just plumb a chiller inline and make sure it has enough room to vent. I use a Current USA chiller and it works fine. If you are able to vent the chiller to the outside, that's a bonus.
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[lastlight]

My tank being open top and pretty small may help but since adding a4-fan azoo unit my tank stays a rock solid 79 even when the room it is in hits 27C and it has a few times when I forgot to turn the portable AC on or we had 30 people over for a bday.

If I ever need a chiller what i want to do is build a stand up near the ceiling in the basement and plumb thru the floor to it and right back up. All the hot air (and noise) would get exhausted into my basement and not work against the cooling it does.

[Aquattro]

Also, if it's just a few days in summer, turn your lights off or run them at night....
A chiller that isn't vented outside will dump a lot of heat into your room, making the chiller work harder, <repeat>