Do most people use chillers?

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aherc958

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Do most people user chillers to maintain that 65 F sweet spot? I know they are very common in the saltwater/reeftank world, but they seem like an awfully big investment for a $20 axie. Are home-engineered DIY solutions common? I've seen the mini-fridge option as possibly viable, but there are so many benefits to a commercially available chiller. Just not the price point,
 
I live in Australia and our summer is now in full-swing until Feb. Temperatures here can hit 45 celsius (113F) on a bad day. I have a chiller on my 4 foot axie tank. Yes it was expensive, but it means I can keep my axies comfortable without having to worry about them. Without it, it would be impossible for me to maintain their tank at 18 celsius year-round. Best thing I ever bought in my opinion.
 
No, but I wish I had.

Despite living in the Northeast, an unexpected heat wave hit last year while on summer holiday. There was someone home to try and drop the tank temperature with ice bottles, and have a window AC unit put in (running 24/7), but one of my "babies" unfortunately died. The survivor lost her gills from the stress; now regrown. To prevent this in the future and to keep the whole house cooled, vs. running 3 window units, central AC was installed. While set to cool the house down to 67F (19.4C), it keeps the tank around 65F +/- a degree. (Tank was relocated to a less viewable, but cooler area of the house too.)
 
I won't be getting axies until this Summer is over as ours are getting slowly hotter each year (though not quite as bad as Australia yet!) and I will spend the rest of the year slowly saving for a chiller. We are often away during the summer months so to me it's a necessary investment to keep my babies safe and comfortable when we go away. It also puts less pressure on the pet-sitter, and the less they have to do the better, in my opinion.
 
Until ~3 years ago I was able to keep my axolotls without a chiller by doing big water changes and using frozen 2 liters. The last three summers have been hotter for longer, and this method no longer could keep the temperature down. I finally caved and bought a chiller... Best decision ever!!!

In the last month I set up another tank to separate my males from females (so over eggs!) in a bedroom. That room stays cooler and has a portable A/C in the summer so hopefully I get away without a chiller on that one. Only time will tell!
 
I can't afford a chiller, so during the summer my tank is evacuated and then they're placed in 50L tubs each in the bedroom in the shade, change the water every 2 days.


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i did a DIY chiller. I will be doing a walk-thru on build soon just need time to get it together.
 
Chillers are way too expensive for me, but if you have an underground basement, and you keep the door to the basement closed then the temp down their should around the 65F spot.
 
DIY chiller for 100bucks

80 gph pump 7 bucks
peltier thermoelectric cooler 10 bucks
10amp DC power 15bucks
Temp Controller 15 bucks
Fans 30 bucks
Aluminum Water Cooling Blocks 10 bucks
Ammo can already had
AC outlet 5 bucks
misc material 8 bucks

100 Total for chiller
 

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