Chiller for 20 gallon tank??

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allied123

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After searching for chillers in this forum for about two hours and not really finding what I was looking for, I give up. Does anyone have a chiller suggestion for around $200? I'm thinking about just getting one of those ice probes but there is no way I'm drilling a hole in the side of the tank. Maybe I'm misunderstanding how those things work (but that is exactly what one website said you HAD to do to install and use it) and any direction would be much appreciated!
 
I've had good results with Hailea chillers, and that's with some fairly extreme Australian heat.

I don't know about getting them for 200 bucks, but if you want to set the temp and then not worry about it anymore, it's the way to go.

I run my cannister filters upstream of the chiller.

Hope that helps.
 
I guess my price range is gonna have to be expanded >.< I was really hoping not but oh well. Does anyone know a good website to buy one online in the U.S.? I know my local petstores have nothing at all.
 
Things are cheaper in the states, we get screwed down here.

Online would be your best bet, you'll be able to read the specs for the item and get the one best suited.

Make sure not to get a chiller (or cannister) filter that's right on the limit for your tank size, get models that are overrated for your water capacity, they'll do it easier.

A spray bar pointed at the wall or with more/bigger holes drilled will soften the current.

If you want to keep axolotls, a basic Eheim classic cannister with a Hailea chiller combo has worked very well for me.

Remember carbon media for the first two weeks, then ceramic noodles with no carbon after that.

Hope that helps.
 
Where in the States are you, and how hot does it get? You might not need a chiller at all. I cool my tanks with little fans taped to the side.
 
I'm in Florida and the tank will get over 74 without me constantly changing water bottles (my dad likes the house hot and a fan only helps a few degrees and gets really loud after only a couple hours) and I have a nice filter that I really like so I was hoping to get a chiller that I wouldn't have involve getting a new filter...
 
My understanding is that using a thermoelectric chiller (Peltier chiller) like an ice probe will limit the size of tank/amount of temperature drop you can achieve as well as cost a more to operate than a traditional compressor-based cooling system (they're only a fraction as efficient). Also, I'm not aware of any that don't involve a fair amount of DIY; if you wanted to go that route, some people drill holes in cheap mini fridges and coil lengths of hose inside. Temperature control/adjustment would seem to be the issue with that solution.

If you wait for a sale, you can get a chiller that is rated to cool a 30 gallon tank by 20 degrees for $300. I think this is as small as they come. You'll need something to at least pump the water to the chiller, if not a canister filter with a pump to provide clean water to it. You'll avoid the DIY/aesthetic issues, and have something that can maintain an accurate temperature (within 2 degrees Fahrenheit).
 
Xtophr said:
My understanding is that using a thermoelectric chiller (Peltier chiller) like an ice probe will limit the size of tank/amount of temperature drop you can achieve as well as cost a more to operate than a traditional compressor-based cooling system (they're only a fraction as efficient). Also, I'm not aware of any that don't involve a fair amount of DIY; if you wanted to go that route, some people drill holes in cheap mini fridges and coil lengths of hose inside. Temperature control/adjustment would seem to be the issue with that solution.

If you wait for a sale, you can get a chiller that is rated to cool a 30 gallon tank by 20 degrees for $300. I think this is as small as they come. You'll need something to at least pump the water to the chiller, if not a canister filter with a pump to provide clean water to it. You'll avoid the DIY/aesthetic issues, and have something that can maintain an accurate temperature (within 2 degrees Fahrenheit).
Click to expand...

Yep, what he said.

If you're in a hot place, buy a proper chiller with a canister upstream.

You'll pay for it, but you'll sleep at night and your axies will love you.
 
You should just get a mini fridge off of craigslist, have your dad drill two 3/4" holes side by side in it, buy a small cheap water pump (200 gph or so) and some garden hose, stuff the hose into the mini fridge and cut each metal end off, stuff the ends through the two holes and hook one to your pump which would go in your tank. The other hose goes back into your tank. Turn the fridge and the pump on, this will pump water through the hose inside the fridge, garden hose is very well insulated and the fridge cooling it off will cool the water off considerably and then it goes back into your tank a few degrees cooler. It's very cheap, comparatively, at about $60 tops, and is very easy, quiet, and reliable. I thoroughly suggest doing this over spending such absurd amounts on what they ask for chillers, it gets the same job done and does not look "unaesthetic" as some may try to tell you.
 
I really want to thank everyone for replying! especially xtophor for explaining as you did, that was pretty much what I was reading but I wasn't really understanding, I found a nice looking 1/10 hp chiller for $390 online..but I'm not sure I trust the site... I found one in store thats a 1/15 hp for $400 but I would still need to buy a pump...

Jonjey I appreciate the mini fridge idea and it's one I've seen before but I'm gonna be living in a small apartment and the tank will have to stay in my room with me so having my own fridge with whatever and a fridge just to keep the water cool just wouldn't quite work :/ otherwise I'd probably do just that because these prices are insane.

I have moved the tank into a different room in my dad's house (where I'm staying for about another month) and it is staying about 70 without any cooling mechanisms which I know isn't ideal but with water bottles (and maybe a good fan that I can leave on all day) I think it'll be okay :) again thank you everyone!
 
Hi guys,
I'm too planning on buying a chiller for Australian summer - can you PLEASE tell me exactly what's needed to set it up?
So say I'm getting a Hailea 130a or 150a (and my current tank is 65L, I will eventually upgrade to 130L one).
What else do I need to get with the chiller? Tubes? Pump???
I've got a HOB filter - that's not gonna work, right? You mentioned Eheim canister filter - where does it come into equation? So I'm looking at this (EHEIM Classic 2213 (250) External Filter with Media - up to 250L - PetsofAustralia.com.au) and am not understanding how this is connected to a chiller??? :D I'm a total blonde, I know, but the whole tube-pump-chill thing just doesn't work in my head:)))
Can somebody please tell me how the whole thing works, what connects to what and what goes where?
Thank you sooo much in advance!!! :happy:
 
Thank you so much for asking this question. I thought I was the only one who just didn't understand how the whole thing works I'm glad to know that's not the case :) someone help us!
 
If what I've got from reading is right, you can use a chiller without a canister filter but you need a water pump. A hose would go from the water pump submerged in the tank to the chiller, if I'm right. Then another hose either sucks it in through the water pump back in or the chiller pumps it in, not sure.

So the chiller would sit next to the tank with a hose to the water pump, which would be the intake. Then another hose would go from the chiller to the tank for the out take. That should be it if I'm right, but I got no experience. I've just been reading as much as I can about all these things.

Hopefully someone with more experience on these things can come and help you out some more.
 
Depends on what type of pump you use. Some pumps need to be submerged in the tank with a line out (to the chiller). Other pumps work like a canister filter with a line in and out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
If you go the straight pump vs. canister filter route (which have pumps in them) you may wish to put a sponge filter before, to protect the chiller (and pump) from buildup/debris:

Sponge Filter --- Pump --- Chiller --- Tank

--- = hose

You'd probably also want to get a spray bar to diffuse the output going back into the tank.

If you get a submersible pump, depending on the sponge filter, you may be able to connect it directly to the top of the sponge filter, avoiding hose.

Otherwise:

The Eheim canister comes with an intake, hose (one piece which you need to cut into several), two quick release valves* (which allow you to take the canister out without emptying the hoses) and a spray bar.

With a canister filter, you put the chiller between the output of the canister and the tank.

Water Intake --- Quick Release --- Canister Filter --- Quick Release --- Chiller --- Spray Bar

(you'll also need a small piece of hose to assemble the spray bar)

In my experience, the Eheim doesn't come with quite enough hose to spare to connect to a chiller, so you'd need to buy enough to reach from the output of the chiller to the return/spray bar that comes with the canister. If you're not in a metric country, the Eheim is, so you might need to buy a stainless steel clamp to hold the extra non-metric hose to the output bar, and perhaps the chiller depending on its connector size. The 2215 hose size is 12mm inner diameter, which is close to 1/2", but unfortunately 1/2" is on the loose side.

You also might want to get an extra quick release* to allow you to remove the chiller from the picture as well... They are "non-symmetric", so set them up so that you can reconnect everything without the chiller if needed:

male/female --- chiller --- male/female -- return

If you go this route, you'd probably want to get extra Eheim metric hose, rather than trying to clamp on non-metric hose.

The segments of hose connecting the devices to the quick releases should be long enough to clear the devices themselves, as a small amount of water will leak out when disconnected.

The Eheim 2215 is rated 134 gallons per hour, but in reality, once connected to a chiller and filled with the included filter media, outputs 100 gallons per hour (I measured it, at water level), which, for your 130 liter future tank, would turn the water over 3x per hour - so the 2213 might be a little weak? Consensus for fish is to aim for 4x per hour; I went lower than that to avoid too much current; I have no idea what sort of flow you'd need to automatically pick up axolotl waste...! :wacko:

The chiller you choose would also have a min and max flow rate associated with it.



* A quick release consists of two ball valves which connect/couple together (one is male, the other is female). Each ball valve connects to a hose. Each ball valve shuts off or allows water flow, and the coupling allows you to disconnect the two. If you close both valves and then disconnect them from each other, only a small amount of water will come out.

Hose = Ball Valve with male connector = Ball valve with female connector = Hose

where = denotes a built-in threaded physical connector
 
Xtophr said:
If you go the straight pump vs. canister filter route (which have pumps in them) you may wish to put a sponge filter before, to protect the chiller (and pump) from buildup/debris:

Sponge Filter --- Pump --- Chiller --- Tank

--- = hose

You'd probably also want to get a spray bar to diffuse the output going back into the tank.

If you get a submersible pump, depending on the sponge filter, you may be able to connect it directly to the top of the sponge filter, avoiding hose.

Otherwise:

The Eheim canister comes with an intake, hose (one piece which you need to cut into several), two quick release valves* (which allow you to take the canister out without emptying the hoses) and a spray bar.

With a canister filter, you put the chiller between the output of the canister and the tank.

Water Intake --- Quick Release --- Canister Filter --- Quick Release --- Chiller --- Spray Bar

(you'll also need a small piece of hose to assemble the spray bar)

In my experience, the Eheim doesn't come with quite enough hose to spare to connect to a chiller, so you'd need to buy enough to reach from the output of the chiller to the return/spray bar that comes with the canister. If you're not in a metric country, the Eheim is, so you might need to buy a stainless steel clamp to hold the extra non-metric hose to the output bar, and perhaps the chiller depending on its connector size. The 2215 hose size is 12mm inner diameter, which is close to 1/2", but unfortunately 1/2" is on the loose side.

You also might want to get an extra quick release* to allow you to remove the chiller from the picture as well... They are "non-symmetric", so set them up so that you can reconnect everything without the chiller if needed:

male/female --- chiller --- male/female -- return

If you go this route, you'd probably want to get extra Eheim metric hose, rather than trying to clamp on non-metric hose.

The segments of hose connecting the devices to the quick releases should be long enough to clear the devices themselves, as a small amount of water will leak out when disconnected.

The Eheim 2215 is rated 134 gallons per hour, but in reality, once connected to a chiller and filled with the included filter media, outputs 100 gallons per hour (I measured it, at water level), which, for your 130 liter future tank, would turn the water over 3x per hour - so the 2213 might be a little weak? Consensus for fish is to aim for 4x per hour; I went lower than that to avoid too much current; I have no idea what sort of flow you'd need to automatically pick up axolotl waste...! :wacko:

The chiller you choose would also have a min and max flow rate associated with it.



* A quick release consists of two ball valves which connect/couple together (one is male, the other is female). Each ball valve connects to a hose. Each ball valve shuts off or allows water flow, and the coupling allows you to disconnect the two. If you close both valves and then disconnect them from each other, only a small amount of water will come out.

Hose = Ball Valve with male connector = Ball valve with female connector = Hose

where = denotes a built-in threaded physical connector
Click to expand...

This setup will work very well, and IMHO be easier and more effective in the long run than a DIY setup.

Depends on how handy you are, and the finances I guess.
 
okay Xtophor I'm a little confused, when you say hose you don't literally mean like a garden hose right? you mean tubing that's a specific size right? I've seen the chillers say they have 1/2" output/input so I'm assuming you would also have to find a pump with those same size requirements?

and just so I get this straight you would have tubing from the tank to the pump, from the pump to the chiller, and finally from the chiller back to the tank? so three separate tubes? the pumps I've seen were so varied I don't really understand them but I'm assuming that's with an outside type of pump? and with one in the tank you would only have a tube from the pump to the chiller and then one from the chiller back into the tank?
 
Vinyl tubing.

When you see 1/2" tubing, that's referring to the inner diameter; there is also a measurement for the outer diameter, which can also matter depending on the connector.

The Eheim quick releases and the canister filter not only involve pushing the tubing onto the connections, but also tightening a threaded nut onto the tubing itself, so that not only is the tubing stretched around a connector, it's clamped down on on top of it. So you need to use tubing that will fit underneath (i.e. the right outer diameter - 5/8" might work but I'd just go with 12mm/16mm to be safe).

The chiller I have doesn't have that, so I went with stainless steel clamps (see above) to accommodate the outer diameter of the tubing.

It's probably easiest to choose a chiller with connectors the same size as your pump or canister filter, although you can get adapters, and, see earlier post, the Eheim is not the same as 1/2", but 12mm hose will fit onto a 1/2" connector.

and just so I get this straight you would have tubing from the tank to the pump, from the pump to the chiller, and finally from the chiller back to the tank? so three separate tubes? the pumps I've seen were so varied I don't really understand them but I'm assuming that's with an outside type of pump? and with one in the tank you would only have a tube from the pump to the chiller and then one from the chiller back into the tank?
Click to expand...

Your basic idea is correct, BUT I would not NOT prefilter water going to a chiller. They're pricey, stuff will build up inside it, it will become less efficient and/or fail, and I can't imagine it's easy to clean inside. People clean their canister filters once every 1-3 months due to buildup; I can't imagine abusing a chiller that way.

If you don't want to get a canister filter, then you might at least want to use a sponge like this:

Hydro-Sponge - Aquarium Technology, Inc.

The "tube" on it in the picture is rigid, so you could attach a submersible pump directly onto it, and then run flexible vinyl tubing from that to your chiller.

Plus, you wouldn't want a big empty hole pulling water in at 200+ gallons per hour for your axolotl to get caught up in (you've heard about accidents with humans and pool intakes, right?), so you'd need some sort of intake device to break up the water flow anyway. Sponge filters spread it out rather well, and they aren't that expensive either:

Aquarium Internal Filters: ATI Hydro-Sponge Pro Filters at Foster and Smith Aquatics
 
lol yeah I was worried about pulling that much water into the tub and how they would at least be pulled towards it... and I never even thought about dirty water going into the chiller that's such a good point! and overall that is such great information and I can't tell you how useful that is! thank you so much for taking the time to explain something that seems so simple to someone as slow as me :)
 
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