What do I need for a Chiller?

[Petersgirl]

Hey guys,

I've been looking into getting a chiller as my tank can get a little warm in the summer, and I do notice that even a small change in temp can really rile my guys up. It sits at 19 degrees celsius when freshly changed or up to 23-24 degrees when warm. When it's cooler it can sit between 21-22 degrees.
I've been told £250 is a silly amount of money to spend on my axxies, but I've got five and I do think it's a worthwhile investment.

This is the one I'm looking at:

HHH Hailea Nutrient / Water Chiller: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors

I'd like it if someone could answer the following questions:

1) I already have an external filter (an Eheim 07091, type 223451 0). Will this be okay with this chiller?
2) Will it need an additional pump? (Some of them do).
3) The specifications mention 'hose' which is needed to attach the chiller to the external. I'm assuming this is airline tubing?
4) Will this be enough to cool a 30 gallon/136 litre 4 foot tank?
5) Will I need anything other than my external and some airline tubing?

Thanks in advance if you can answer any of these. I really want to get one for peace of mind, but they cost so much money and I want to make sure it'll actually work before I buy. I considered a DIY one but my room is tiny and I hadn't room for a mini fridge.

 

[DarthVolga]

Honestly, I'm not sure why the chillers are so expensive. However, I think they're really good at making sure the temp is always stable so that could be why. Anyhow, I put my tank in a huge entertainment center, where the TV should go so I could hang a 10$ thrift store fan. It might not be fancy, but it certainly gets the job done.

Also, my tank is 20 gallons and it stays very chilly, even when the temp is in the 90s

 

[Petersgirl]

Dear DarthVolga,

Thanks for your advice. I did try fans once upon a time, but both the 'screw on' type that attached to my lid and a loose desktop fan that just sat in the open part of my lid were very loose and almost fell in a few times. I couldn't leave them unattended and so abandoned them.

I also tried ice bottles and wet towels, but I just found them impractical and short-lived. I think while a USB fan might be worth looking at, I'll ultimately end up with a chiller - even if it does eat up my savings (I've been saving for three months straight but to be fair £250 seems pretty cheap for a chiller).

As to the price for the chillers, I do agree that they are a little expensive. I think the justification is that it's far easier to heat water than keep it cold, since heat is a common by-product of most devices (just look how cheap a tank heater is!) I think there's also the idea that chillers often cater for Marine tanks rather than Freshwater, and a Marine keeper knows their hobby will be expensive. The keeper can justify £200/$400 for a chiller if they're keeping £500/$1000 worth of fish.

For me, I'm just a worrywart and I would love to be able to go out on lovely sunny days with my husband without worrying about my bubbies. They may have only cost me £15/$30 each, but they're worth a million dollars to me.

At the moment I'm making do with big water changes on hot days to keep the temp down, but it's not good for my cycle, not practical in the long run and also not good for my babies to be exposed to constantly fluctuating temps.

I think a chiller is the way forward, but thanks for your tips anyway!

 

[Petersgirl]

The wonders of self-research! I thought I'd document this below for anyone also struggling with this issue...

1) My Eheim was given to me by my father second-hand so I had no idea what it was. It turns out it is an Eheim Ecco 2234 (yes, the ones with the slightly delicate handles) and can serve a 60 gallon tank. Therefore, it has more than enough power to move a chiller and clean my 30 gallon too.

I found this out by checking the front of the filter and also the specifications on a white sticker at the back of the filter, so check this if you're wondering like I was. Google to find the details you need.

2) I also found out that you only require an additional pump if you don't have an external filter, since the external has a motor in it that will help you propel the water.

3) The 'hose' they mention is actually aquarium tubing, like vinyl tubing or similar.

4) Apparently, to cool a 30 gallon tank you'd need a Hailea 150A, since the 100A and 130A serve tanks up to 100L (30 UK Gallons = 130 litres). The one in the picture was not specified and so is likely a 100A.

5) I won't need anything other than tubing and the external, but I might need fittings.

I've also learnt to do my research before buying, otherwise my chiller would have been far too small for my tank. I also found much cheaper chillers on Ebay than on Amazon, with only £10 - £20 difference between bigger models of chiller.

So there's some help for anyone completely in the dark about chillers

 

[Petersgirl]

Okay, so it's Day 2 with the new chiller, which arrived yesterday. I tried to get both tubing and Jubilee Clips for the chiller yesterday and couldn't get the clips. My father set it up without the clips (these will hopefully be added later; I got them this morning).

So, we had a fully operational chiller running from the external (using 16/12 piping from Eheim, 2 metres of it). Initially we had quite a stressful experience because I don't really know how my external works and so far my father has had to help me with a lot of it. This is largely because this model of filter is notorious for having an easily breakable handle, which controls practically everything on this model, and also because the last two times we've removed the tubing water has gone everywhere. This model has taps on the tubes which need to be turned off when the plug is pulled out.

I also got a little stressed because the chiller is quite big (the size of an old computer tower) and needs to be 40cm away from a wall at the back and 20 cms either side. I couldn't house it in the tank stand because it wouldn't have enough ventilation, and we have a small room so we struggled to find a suitable place. We debated moving on the other axxie tank for the room, but I couldn't bear to part with the little axxie in the tank so we just decided to put the chiller in front of the big tank. I get really anxious when things are changed, particularly with living things, so yesterday was tough for me. I get really anxious sometimes about silly things, like thinking my tank will crack or the pipes of my external will come loose.

Anyway, the chiller. I installed it at 11pm last night; the tank was reading 23 degrees (you can see why I bought it!) It was initially a little loud as it refridgerated water down to 22, 21, 20 degrees. I fell asleep but was awoken at 6am as the chiller kicked in again. I have found that this chiller will kick in if the water is 1 degree above the set temp (if you want 16 degrees, for example, any temp above this will make it run to cool it down. Once it reaches 16 degrees, it won't kick in until it's at 17 degrees, but this is a tiny thing unless you need exact temps).

By eight am (when I re-awoke after being awake for 30 minutes at 6am), the tank water was 16.5 degrees. My tank was very cold and my axxies...have changed. Completely.

At this temp they are both relaxed and - there's no other way to put it - playful. They swim, take interest in anything outside the tank and constantly move towards everything that moves. They seem happy and aren't displaying any of the 'crazy swims' they sometimes do when they get warm. That, and they're still eating like pigs (weird, as I thought their metabolisms would slow). I've also noticed that cooler water has had a positive effect on their...digestion. I'm seeing rather more 'leavings' than I usually would.

I already love my chiller. I was able to go for a five hour shift on a pretty warm day and not worry about my axxies or their water. I could put on sunblock for the first time in weeks, knowing I wouldn't have to water change today. It's already changing my life. I don't know how I ever coped without it, and even though it cost me three months' savings, I feel it's worth every penny. My axxies are happier and healthier and I have peace of mind (vital for a person prone to anxiety like myself). The chiller may have given me one night of disturbed sleep but I'm sure I'll get used to it, plus it'll be worth it for the carefree sunny days I can spend with my husband knowing my axxies are happy.

I've also ditched my last internal filter for the big tank, since I don't have enough plugs to run the external, the chiller, another extension lead, my bedroom lamp and that internal too. I've found that also helped bring the temp down a lot.

So, there's my adventure in chillers. I hope this helps anyone wanting a chiller but who isn't sure where to start...like me.