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Chiller

I always thought a chiller was an absolute waste of money. I keep my house at a cool 72/74 degrees. My AC is on my back up generator circuit. Yeah. I got this covered.

My AC went out two weeks ago and I keep getting promised 'it's on the way' so I am running back and forth trying to keep enough ice and cool packs in my fuge to keep the tank from over heating. I am honestly about to knuckle over and buy a ridiculously expensive chiller just so i can get past the next couple of days. Any thoughts?
 

Mark_C

Staff member
Officer Emeritus
NJRC Member
Moderator
+1 for fan over sump (or over back compartment in an aio)
A simple fan drops my tank temp by about 5 degrees in my aio 30g
But it does cause a crazy amount of evaporation (about 3x normal)

I'm using this one here (but there are a ton of others, just type in aquarium fan on Amazon)...
 
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Thanks for the advice. I have my little desk fan going on it. Hoping I can survive the 90 degree day!! If AC buy doesnt come through..i might have to buy a chiller this week. Anyone go up to the ACC in their warehouse use equipment sale? Anyone see one up there?
 

iTzJu

Officer Emeritus
NJRC Member
If you're really worried, i would turn off the lights as well. your corals and fish will be fine for a day or 2 without light
 

redfishbluefish

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Pick up a room air conditioner...they are relatively inexpensive...ca $150. On the marginal days where I don't want to do the whole house, that's what I do. Setting it at 73-74 keeps the tank cool.
 
Pick up a room air conditioner...they are relatively inexpensive...ca $150. On the marginal days where I don't want to do the whole house, that's what I do. Setting it at 73-74 keeps the tank cool.
I have those wonderful crank to open windows instead of sliders or double hung and a traditional window AC unit wont work. Best I can get is the portabls but then what do I with the exhaust. Debating removing one of my AC registers and putting a portable one with the exchaust funnelled into my crawl space.
 

redfishbluefish

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
All is not lost....you have a couple options:

1. They sell casement window air conditioners. Just need to make sure it fits and might need to make filler strips. Casement needs to be removed.
2. Assuming the width is wide enough, you can mount a "conventional" window unit in a casement. Window needs to be removed. They sell brackets to mount below to hold the weight of the AC. Need to be handy enough to make filler pieces around AC unit....plywood would work; is real handy, a filler window made of glass or plexi.
3. Purchase a portable unit and use a casement window kit:
51cJPZSx10L._AC_SX679_.jpg
 
Not sure where you are located but you can borrow this chiller I have for as long as you need, or you can trade me something small for it and keep it. I am in Northern NJ, West Milford NJ .. or I can bring it to work on Monday down by the tappan zee bridge .. it was used on a FOWLR tank that was taken offline about 3-4 months ago

Screenshot_20220615-102545_Gallery.jpg
 
get a fan and have it blow air over the surface. should help lower it a few degrees. will up evap though so make sure you have enough water to replace your ATO
This worked great. dropped the temp maybe a degree..but it kept it from going up which was enough for me. Thank you
 
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