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Thread: DIY Chiller?

  1. #1
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    DIY Chiller?

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    Hi,
    I saw many websites on making your own chiller from threading a long loop of piping through a small freezer and connecting the piping to the external filter. Has anyone tried doing this? Is it enough to maintain the tank at 26C given Singapore temperature of around 30C?

    Thanks.

    One of the link as follows:
    http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/dyi...donchiller.htm

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by greenaqua
    Hi,
    I saw many websites on making your own chiller from threading a long loop of piping through a small freezer and connecting the piping to the external filter. Has anyone tried doing this? Is it enough to maintain the tank at 26C given Singapore temperature of around 30C?

    Thanks.

    One of the link as follows:
    http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/dyi...donchiller.htm
    Many countries doesn't have access to cheaper alternatives as in Singapore. For chillers, we have Resun series, Atman series etc which is extremely cheap compare to brands from Europe. Another forum I read branded such brands as disposable chillers because the repair price for one after the warranty period might be higher than getting another new one.

    Last known, a new Resun CL-650 is about $450 which can support up to 1000L... and I am sure you will spend alot more trying to DIY one.
    Cheers and Regards,
    Billy Cheong

    I'm not always dumb,
    Just most of the time...

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    Quote Originally Posted by juggler
    really cool. fun.


    but a bit silly to have fogged up tank and not see the contents imho. maybe fan to blow the front pane of tank?

    someone told me to buy aircon and set at 26-27 c so even you can enjoy .
    then again running cost will be higher lor...
    You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung

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    Quote Originally Posted by standoyo
    really cool. fun.


    but a bit silly to have fogged up tank and not see the contents imho. maybe fan to blow the front pane of tank?
    In this case, maybe have to put in a heater to prevent this!
    Last edited by vinz; 15th Jun 2005 at 18:45. Reason: Fixed quotes
    koah fong
    Juggler's tanks

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    siao
    You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung

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    How to drill through metal?

    I like the unit done to keep the tank cool. I saw a mini refrigerator at Courts for S$199 with similar output. Its not that suitable as it has wasted space due to unused bottom half. Better I think to get a mini-freezer instead of a refrigerator. I am going to hunt around for one. One question I have is how to drill through the metal sides? Imagine the imapct on the plant tank if we can redue the temperature to 25-26 C. I can start to keep more temperate plants.

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    If you do not have basic knowledge of the position of the cooling coils located around the sides of the fridge, I'd suggest you do not do so. Unless you are willing to take the risk then by all means do so.

    If you, by accident happen to damage any of the coils, you would have caused the bar fridge to be damaged beyond repair. My advice is, if you have enough money to spend on a decent chiller, I would suggest you get that instead of trying to DIY one for use with your tank.

    My friend was successful in making that same chiller shown on the Killies.com forum thread that Juggler posted, and he was the author of that thread as well, however the fogging is one big problem for most people and even he admits that he can't quite see what's inside the tank once the condensation sets in. With a separate temperature controller however, the temperature could be set to within limits of 24 to 25 degC, thereby reducing the condensation rate on the glass.
    Fish.. Simply Irresistable
    Back to Killies... slowly.

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    Yah, thanks. I am not planning on splurging on a chiller if I do not have to. I just have to figure a way to get my plants to thrive. I think I need to focus on the CO2 and nutrients first.

    I agree with you on the risks. Should I proceed I will bear these in mind. Sometimes making the DIY is fun in itself.

    Cheers.

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    For my case I use DIY PC fans instead. If the tank is situated in a shaded but cooler part of the house, the fans can work to reduce the total temperature to roughly around 26 degC.

    I had the same thoughts as you, why splurge on a chiller if I don't have to.
    Fish.. Simply Irresistable
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    chiller vs fans

    Quote Originally Posted by stormhawk
    For my case I use DIY PC fans instead. If the tank is situated in a shaded but cooler part of the house, the fans can work to reduce the total temperature to roughly around 26 degC.

    I had the same thoughts as you, why splurge on a chiller if I don't have to.
    agree on this cos cons outweigh the pros. chiller vs fans
    for a 22-26 c tank with chiller/ a 25+ to 27+ c tank with fan
    pros for chillers
    1. 10% more lush growth for temperate plants
    2. doesn't evaporate water
    3. noiseless
    4. can use for marine tank if bored with planted tank [not to say fans can't do it]

    pros for fans
    1. doesn't fog up tank, you can see inside of tank clearly.
    2. plants still grow well albeit a teeny bit smaller. plus point if you have small tank.
    3. can get very quiet ones with attachments included.
    4. doesn't make your room into sauna like chillers
    5. saves on electricity?
    6. fish like altum and discus can still make it at 27 celcius
    7. much cheaper than chiller...
    8. takes up less space


    however, if you set chiller at 27 c, point 1, 2, 5, 6 for fans will be negated.

    has anyone more points to add?

    for most like me the idea is cost of hardware and cost of running- also some fishies will suffer.

    decide y'all


    You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung

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    For me, if I had the money to burn and space to spare, I'd go with a standard aquarium chiller. However since I'm running on a tight budget and electricity bills are not very good to look at, the smaller DIY fans are a better bet.

    Nonetheless, I admit the plants grow a teeny bit slower and smaller than those in a tank with a chiller. However I've got no problems with that and yes, my fish don't seem to be complaining either.
    Fish.. Simply Irresistable
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    Question James Lim design

    Hi, been following posting of James Lim's DIY chiller with interest. Has anyone trial out for suitable bar fridge for a 4x2x2 ft tank (abt 400L) yet? If so, what wattage of bar fridge was used?

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