Ideal Planted tank Temp

[JT]

Hi, recently bought a chiller...was wondering what is the most ideal temp for plants? Anyone with good experience? Thanks

[vinz]

28 or lower is generally good. I think 26 is about right. The lower you go, the higher your bills.

[Rupert]

Just remember that your chiller probably has a +/- temp range. For my chiller it is about +/- 0.4 of a degree C so I set the temp at 26.6 and when it hits 26.9 it comes on and then stays on until the temperature is dragged down to 26.1 then turns off.

On a hot day and if the MH’s come on at the right time then temperature will sometimes peak at 27.2

[imrog]

anyone ever calculate how much it costs to maintain a chiller approximately?

[blueray]

I am interested to know if there is a way to calculate for it.

[vinz]

If you have the total wattage used by the chiller when it's on you can estimate. It's tricky because most chillers list the horsepower, but not the wattage. There are several electrical parts... the pump that circulates the coolant, the fan that cools the coils, etc.

Anyway, let's say W is the wattage of the chiller. Now observe your chiller and find out how often it comes on (e.g. once every 2 hours) and how long it runs each time (e.g. 15 mins). Note at different times of the day/year, due to climate, lighting period, etc, the timings may vary, so you need to guesstimate or average it out.

Next, calculate the kWH used per month and multiply by the electrical tariff. The tariff is in your bill somewhere. Someone mentioned $0.1606 per kWH recently.

Using the values above:
In a day, the chiller runs about 12 times, for 15 mins each. Total 3 hours.

Power usage for a day in kWH (kilo Watts Hour)
= (W x 3) / 1000
For a month
= ((W x 3) / 1000) x 30
Then multiply with the tariff
= ((W x 3) / 1000) x 30 x 0.1606

Anyway, I'm working on a aquarium calculator for AQ which will include a section for electrical usage including chiller estimation.

[Goondoo]

If you have the total wattage used by the chiller when it's on you can estimate. It's tricky because most chillers list the horsepower, but not the wattage. There are several electrical parts... the pump that circulates the coolant, the fan that cools the coils, etc.

Anyway, let's say W is the wattage of the chiller. Now observe your chiller and find out how often it comes on (e.g. once every 2 hours) and how long it runs each time (e.g. 15 mins). Note at different times of the day/year, due to climate, lighting period, etc, the timings may vary, so you need to guesstimate or average it out.

Next, calculate the kWH used per month and multiply by the electrical tariff. The tariff is in your bill somewhere. Someone mentioned $0.1606 per kWH recently.

Using the values above:
In a day, the chiller runs about 12 times, for 15 mins each. Total 3 hours.

Power usage for a day in kWH (kilo Watts Hour)
= (W x 3) / 1000
For a month
= ((W x 3) / 1000) x 30
Then multiply with the tariff
= ((W x 3) / 1000) x 30 x 0.1606

Anyway, I'm working on a aquarium calculator for AQ which will include a section for electrical usage including chiller estimation.

There was one I remember in one of reef site that will calculate the electrical bills for the whole tank including lighting. filters etc... but I can't find the link again.... maybe someone saw it before too?

[yokogi]

As i just started the tank, i made a rough comparison on utilities bill between Apr/May. There was an increase of $20 (electricity only). Still waiting for next 2 bills to have a better gauge.

20Apr - Started filter
02May - On lights (90W x 12hr daily)
- On chiller (i donno specs nor the period of time it starts to kick in)

Tank - 4ft (50Gallon)
Chiller Temp - 26-28degC

[shihyong]

Can't find the previous post. I downloaded and save in my pc.