Hi Bros,
I'm setting up a 3X1.5X1.5 tank which will have a 4X39W (T5 lights). The tank is planned to be an aquascape tank with plants, a few fish and mostly shrimp.
At first I didn't realize that the chillers HP rating made a difference in the overall effect, I just assumed that a fast enough filter was all you needed. But after researching all the forums it appears that rate of water flow is important and so is the HP of the chiller. I cna't find any good guides on the water flow to chiller HP, so I'd like to ask if someone can help explain it to me.
I have an Eheim Pro 2 filter which has a printed flow rate of 950L/h, dealing in approximately 120l of water. What kind of HP should I be looking for in a chiller?
Thanks in advance for all your help.
Hi there, it depends on the brand of the chiller as well. Better brands have higher hp chillers that are able to support the same flowrate as cheaper brands. You can check out the specifications in their individual websites. One point to note, its better to get a chiller that is one size bigger than what it can support if your flowrate is enough for it. Saves you electricity and also the trouble of finding a new one when you upgrade to a bigger tank.
Thanks schizome, lets say for example, Right now I have a 3x1.5x1.5ft tank. As such the water volume is approximately maxed at 180L. So I would have to go to some chiller sites and compare their individual chiller graphs to determine if that chiller can maintain 180L at 24 degrees?
Once I find a model that can do that, I just buy the next step up in their catalog?
I'd like to get some input on what kind of chiller is good? I already have a Teco TR5 which is servicing my 3ft low tank. but the 890+ price tag is kind of a major turn off to consider buying another one brand new. I am considered a 2nd hand one but then did some research and am now worried I might be buying a chiller underpowered for my tank. According to the specs it should be capable of chilling a tank almost 3 times the seize of my tank so can I 'assume' that means the chiller is at least one category higher than I need?
i'm also curious about the different brands. A LFS tried to sell me a haliea? I'd never heard of the brand before and read from here that Artic and Teco seem to be pretty decent. I dug up that old poll thread about "which chiller is good" and was surprised that most people didn't have Tecos. so I'm kind of curious. I'm considering a RA200 second hand. And since it's warranty is expiring in Sept this year, the 'quality' aspect of Teco is probably going to be tested.
Do you or anyone else have anything to share about these chillers?
Yup get a step higher. I'm using a Teco TR10 which is 1/8 hp for my 4 x 1 x 1.5 and I feel that it's underpowered because it kicks in frequently at 25 degrees (about 20mins every hour), even after adding insulation to the pipes. Was one mistake that I made when I was setting up and I should have gone one step higher. So far the chiller hasn't given me any problems though.
Artica and Teco are higher end brands with lower BTU as they claim so it means saving more electricity in the long run. There is a bro in this forum who did some calculations to see if the savings are able to offset the difference in price and I think it'll take up to 1-2 years to break even. So it depends, if you're not sure how long you want to keep this hobby for and don't mind changing cheaper chillers like Hailea (they are pretty good and so far not much complaints) and Resun maybe a year or two down the road, then why not?
Hi Schizome,
Thanks for the info. Appreciate the time. I've gone with the RA 200 chiller and think it should be sufficient. I don't have the HP level with me right now but I'm confident it should be alright. Looking forward to posting some pictures of the tank once I get it on it's feet. So many professional aquascapist here. Feel like a dwarf amongst giants. :-(
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