Hello there bros,
I've just gotten myself a fluval 304 and resun cl450 for my new 3ftx1.5x1.5 tank. I was wondering if its easy to hook them up together. Fluval hoses are odd shaped compared to the normal eheim style canister filters. On the the net it shows that the cl450's required flowrate is >1200L/hr but the fluval filter is only rated at 1000L/hr. After passing through the media baskets and long hose, the flowrate would reduce even further. I was wondering if its a better idea to run the chiller with a 1500L/hr rated powerhead at least. The only downside is that unfiltered/bare sponge filtered powerheads might clog up the chiller innards within a shorter period of time.
So, the options are:
1) Run the chiller at a lower than recommended flowrate using the fluval 304. (Downside: Shorted lifespan of chiller/ chiller kick in more often?)
2) Run the chiller at/above the recommended flowrate using a sponged powerhead.
3) Get an additional fluval 404 (rated at 1300L/hr) to power the chiller. (2 canister filters an overkill for shrimp tank?)
By the way, how many kgs of gravel recommended for 3ft tank? Around an inch thick.
Opinions bros?
Option 1 is out... what you say is true and in the end you;ll spend much more money. I opt for either Option 2 or 3. Option 2, you may modify it a little by DIY you own filter. AS for Option 3, shrimps are sensitive and live in clean water. I never believe I can over filter the water for shrimps...
Most economical would be option 2...
My choosen option:
2) Run the chiller at/above the recommended flowrate using a sponged powerhead.
Currently I am running my 1/4 hp chiller with eheim1250, without any sponge at the intake portion. But I place the intake opening way up the tank, just an inch below water surface. I wonder how much harm, as in dirt getting into the chiller, will it do to the efficiency of the chiller. Or does it in anyway?
I guess dirt will accumulate over time... just a matter of time. Better filtration = longer time it takes for dirt/sludge to accumulate. Anyone knows if chiller can be flushed off dirt during maintenance?
I heard they will do a back flush.
I have no idea how it looks exactly inside the reservoir. But since the flow of water (for mine is about 1250l/hr) is pretty strong, will the dirt still be able to remain or stick to the cooling coil?
perhaps.... just like the innards of a weathered canister filter.
Do you know that most of the china brand chillers have a thermostat issue? When I spoke to the service man and lfs, and it seems it mostly happens to fresh water hobbyist, not marine hobbyist. Reason being that our pump/filter flow rate are usually underpowered. (Most of the marine hobbyist are using sump filter with a flow rate over 2000l/hr)
The faster the flow rate, the faster its return to the chiller, thus telling the chiller when to kick start. Due to the slower return, temperature is lost, therefore causing the chiller to kick in more often.
Therefore a solution is to either install an external thermostat which measures the actual temperature of the water and send the reading back to the chiller. Or have a filter/pump which has a greater flow rate, therefore, option 2 seems to be the best.
Hope I do not confuse you...
How come only the china brand chillers are affected when it comes to the thermostat issue eh? Would i still need to eventually fix an external thermostat even if i get a powerful powerhead to drive the chiller? How much would it cost to fix the external thermostat? Easy to self-fix?
I guess can fix a 2000L/hr powerhead and cushion the output hurricane with a rainbar.
hi kaym,
No need 2000l/min external pump...will cause you a bomb( $65 - $90 or more)
Am using 1300l/hr external pump($44) to ran my Resun 650CL chiller perfectly. My 4ft tank cool from 28deg C to 24 deg C within 10 mins.
If you must get 2000l/hr external pump...made sure the pump must come with adjusting flow fixture will help you to reduce water turbulence.
hope this will help you...
Last edited by eddy planer; 5th Dec 2007 at 11:57.
Sounds good.... looks like it will be fine to run my cl450 chiller using a 1300L/hr external pump.
I wonder why we cannot drive the chiller at a lower flowrate? anyone can advise. In terms of heat transfer, a lower flowrate will have a faster cooling rate right? Just dont set the cooling temperature to be so low.
why drink and drive when one can smoke and fly.
if the flowrate is too slow, the water in the chiller will be chilled much faster than the tank water, then the thermostat will cut it off, and the chiller will stop running.Originally Posted by williamng
but due to the tank water temperature is higher than the water in the chiller, when water enters the chiller, will cause it to start again.
if will happen very often when you have a less than recommended flowrate to run the chiller. it will cause the chiller to kick in very often and thus shorting the chiller lifespan.
But the design is weird..The temperature sensor should be at the tank right? Why they design it to be at the coil?
Not to mention electricity bill
Anyway to solve this problem? assuming you use a cannister with a lower flowrate to run it
Then you will need a dedicated pump to drive the chiller.
The higher the flowrate of the pump will also allow a faster turn-around (is this the right term) of the tank water going through the chiller. The faster the turn-around, the shorter time it takes the chiller to chill the tank. But of course, you must strike a balance btween the speed of flowrate and the chiller chilling capacity. This is what I observe. I will switch to a higher flowrate pump soon to see if a 'optimum flowrate' can be acheived. I believe there's still room for improvement.
Currently, running a eheim1250 on my 1/4hp chiller. It takes 15mins per chilling session (about 0.8C to 1C).
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks