Can I use copper tubing?

[Ariel]

I'm thinking of building a chiller for my tank by pumping water through tubing in a styrofoam box stuffed with frozen water bottles. I don't know much about it, but someone said that copper is toxic to amphibians. Does this mean I can't use copper refrigeration tubing? The copper tubing would be in the box outside of the tank, but GD would be swimming through water that has passed through a copper tube. Is that OK?

 

[Boomsloth]

You are better off buying clear vinyl tubing that is cheaper. You can coil it in the styrofoam or cooler and fill the whole thing with ice water as this allows better temperature transfer and consistency. Copper is not really safe for aquariums and becomes even more of an issue if your pH is lower. Its not worth the cost or risk in my opinion since the vinyl tubing costs like $10-15 and is easier to work with. Most water pumps/canister filters have inputs/outputs designed for this type of tubing.

 

[Ariel]

Ice water would be a pain to change out, but I could do bags of ice that would conform to the tubing as they melted, I guess. I have started a collection of square (stackable) water bottles for my project. I didn't think that the vinyl tubing would transfer the thermal energy to the ice well, isn't it was too insulative?

 

[mackinthebox]

what size tank?
if youre technically inclined you might try a peltier chiller like I made:
http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...-filters-substrate/91508-peltier-chiller.html

 

[Boomsloth]

Ice water would be a pain to change out, but I could do bags of ice that would conform to the tubing as they melted, I guess. I have started a collection of square (stackable) water bottles for my project. I didn't think that the vinyl tubing would transfer the thermal energy to the ice well, isn't it was too insulative?

You don't really change all of the ice water. We use ice baths in chemistry rather then straight ice to get a more consistent temp. I looked it up and you're right about the vinyl tubing being insulated. Metals are the most thermally conductive but almost every metal I've looked up doesn't seem to be aquarium safe, and copper seems to cause liver damage in fish which makes me think that it might be the culprit when people's axolotls become bloated due to liver failure. The reasoning why copper is used in houses still is that its not a circulating system like an aquarium so it can't build up to do enough harm (although they are starting to make a switch to PVC). I found that stainless steel is safe but can be expensive, or titanium works too.

 

[Ariel]

what size tank?
if youre technically inclined you might try a peltier chiller like I made:
http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...-filters-substrate/91508-peltier-chiller.html

Wow, thanks for this! I don't understand it at first glance, but I'm not afraid of learning, I'll study it and how it works, and I might be able to figure it out.

You don't really change all of the ice water. We use ice baths in chemistry rather then straight ice to get a more consistent temp. I looked it up and you're right about the vinyl tubing being insulated. Metals are the most thermally conductive but almost every metal I've looked up doesn't seem to be aquarium safe, and copper seems to cause liver damage in fish which makes me think that it might be the culprit when people's axolotls become bloated due to liver failure. The reasoning why copper is used in houses still is that its not a circulating system like an aquarium so it can't build up to do enough harm (although they are starting to make a switch to PVC). I found that stainless steel is safe but can be expensive, or titanium works too.

I think the temperature will be consistent enough if I have everything in an insulated cooler, like the cheap styrofoam ones for drinks. I was thinking that with multiple stacked water bottles I could cycle them switching out meltier ones for fresh ones, also for keeping a consistent temperature. The question is, will the copper tubing actually leak copper into the water? I wonder if aluminum tubing exists for cheap, and would that be harmful?

 

[Boomsloth]

That's what I was referring to. From what i've read, copper will corrode especially in more acidic environments over time. Since the tank is basically a closed system, it can build up. Supposedly it causes some renal damage in fish, that's why aquarist are against it. The safe metals are the ones that won't corrode as easily like stainless steel or titanium. If you can get a copper test kit you can test to see if copper becomes an issue.

 

[mackinthebox]

Wow, thanks for this! I don't understand it at first glance, but I'm not afraid of learning, I'll study it and how it works, and I might be able to figure it out.




I think the temperature will be consistent enough if I have everything in an insulated cooler, like the cheap styrofoam ones for drinks. I was thinking that with multiple stacked water bottles I could cycle them switching out meltier ones for fresh ones, also for keeping a consistent temperature. The question is, will the copper tubing actually leak copper into the water? I wonder if aluminum tubing exists for cheap, and would that be harmful?

let me know if you have a question
its pretty easy though
get all the parts together and it will come together for you
I would try local computer shops for the heatsinks, be sure and clean them well
make sure the one on the cold side is much smaller than one the hot side and make sure it fits into the outlet of your filter