Chillers

[Autumncrossing]

Hi everyone,
So I was looking at this chiller, the "1/4hp Current USA Tower Chiller" I found a good deal on craigslist and was just wondering if anyone had any experience with it. I've never used a chiller before but living in Florida I could use one to help save on the A/C bill. The dilemma is that my current tank I wish to chill is only 10 gallons but I plan to get larger tanks in the future. Do you think such a massive chiller would turn my newts into ice cubes? I plan on moving the temperature from the 80's to around 60 or so. Also how does one normally hook up a chiller?
Thanks!

 

[Chinadog]

I don't need yo use chillers here in the UK, but a giant chiller used on a small tank should be fine. Chillers are controlled by their thermostat, so they should only be chilling when the water is above the temperature you set on 'stat. They're usually hooked up inline with an external cannister filter or pump.

 

[Nano]

To connect a chiller to your aquarium you'll need to attach it to the pipes coming from your filter if it is external or put pipes into your tank with a pump as there isn't a pump built into the chiller.

The only problem is that the instructions (found here) say that you need at least a 5gpm pump (300G/Hr)(1000L/Hr) which might be a bit two powerful for a small tank.

Since chillers are so expensive getting one for a low price will definitely be worthwhile in the future when you have a bigger aquarium because putting your A/C on or putting ice packs in the water have much less effect.