Question: Ebay chiller fans??

[randomcapitals]

I was looking for a smallish chiller on e-bay (and oh, lordie, I can't even afford a second hand one), when I came across these
eBay Australia: Buy new & used fashion, electronics & home d
I was wondering if anybody here had ever used anything of this type and if so how effective it was.
In the past I've used the ice-block relay method of keeping tank temperatures low but it's not ideal.
So has anybody tried these fans?
And just out of curiosity how do you keep your tank temps down without a chiller?

 

[memojo1979]

I bought a similar fan last year (a single, but larger fan) + found it difficult to angle - it either stands vertically, or lies horizontally because of the weight, despite supposedly being suitable for positioning at the angle required. I had to prop it up on the mesh lid I made.
It worked well over Summer, but then stopped working toward the end of Summer. I might've just been a one-off, but because it worked for a few months I couldn't send it back for a replacement (it was too late), so it would end up being expensive if they needed replacing each year. It did keep the temperature of my top tank (3ft, then upgraded to a 4ft) down by a couple of degrees though - need to top up the water regularly because it aids evaporation, but I managed to get it to coincide with water changes anyway, so added an extra bucketful of water every time I changed a couple of bucketfuls

 

[lollypop]

Only thing to remember when you have a lot of evaporation is that it's only "pure" water that evaporates, so you are sposed to top up the same amount with ro or that type (distiled?) must admit I never have, but I do tend to keep a closer readings so the nit(can't remember witch one off the top of my head) don't rise.

I'm hoping that makes sense, I always have to refer to my note book, for nitrates and nitrites. Can I blame having three kids on my lack of memory ( even if my youngest is nearly 16)

 

[randomcapitals]

Thanks for your input, memojo. Being so cheap I didn't expect these would be of particularly high quality but I had hoped that they would do the job. From your experience I think I might be better off buying an ordinary desk fan and setting it up over the tank during the hotter days.
Unless anybody out there has seen a similar product of better quality.
Hey, lollypop, I am convinced I've had a bad memory since I started my family and my youngest is nearly 16 too. So yes, it is the childrens' fault, no question :grin:
I already get a lot of evaporation from my tank since it's in the direct path of the airconditioner and I must admit it never occured to me to refill it with anything other than treated water. But Like you I keep a very close eye on water parameters. I've lost 2 fluffy gilled darlings and my heart just breaks when they get sick.