Most aquarium chillers use a vapor-compression method to chill your aquarium water. While the science behind this process can be a little complicated, it is a good idea to understand the basic principles and components in order to properly operate and maintain the chiller.
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The diagram above represents the basic parts found on common aquarium chillers and we've outlined the functions below in order to help you better understand exactly how your aquarium chiller works.
Choosing an aquarium chiller is not only about how much water your aquarium holds, you should also consider how much of a temperature drop you need to achieve and the air temperature around the chiller. A chiller that only needs to drop the water by 3-5°F does not require as much power as a chiller working to cool the water by 10-15° F. Additionally, warmer ambient air temperatures (above +/- 75° F) around the chiller itself will reduce the cooling power. If the ambient air is too hot, (above 78°F) the chiller may not be able to cool at all.
With that in mind, there is a simple calculation or general rule we can use to estimate how much energy will be required to reach the desired temperatures in our tanks using BTU - British Thermal Units. Most chiller manufacturers will provide a BTU/hr rating for their chillers which is how much heat energy (BTU) the chiller can remove per hour. Keep in mind, this formula doesn't account for additional sources of heat and assumes the chiller is placed somewhere with reasonable air temperatures around 70°F.
BTU - British Thermal Units: Unit of measure that indicates how much power is required to heat one pound of water by one degree F. One gallon of water weighs roughly 8.3 lbs.
With this information, we can estimate it will require roughly 8.3 BTU/hr to chill one gallon of aquarium water by 1° F. So if you have a 10-gallon aquarium, that will require a chiller capable of 83 BTU/hr to drop the water by 1° F or 416 BTU/hr for a drop of 5° F.
For example, in a 55-gallon aquarium that needs to drop by 4°F to reach the suitable temperature range of 78°F:
To make the math easy and be 100% certain you're getting a strong enough chiller, it is best to round up to 10 BTU/hr per gallon of aquarium water for a 1°F drop and use the same formula to estimate the size of the chiller. It's always better to slightly oversize your chiller as opposed to undersize because an undersized chiller will operate far less efficiently.
Using the same example, in a 55-gallon aquarium that needs to drop by 4°F to reach the suitable temperature range of 78°F:
*Manufacturers usually recommend the MAXIMUM tank size but the reality is, it all depends on exactly how many degrees you need to drop the water temperature and the amount of heat your equipment is adding. In a real-world scenario, most tanks that actually need a chiller won't operate any hotter than 83-84° F with the lighting ON and the pumps running. That means a maximum drop of 6° F to reach the suitable tropical water temperatures of 78°.
With modern-day LED lighting and DC-powered water pumps, most aquariums placed in a temperature-controlled household probably won't require a chiller. Keeping ambient air temperatures around the tank somewhere around 70°-72° F year-round tends to be sufficient.
AC-powered pumps, metal halide, and high-output fluorescent lighting transfer heat into the aquarium water and used to be the biggest reason home aquarists found the need to use chillers; all of which are dated technologies in modern aquaria. So thanks to modern aquarium technology using less electricity and operating at cooler temperatures, most tropical reef aquariums won't require the use of a chiller. If they do, the necessary drop in temperature is minimal.
If you plan to keep cold water animals at water temperatures in the low 70s or 60s, a much stronger chiller would be appropriate.
The ideal range for most reef aquariums is between 75 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Fish are more tolerant than corals to changes in the water temperature. However, keeping a consistent temperature is still important. The perfect water temperature for most saltwater fish-only tanks is 75-82 degrees.
Heaters prevent the temperature of the aquarium from falling below the ideal range. However, what if your water temperature needs to be reduced instead of increased? That’s where a chiller can make a large difference in your aquarium. This article will give you an in-depth understanding of whether or not a chiller makes sense for your aquarium and how to choose the proper one for your needs.
An aquarium chiller is a piece of equipment used to lower the aquarium water temperature. Water is pumped through the chiller, removing heat from the system before returning it to the aquarium.
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A constant temperature is ideal for keeping a successful reef aquarium. A chiller will help stabilize the tank’s temperature and prevent water from getting above a specific level by actively cooling it.
While it is simple to understand why you would use a chiller, understanding how they work is not quite as easy. The following illustration shows how the chilling process works for most aquarium chillers. However, there are other methods for performing this action.
There are three varieties of aquarium chillers.
This type is the most common aquarium chiller on the market. In this form, water is pumped into the chiller, cooled, and returned to the system.
A cold probe is placed into the tank water, where it actively cools the water. This is similar to placing a frozen water bottle in the tank. This style of chiller generally works best for smaller aquariums. Installation requires drilling the sump to install a bulkhead where the ice probe is inserted.
A chilled coil is placed in the aquarium’s sump for a submersible coil chiller, where it cools the water. No plumbing is required; however, it is not as efficient at cooling the water as an inline chiller.
Like most aquarium accessories, chillers are available in different sizes. Here are the most important factors influencing the appropriate chiller size:
Most chillers are rated by their horsepower. And the amount of horsepower correlates with a specific BTU (British Thermal Unit) rating. A BTU refers to the amount of energy needed to decrease the temperature of a pound of water by 1 degree. The higher the BTU rating, the stronger the chiller.
Here’s how to calculate the specific amount of BTUs you’ll need for your system.
Water Volume x Amount of Desired Cooling in Degrees Fahrenheit x Weight of 1 Gallon of Saltwater (approximately 8.5). For example, if you have a 40-gallon tank and want to reduce your tank temperature by five degrees, the math would look like this:
40 x 5 x 8.5 = BTU
This would mean that you would want to search for a chiller capable of producing at least BTU.
While chillers can make a great addition to a reef aquarium, they also have drawbacks.
Even though chillers can reduce your aquarium water to an ideal temperature, there are other ways to accomplish this without using a chiller.
One of the most significant downsides of using a chiller on a reef tank is the cost. Please consult the chart below for a ballpark estimate of how much you should budget. These recommendations are based upon a five-degree or less temperature reduction.
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