SeaFish Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 I have never needed a chiller until now. I just moved into an apt that seem to get the afternoon sun once 12pm strucks and the sun heats up my room till around 5pm. I am in need of a chiller just in case this new apt and location of my room heats up my tank. I am looking for the most efficient chiller with a good price. I want this chiller to be durable, efficient, easy to use, quick in response and the company that makes it have a good reputation and good customer service. This chiller will be use for a 20gallon tank with a 20 gallon sump. What do you guys recommend? Link to comment
Twobuck40 Posted July 15, 2003 Share Posted July 15, 2003 Ice Probe $104.95 With controller $159.95 You can use multiple chillers off one controller for more colling if needed. I dont think there is a less expensive one on the market ( if there is I'd like to know too!) I dont know about their rep or cust service though. Link to comment
MrKrispy Posted July 17, 2003 Share Posted July 17, 2003 I have heard good things about the chiller. As an aside, how would you use it if you aren't running a sump or refugium and have a glass tank? Link to comment
jtown Posted July 17, 2003 Share Posted July 17, 2003 I have an iceprobe and it works really well. Brings my temps down to normal on those scorching days. Link to comment
apophis924 Posted July 17, 2003 Share Posted July 17, 2003 MrKrispy I mounted my ice probe into an aquaclear 200 power filter, I juts cut a hole in the top of the lid. The ice probe has a nut/ring at the base of the cooling probe. that nut unscrews you stick the probe thru the hole in the power filter lid and then screw the nut back on. I dont use a controller. I just put the probe on the same timer as my lights. It cools only when the ligfhts are on. Link to comment
Crakeur Posted July 17, 2003 Share Posted July 17, 2003 I had the old iceprobe without the controller and it worked great on my 7. If you can find one pre-installed on a hob filter, I would say get it and avoid the drilling. Link to comment
Dustin Posted July 17, 2003 Share Posted July 17, 2003 How do they work without a controller? I mean, the only thing you get one for is so there is no temp swings, but if you run it all the time then the temp with go down. What all does a controller do? Link to comment
jtown Posted July 17, 2003 Share Posted July 17, 2003 Originally posted by Dustin How do they work without a controller? I mean, the only thing you get one for is so there is no temp swings, but if you run it all the time then the temp with go down. What all does a controller do? without the controller it's a permanent cooler. Which means if it drops too low, it should turn your heater on. So basically you'll have two devices battling each other which is kind of stupid. I'm going to get the controller to save some energy. Link to comment
dickwayne Posted July 17, 2003 Share Posted July 17, 2003 Lunchbucket has a Pacific Coast 1/10hp chiller on his 20. If you want to spend a little more, that may make a big difference depending on how hot your room gets. Plus, you can use it if you want to upgrade. look up his member name and go to his website if you want to look at it. Link to comment
arcab4 Posted July 17, 2003 Share Posted July 17, 2003 iceprobe works great on my 8 gallon. the room temperature can get up to 92F and the iceprobe can maintain a temperature of about 80F. Link to comment
MrKrispy Posted July 18, 2003 Share Posted July 18, 2003 very informative everyone, thanks. I am setting up my nano-reef at work (air conditioned) but if I have to move it home (nightmare) my place runs pretty hot in the summer. Ugh. Link to comment
jtown Posted July 18, 2003 Share Posted July 18, 2003 ya the iceprobe is a little expensive ($100), but it makes you feel a whole lot better when your tank is at a stable temperature. Link to comment
Dustin Posted July 18, 2003 Share Posted July 18, 2003 So what does the controller actually do? Does it have a probe that monitors the temp, and when it goes above a set temp it kicks in? Link to comment
jtown Posted July 18, 2003 Share Posted July 18, 2003 Originally posted by Dustin So what does the controller actually do? Does it have a probe that monitors the temp, and when it goes above a set temp it kicks in? I think so. Just a probe and an on off device. Link to comment
arcab4 Posted July 18, 2003 Share Posted July 18, 2003 jtown is right. it has a probe that goes into your tank. i haven't played around with it yet. i'll let you know how it goes. Link to comment
apophis924 Posted July 18, 2003 Share Posted July 18, 2003 Dustin what the controller does is at a pre set tank temp it will turn off the chiller. Once the tank temp rises to a pre set level the controller will trun the cooler on. Since my primary heat source is my lighting system I just run my ice probe on the same timer as my lights, lights on chiller on, lights off chiller off. The temp never drops too low those lights throw out of lot of heat. For those that run the chiller 24/7. Most good qualitly heaters have no trouble heating the tank up regardless of what the probe is doing. The probe uses 50 watts of cooling power max. Most tank heaters are 50 watts or more. Thermo electric chillers can only cool so much they have thier limits. where as a heater can actullay heat your tankwell above 120 degrees if it went unchecked. You will not "burn out" your chiller by running it 24/7. The only moving part in the ice probe is the cooling fan. Link to comment
jtown Posted July 18, 2003 Share Posted July 18, 2003 Originally posted by apophis924 Dustin what the controller does is at a pre set tank temp it will turn off the chiller. Once the tank temp rises to a pre set level the controller will trun the cooler on. Since my primary heat source is my lighting system I just run my ice probe on the same timer as my lights, lights on chiller on, lights off chiller off. The temp never drops too low those lights throw out of lot of heat. For those that run the chiller 24/7. Most good qualitly heaters have no trouble heating the tank up regardless of what the probe is doing. The probe uses 50 watts of cooling power max. Most tank heaters are 50 watts or more. Thermo electric chillers can only cool so much they have thier limits. where as a heater can actullay heat your tankwell above 120 degrees if it went unchecked. You will not "burn out" your chiller by running it 24/7. The only moving part in the ice probe is the cooling fan. you may have just singlehandedly convinced me to buy a socket splitter for my timer instead of the controller. Maybe I'll spend that extra $50 on MH. OOO. Link to comment
apophis924 Posted July 18, 2003 Share Posted July 18, 2003 Funny you should say that Jtown. thats exactly what i got running Just got one of those things one end has the prongs and the other has three sockets. It works great, the tank only gets cooled when the lights are on. The $$ you save you cn a controller you can spend on more lighting. With my set up there is no way my temp can drop past 76 degrees is the lwoest i have seen it. 20H with 250 w 10k metal halide 4 inches above the water surface. Ice probe cooler 1 five inch fan blowing acroos the water surface. temp range 76 to 78 by day 75 at night the heater kickes in at night. Link to comment
Mnemic Posted July 18, 2003 Share Posted July 18, 2003 Check this thread here if you are interested in getting one. Someone is organizing a group buy for them: end up being like 129 with controler. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.p...threadid=214389 Link to comment
apophis924 Posted July 18, 2003 Share Posted July 18, 2003 the best price i have seen so far is this site they run about 104, without the controller. http://www.underwatercreations.com/iceprob...ic_water_co.htm Link to comment
Toooloud Posted July 18, 2003 Share Posted July 18, 2003 Guys, Does the ice probe it brings down a 10G tank 4-6'... from what i have read and understood they are great for 10G tank or less? Who runs them on larger tanks? Becouse he is running a 20G tank with 20G sump so 40gs of water? and we still dont know what he aquarium is reaching now, I mean if is tank is reaching upto 90' then one iceprobe is not going to help 40 gallons of water at 90'.. Is it? Link to comment
apophis924 Posted July 18, 2003 Share Posted July 18, 2003 You got a good point there. The probe is rated for total water volume, which would include the sump. In that case he would be better off the aqua medic shiller. a Bit more pricey but an ice prob4e wont do anything for that much volume. I use mine in conjunction with a cooling fan. But i am only dealing with 20 gallons of total volume. Link to comment
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