Chiller advice

[ReefWidowed]

I am wondering which would be the better chiller for me . I am in the planning stage for a 40 gal seahorse tank, and I would like the ability to upgrade to a tank around 75 gallons. My main question is which chiller style would keep a more consistent temprature, a drop-in chiller, or an in-line chiller. I know a lot of it is personal preference and cost.....but I'd really like to do this right the first time....THANKS!!!

 

[Krish]

Welcome to RF if I haven't welcomed you already As for type, I've only had an inline chiller and IMO seems to be most popular as they have so many different connection options. You can even put the chiller outside if you wanted like another member Martin did here. But like you said, personal preference, but my vote is for the inline

 

[NaH2O]

See if this past thread helps out with your decision: In-line vs. Drop in Chillers?

I have an inline chiller and love it. One thing to keep in mind, is it is basically a heat exchanger. You want to make sure it is in a well ventilated area. I have a small fan blowing the air away from my chiller because it is in the corner of the room by the stand, and the fan helps move the hot air away from the unit.

 

[Maxx]

I had a very long phone conversation with the guys from Current USA regarding their chillers. One of the things they stated was that the in-line chillers are more efficient in heat exchange. The other thing they stated was that you really needed to size the chiller approriately to your tank, and that the best was to do that was to set the tank, get it running, and see what kind of temperature pull down you needed. IE...if you want your tank to be at 75 degrees for seahorses, and your tank is running at 85, you will need a chiller capable of cooling the tank down 10 degrees....

Kinda simple really....but, you dont want to oversize your chiller. I bought a used 1/4 hp chiller for my tank, and it runs constantly. It cools the water so fast that it cycles alot. If I had a smaller chiller, it would run less often, but be on longer and would actually be more stable for my tank.

HTH,

Nick