darkwolf29a

I agree...overly complicated.

However, I wouldn't put copper any where close to the tank, were it me. Copper is bad for fish, and worse for inverts. I wouldn't want the fish to suffer and die from any copper leaching into the pipes, for any reason.

VertigoXLR8R222

you are right wolf these are very complex procedures and it is still in the experimental stage but you have to admit that this is do it yourself not do it easy and i like a good challenge i was science freak in school and still love to try things like this i wish i had a need for a chiller i already have a mini-fridge in my storage that i don't use could get the radiator from a junkyard for less than ten bucks which incidentally is what i paid for the fridge at a garage sale could we use a car radiator as the base for the aquarium tim is against my idea of a concrete base i figured the weight would be the largest concern concrete holds its temperature quite well and would stay cool i think since the circulation of water would be fast through the concrete and then slow thru the fridge it would keep its temperature and just continually transfer to the concrete the concrete would carry to the bottom of the aquarium and cool the substrate which would cool the water but we will have to leave this to people who need chilled water it gets hot here but the a/c keeps my tank pretty regulated but i hope eventually that we can get everybody chilled that needs it and not have then broke for the comfort of the fishy friends everyone that wants one should keep their eyes on garage says and such for the mini fridge have any of you seen the coolers that plug into your cigarette lighter in your car to cool the food electronically this is basically a cooler lid that is a fridge compressor only smaller could be turned into a hood by the right person check that out Lee

Trpimp147

try piping water through a bin of dry ice....

timg

The problem with the mini fridges is that they don't have a great ability to chill quickly and I think that may let the chiller down. I'm not against the concrete idea, but the weight may be an issue certainly for larger tanks. I also think that the cooling effect would be hindered by the surrounding air heating the edges and underside of the block. I could be wrong.

VertigoXLR8R222

lets think about this rationally the need for a chiller is very locale specific (really hot places and places where a/c isn't available) so could we incorporate this mini-fridge idea with the coil base into a stand the fridge inside underneath with the base/tank directly above then the support for the added weight could be figured into the construction and it would save space and be decorative but in my head i think it is getting too complicated so i moved to paper and it got overly complex with a thermostat controlled valve that i am not sure even exist (but it has to) and the cost has gone back up it makes me wonder if it wouldn't be easier in the long run to just buy the manufactured product sometimes the hassle of construction and maintenance does not outweigh the expense IMO Lee

Xenomorph

As fascinating as all this is it really does make it seem like hard work for very little... why not use the freezer section of the bar fridge to make ice cubes and float them in a plastic ziplock bag? The ice can't contaminate the water because they're not mixing.

If you need it cooler, add another bag - getting too cool? take a bag out. as each bag melts just add another from the freezer, empty and wash the old bag, refill and refreeze.

I'm betting a cycle of 12-13 bags would be enough since they'd all be frozen again by the next morning.

This way you can utilise the rest of the mini fridge for more usefull endeavours - like cooling your beer!

timg

Nobody said it would be easy! That's one of the things with DIY. Sometimes you can save money other times, leave it to the professionals!

The idea of a chiller sounds great, but as this thread has shown, it's not as easy as it first appears. There are many factors to consider and the average DIY enthusiast may have problems getting to grips with this task. It also depends on what you need as to just how efficient you need the cooler to be. This will dictate the type of unit you need.

This thread is what we would call a brainstorming session. Several people pool their ideas together to find the best solution to a problem. The ideas have been brought into the topic, talked through and ideas thrown both ways for and against.

IMO, it is for the individual to work out, as the need dictates. I have no personal need for chillers, so all I can do is theorize and suggest options. I am not going to throw hours of work into something that in the end will just sit doing nothing, so I will hand this subject to those who need the product. The ideas are all here, and there are some very good ideas here, so if anyone wants to give it a try, pick out the best suggestion and try it!

darkwolf29a

And this is precisely why I come to this site. I LOVE this stuff. Heck, my girlfriend can attest to the fact that I take the hard road, usually, in these projects. I like to think that I can do anything better than I can buy it. Isn't always true, but then...I only paid $40 for a 55 gallon tank stand that will hold up to rigors of a tank...and I don't worry about a nuclear bomb going off next to it either. LMAO

Xenomorph

lmao true enough - in that case why not rip the air conditioning unit out of an old wreck and hook the compressor up to an electronic motor (or an old harley!) and use the cooling unit to chill the water via a heat exchanger?

darkwolf29a

Hmm....Now, that does have potential. LOL But, I think my girlfriend would have a few things to say about the noise level.