Aquariam Chiller - Page 2 - DIY Aquarium Projects

pepetj · 06-27-2011, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tikulila

ah well its a really good idea but i cant use that, or anthing else which uses vaporization.

This is because i live near the sea, so the humidity is alwayes between 70-80% water just wont vaporize, so i guess im back to the drawing board, does anyone have an idea to a good heat conductive matereial which is aquariam safe?

I live in the Caribbean basin, somewhat close to the shore, with high humidity. I have used both micro-chillers and fans with success in the truly hot days.

We have high humidity all year long. That doesn't mean I cannot use fans to evaporate water from aquarium and that way get a couple of degrees (up to 3C close to surface level) lower than ambient temperature. For more than that I'm afraid a chiller is the only way around.

DIY chiller with dry-ice pellets (frozen CO2) may work if a thin walled hose is somehow coiled and covered with it. Dry ice is dangerous in two ways: one, it should never be touched by skin since it has a temperature below -100F and so it will cause severe skin burn; two, it should be used only in well ventilated spaces since solid CO2 doesn't melt into liquid but goes straight ahead into gas so in a closed room it represents a risk for breathing problems to say the least. It cost around 1$ per pound and should last about one day.

Water may not evaporate as fast as in places with lower humidity but nevertheless it evaporates.

I would at least try running fans blowing to the water surface.

Pepetj
Santo Domingo

Tikulila · 06-28-2011, 01:06 AM

well, i guess you have more experiance me, ill do what you said then.

EDIT

so i made a new diagram, not hope you understand it.

Tikulila · 06-30-2011, 12:28 AM

so i worked yesterday and made a 3d Model of it, just without the fans, because they are hard to make.

the fans will be infront of the brown area, it is meant to represent a thin cloth.

The back and the sides will be made of aluminium, the top and bottem are open.

The orange tube is going to dribble water on the metal, still need to figure out how, it is connected to the aquarium. anyone got an idea how to get the water to go up the tube?

On the bottem there will be a "tub" which will have a hole connected to the tube returning the water to the tank. i will use PVC pipe with stoppers at every side, and cut it in halve.

waiting for comments bafore i start to make it

Gordonrichards · 07-01-2011, 08:35 AM

Copper & shrimp = death watch out!

pepetj · 07-03-2011, 04:56 PM

Can you show us were the heat transfer takes place? If the cloth covers the water falling would it trap inside most evaported water? you need to induce water evaporation into the room to lower the temp a bit.

I still visualize placing fans close to water surface in the display tank more efficient than all this. Moving water through PVC pipes is easy to do with a powerhead but it's likely to increase water temperature due to friction with the pipe/hose walls.

No idea why you want to use metallic parts... I try to avoid metals in my tanks as much as I can.

Pepetj
Santo Domingo

Se7eN · 07-12-2011, 06:26 PM

I just use 3 computer fans mounted in my canopy blowing on the water surface. Works great for me, but my house theromostate is set at 73 degrees and I live in Georgia USA...

JG06 · 07-13-2011, 08:47 PM

I have often wondered if a coil of aluminum or stainless tubing piped through a dormitory sized refrigerator or freezer might provide enough thermal pull down to be worth it.

Then again, if you rig up a brass or aluminum heater core in a one of these small appliances - and possible have a CPU fan blowing over it - I wonder if you could get the same effect?

Hmm...

plamski · 07-27-2011, 08:37 AM

Aluminum + shrimps= dead.
Ask me if you don't believe it. I have DIY Peltier chiller which can cool down 120gal tank to 10C.Heat exchanger is from aluminum and it is cover with freshwater save oxidation. Still after 6 months all the shrimps are dead.
I did spent a lot of money to make cheap chiller.There is no such a thing.
Best way is to buy one titanium chiller for 200-300.

wearsbunnyslippers · 07-27-2011, 10:00 AM

a coolworks microchiller is less than $200

Tikulila · 07-27-2011, 10:01 AM

well, the projest stopped, because the very simple matter that my aquarium broke, but our last plan which i didnt post was to do a exteranl system:

nm another tank, weith a motor or powerhead to move the water inside in high speeds ( plan was to use strong powerhead) and add fans or cpu coolers.

btw, here a normal cooler, ( not a fan) costs 2000 sherkels, bout 500 dollars i think, mybe a bit less, ant thats the basic one.