Coolworks Micro chiller

[idlwld]

I've been looking for options on how to cool my nano tank (30L) as summer is fast approaching. And after a couple of days of 30 degree weather in Adelaide last week, noticed a rise in temperature in my tank. So I would like to find something before we get weeks on end @ 40+ and I end up with a tank full of cooked shrimp!! In my searching I came across this. From what I can tell it's an ice probe, mounted in the top of a HOB filter. It's called a Coolworks microchiller and is made by Novatec Products. My questions are, does anybody know if they are available in OZ? Are they any good?

[KiwiBigD]

Can't say I've seen them, the concept is interesting though, basically a large heatsink with a PC fan on top of a HOB. I'd expect it to probably lower the temperature 3 - 5c depending on turnover and heat sink efficiency. Let us know how you find them, would be interested to know.

Just found the price on them, OUCH! I'd be buying a proper chiller, especially if you read the part about adding the CoolWorks Porportional Thermoelectic Controller as well, you're sitting around $200 - $260 plus shipping

[BlueBolts]

I've researched it for last summer, but as Davin mentioned the $ is steep, especially once you add the $ for the controller. Plus they are American design/build, so 110v .... another additional cost for a converter. :-(

[idlwld]

Yeah I saw they were a bit pricey but was thinking it could be wired into a thermostat controller (such as a STC1000 fleabay item). I would like to get a "proper" chiller but as I only use an internal filter, I would have to change to a canister and then through the chiller (correct me if I'm wrong, no experience in the area) and all that gear would be bigger than my tank!!! Just keen to find an alternative, and not really wanting to use fan coolers all summer long, as they will just add to the evaporation.

[idlwld]

Just had another look on Novatec Products website, apparently the make a 240v option......

[JohnH]

This device will not be as effective as a proper compressor driven chiller. The technology uses heat exchange and will only drop the temp a certain amount below ambient. Much like the non compressor fridge I have in my caravan. That too struggles in hot weather.

[idlwld]

:dejection: Hmmm.... What to do, what to do.......

[JohnH]

Lids off and get a fan to blow over the top would be the cheap option. Otherwise a proper chiller would be the go.

[BlueBolts]

Ditto for me...... nano tanks are difficult... there's this product that's apparently not just the STD fan...... I was trying to purchase it, BUT got side tracked last month :-) Looks promising for nano tanks....

[ineke]

I have lids off and ceiling fan on and that seems to work very well but lights off as well because they can raise the temp too.

[idlwld]

i did see your post about that BB. That's what got me looking to start with!!!! But seeing as I don't speak German I ended up at the microchiller.... Maybe I'll try looking for that a bit harder :encouragement:

[JohnH]

There is an Up Aqua Fan like that available in Australia. I'm not sure if any of the forum sponsors stock them. Perhaps Dean can get some in?

[Squiggle]

I don't think it would work very well either. Earlier in the year I was experimenting with nano chillers using peltiers, heat sinks, PC fans & a small pump & could not get effective heat transference. From looking at this setup it has a similar principal to my experiments & the results were not anything worth moving forward with. There are proper compressor powered nano chillers available & if you use an external inline pump you could set it up like a canister filter, with a small canister style pick up & return lines. This way you wouldn't have heaps of stuff to add inside the tank. :victorious:

[jayc]

Oh man, what a laugh.

It's a PC heat sink with a TEC.

A water cooling kit used for PC cooling would be more effective.

Pump, tubes, fans and radiator is all you'd need.

But not practical or cost effective, since PC watercooling kits are not cheap.

[b00f]

Oh man' date=' what a laugh.

It's a PC heat sink with a TEC.

A water cooling kit used for PC cooling would be more effective.

Pump, tubes, fans and radiator is all you'd need.

But not practical or cost effective, since PC watercooling kits are not cheap.[/quote']

A small power head with prefilter, into a all in 1 kit, might work, and wouldn't cost the earth...

Radiator- $60-$150 depending on size, couple fans, stuff all.. powerhead, some tubing, sponges, and BAM!

Pccasegear or similar..

I think it would be more effective than the other type of wizardry people conjure up relating to this.

Most are copper cores though... and I know it might not leech, but you wanna risk it?

/me awaiting people ripping radiators out of their car and plumbing them up :P

[mr_c265]

That product is a peltier cooler, it works by using electricity to form a heat gradient through a semi-conductor. It will cool below ambient, however it is inefficient, using electricity directly and i can imagine given the small surface area of contact that it will not transfer heat particularly effectively, also if you have a well insulated room, the change in temperature in the air will be greater than the change in the water and the tank will simply warm up more rather than cooling down.

Using a PC water cooler will not work as the ambient air is warmer or as warm as the aquarium. If there is no Delta T there is no heat transfer.

A fan pointed directly at the water will work, it takes advantage of evaporative cooling, it is quite efficient, however it is slow and it is limited by the ambient moisture content of the air. If you have a well insulated room, you would not want to do this as the efficiency decreases to 0 as the air becomes saturated and it will also cause mould or fungus to form on the ceiling as the condensate cools.

I have personally had excellent water cooling at uni using a device which is similar to a swamp cooler. High surface area for exchange of vapour, a pump to ensure circulating water and a fan to force evaporation. You can go 5-10 degrees below ambient easily depending on the power of the fan and the surface area. Again, you are limited by the saturation of the air in the room, so you need some sort of ventilation/air removal.

Something interesting is that a compressor, such as that used in Airconditioning or in an aquarium chiller is over 100% efficient. >100% of the work you put in will be converted to cooling capacity, up to 400% for a system with good heat exchange. This is because a compressor refrigeration system does not use electricity to directly cool the water, it works as a heat pump by taking energy from the one source and outputting it to another source. In this case, it will lower the energy of the water and raise the temperature of the room. Ideally, if you have more than one aquarium, the best thing you could do is to use an air conditioner, as it will eject the energy outside and with well insulated walls will prevent energy flow back into the room thus keeping it at a cooler temperature more effectively.

[BlueBolts]

Just bumped into this ...

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/110V-220V-Mini-70W-Fish-Plant-Tank-Water-Cooling-Fan-Aquarium-Chiller-20L-XD-20/321205678126?rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D163%26meid%3D1241839277816259507%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D1088%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D221263966494%26

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/110-240V-Cloud-Bird-60W-Water-Cooling-Fan-20L-Aquarium-Mini-Chiller-CB-60/321179395922?rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D163%26meid%3D1241869553842433649%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D1088%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D221263966494%26

[Trav80]

PC water cooling kits do work very well for PCs but this is because the CPU/GPU/Chipsets output much higher temps than our aquariums. And as mr_c265 mentioned it will not work unless the ambient air temp is lower than liquid within the water cooling system. The larger the variance in temp between the liquid in the system and the ambient air temp the greater cooling ability.

Went through this many times a week with customers as I used to manage the sales and support teams at the above mentioned PC store.

Also adding a radiator designed for PC water cooling inline with your filtration system is a very bad idea as the internals are mostly treated to inhibit mould and rust forming as well as them being made of copper, they will also greatly restrict the flow as well.

[mr_c265]

BB,

The cloudbird one looks to be a peltier cooler. Very inefficient and doesn't cool that much.

I can see a radiator on the first one, so i suspect that it is a compressor refrigerator, however i'm not entirely sure. The thermostat that it has on the front is a very cheap one, i've got one (just the thermostat) here and it is off by 1.2 degrees compared to a calibrated temperature probe. It also switches quite unreliably, sometimes taking quite a lot of warming before it switches on.

[blackcat]

Oh cooling choices how I hate theee ... I cant wait to finally make a choice on a cooler for moi

[BlueBolts]

Thanks ALL.....in search for a chiller for my son's 20 lt nano tank...get's upto 28-29 degrees during summer. Itr's a fluval edge tank with a 2211 ..... suggestions ? All my other nano tanks have the resun CL-85, which I LOVE !....

[idlwld]

After all my searching and help from everyone here, I think the best option is going to be a chiller. Everything else just doesn't seem like it's gona get me through an Adelaide summer!!! So I'm thinking Resun cl-85 will fit my needs best, just wondering what filter/canister I should use with it ( BB????) My tank is only about thirty litres so don't want to blow the shrimp away, any advice would be much appreciated, thanks in advance :encouragement:

[BlueBolts]

I have 4 x CL-85... And they haven't missed a degree. Some of the CL-85 double up as a chiller/heater, and some are sold ONLY as a chiller....Aquotix converted a chiller ONLY unit to a chiller/heater (no idea how, but apparently it's not a difficult conversion), so best of both worlds... :-) all of them have a eheim 2211, which are a marriage made in haven :-)

[idlwld]

Awesome, thanks! Think I know what I'll be purchasing soon :applause:

[BlueBolts]

I would've purchase another for my son's tank, but there's not much room, and the chiller will be like 2/3 the size of the tank :-(