Chiller Allows Your Fish to Keep Their Head Cool!

Temperature control in a fish tank is more important than one normally thinks. Keep your fish warm in winters and cool in summers with a chiller and they will be forever grateful! Many people go into a dilemma when they notice that their fish die in summer months, little realizing that it is due to the water temperature reaching unbearable (for the fish of course) levels. Installing a water chiller could have solved all their problems and their pets would be swimming around happily ever after!
How to manage proper temperature in the aquarium?
There are many ways of controlling temperature in a room where you place your aquarium. During cold weather you can keep the doors and windows closed in case you have no air conditioning. In summers the same precaution will help in keeping the temperatures down. Even air conditioning sometimes is not enough to keep your aquarium around the desired temperature profile and some external source like water chiller must be installed to specifically cater to the family of marine creatures you have adopted as your pets.
A chiller is the best bet for your aquarium!
A chiller will keep the water in the fish tank at a constant temperature during hot weather and avoid having low dissolved oxygen that will harm your fish. What is the best way to keep the water cool? The easiest way is to go to your pet store and consult the experts there for a proper chiller. One can buy complete unit that can be installed alongside your aquarium. The usual assumption one makes when buying a chiller is that the water temperature must be lower than 86 degrees F or 30 degrees C.
How to choose the right chiller?
The first consideration one makes is that the aquarium chiller must be installed at the earliest if you live in a hot place or where the inside temperatures can rise beyond 86 degrees F (30 degrees C). A chiller normally requires to be installed in adequate space with good ventilation since it has a compressor and cooling fins. It is connected to your aquarium through pipe lines.
A chiller can come in three basic versions. These are:
Thermoelectric chiller

In line chiller

Drop-in chiller

Let us see the salient features of each type.
Thermoelectric chiller:
Small aquariums require this type of chiller since it is suitable for lower water flow and a fish tank of not more than say 55 gallons capacity. These types of chillers are not suitable for larger tanks that must have a higher rate of water flow. Otherwise, the thermoelectric chiller units are fairly energy efficient and quiet units and can be installed with both fresh water and saltwater fish aquariums.
In Line Chiller:
Since in line chiller units are available with a powerful motor of around 1/5 - 1 HP, they can be installed with tanks of a capacity higher than 55 gallons. Saltwater reef aquariums need in line chillers that are fixed in series with in line filtration systems. Plumbing and pipe lines are also required to install these type of chillers and a proper design or P&I plan must be prepared prior to installing the cooling package.
Drop-In Chiller:
These units are most suitable for aquariums that have saltwater fish or reef set-up. Since they are installed in line with filter assemblies, no plumbing is necessary. Drop in chiller units are characterized by a simple installation and maintenance scheme.