can a chiller be too big?

[dempseyjosh]

i'm thinking of getting a chiller/ heater for my nano so i don't have to worry about the temp fluctuating over night/day with the coming and going weather. i don't think i can find one small enough for my 12g, but people sell larger ones like crazy. would it just be over kill/not neccessary or could it actually be bad to use a chiller that is meant for a larger tank?

 

[farslayer]

well, you can get a larger chiller, just make sure you get the digital controller as well and it should be fine.

 

[angelman]

When it comes to chillers, bigger is always better.
Bigger means you don't have it run as much to bring the temp down to where it should be.
Smaller will work more often.
A chiller for a 12 gallon tank? Would never think of it.
Any way of adding one of those small fans/thermo electric coolers with a controller?
A 1/5 or 1/6 HP chiller would turn on for a second and shut off to cool down 12 gallons.
They have flow requirements and that may be a bit too much for such a small tank.

 

[thangbom]

i seen chillers om site as small as 1/12 hp... how big of a temp swing do you have??? i get like 3-4 on my tank and things still grow ( not saying that it is good or best, but they do grow) id stick to s fan.. but then again.. if it's all enclosed then maybe set-up a sump and a fan over that...
YzGyz

 

[lion_crazz]

They do make "nano chillers" if you do not want to spend the money on a large one. JBJ makes them and you can get one for a 25 gallon tank. It is 1/20 HP and usually runs about $270.

 

[angelman]

Originally Posted by lion_crazz
They do make "nano chillers" if you do not want to spend the money on a large one. JBJ makes them and you can get one for a 25 gallon tank. It is 1/20 HP and usually runs about $270.
Wow!
Nice to know.
Learn something new every day.
I have been out of the business and disinterested in the hobby for three years.
Lots has changed.
1/20 HP, go figure.
Great price too.

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by AngelMan
Wow!
Nice to know.
Learn something new every day.
I have been out of the business and disinterested in the hobby for three years.
Lots has changed.
1/20 HP, go figure.
Great price too.
Yep, they also make a 1/15 chiller that will handle tanks a little larger (up to 40 gallons) and they go for $350.

 

[scsinet]

Bigger is not always better when it comes to chillers. The larger the chiller, the higher the minimum GPH through the unit is needed to avoid freezeup, which will destroy a chiller.
For example, an Aqua logic 1/4hp chiller needs something like 8 gpm minimum to prevent freezing. That's 480gph, or 40x flow, which is probably way too much for a 12g nano.
I'd recommend one of the nano chillers that JBJ and others make these days, in the 1/10-1/20hp range. Coolworks also makes a thermoelectric unit called an Iceprobe that supposedly works pretty well, and for a 12g tank, should be nicely sized. It's about $120. They even make one built into a small HOB filter so you don't have to run pumps, hoses, etc.