Chiller probe? Removes heat from h2o?

[brianf01]

Anyone hear of a probe you stick in the water, that conducts heat and removes it from the aquarium? Kind of like a cheaper alternative to a chiller? Someone told me about one but I dont know what they are called or how well they work...

 

[richard rendos]

Micro chillers. Looks like a porcelain probe attached to a heat sink and a fan like on a CPU. They say they are useless on anything over like 20-29 gallon tanks.

 

[reef fool]

I bought a Coolworks mini-chiller and it is the only thing that saved me during the dog days of summer. I have a 46 gallon reef tank.

 

[jonthefb]

where can someone find such strange a and yet helpful apparatus?
any suggestions?
jon

 

[frankl15207]

http://www.coolworksinc.com (The manufacturer)
Buy direct from them. They're cheaper than the retailers reselling them and they are very responsive to questions. Anything larger than a 20 gallon up to a 55 would require two to do any good. Anything larger than that they are useless. There is also a proportional temperature controller that will slow the unit down or shut it off at a target temperature.
I have one on my 10 with the controller and it works great. I had two on a 55 until it leaked and I had to replace it. It reduced the "preprobe" temperature by 4 degrees.

 

[brianf01]

What is the cost?

 

[frankl15207]

Probe should be about $100. Temp controller if I recall was about $50. Based on my experience with it, I wouldn't use it on a tank of 20 gallons or less without the temperature controller. If you were using two on a larger tank, I would make sure that at least one of them had a temperature controller attached.