Aquarium Chiller | Aquarium Fish Tank Guide

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Aquarium Fish Tank Chillers

Aquarium Chiller Guide

An aquarium chiller helps to keep your aquarium water temperature cool in warmer climates. Chillers are usually used for marine aquariums were the fish are highly sensitive to temperature fluctuations. One of the side benefits of an aquarium chiller is that the cooler water produced by the chiller tends to hold more dissolved oxygen; this ensure you won't have to deal with low levels of oxygen inside of your aquarium.

You should use a fish tank chiller when you have aquarium that prefer a cold water habitat. It will be up to you, the fish owner, to choose the correct temperature setting for your fish.

You can opt to run air conditioning in the room that contains the fish tank as an alternative to using an aquarium chiller. However, doing such a thing can be a very expensive method of keeping the water at the right temperature. The whole point of having a chiller is to not do something like this -- the savings will more than pay for the aquarium chiller.

If you are in a warm climate and keep fish that require cold water, there is no suitable alternative to a chiller unit. For even more convenience, you can buy an aquarium heater and chiller in a single unit; this will allow you to keep the aquarium cool in the hot climates (summer) and warm in the colder ones (winter).

When you choose a chiller unit, you have the choice of either a thermoelectric, in-line chiller or a drop-in fish tank chiller. Thermoelectric chillers are best used for smaller fish tanks less than 60 gallon water capacity. They are quiet and very energy efficient and can be used in both freshwater and saltwater aquariums. Drop-in chillers are most commonly used for saltwater aquariums or reef aquarium set ups. The don't require any additional plumbing and are fitting in line with the aquarium filter. Drop-in chillers are very simple to install and set up and don't have very much in the way of maintenance requirements.

The in-line aquarium chillers are made for bigger tanks with capacity of more than 60 gallons. They have a motor, cooling fans, and even a compressor. In-line aquarium chillers require a very well ventilated area and usually need professional installation.

Besides an aquarium chiller, you should also get an aquarium thermometer for your tank -- if the chiller fails or stops working correctly, you need to know this right away. The aquarium thermometer will tell you this.

The major disadvantage of fish tank chillers is the actual cost of the chiller unit. Depending on the brand, type, and size, you can spend anywhere from a couple hundred to a couple thousand bucks. The amount of energy they consume is also a factor -- somewhere between the range of 70 to 100 watts per hour.

If you have a large aquarium with fish that need color water, an aquarium chiller is essential. See below for some good deals on recommended aquarium chillers: