Review of the 1.25hp Titanium chiller

[weileong]

The one using on the SL's display tank?

I think use the glass type more accurate but cannot extend down to floor.

[Achilles Tang]

Clowntrigger's review of the Reef Relief Chiller.

How does it compare?

Bear in mind that everyone's tank is different and even fluctuations happen daily. How you place your chiller also affects its efficiency. Calcium buildup in pipes and blockage due to buildup of slime will also the cooling rate.

I have never bothered to do a review on how fast my Titanium 1.25hp cools my tank... maybe I should?

[weileong]

update, just measured the distance of MH from the water.

It is 3".

I then tried to shift it higher but very glaring to look from where I usually sit to view the tank.

I guess I will stick to 3".

If there a great difference in terms of tank temperature when you place the MH 3" or 6" from the water surface?

AT probably you should just observe how long your chiller needs to run. I think it's important to actually see the whole duration the chiller needs to run rather than just calculate based on a drop of 0.1degs.

[Achilles Tang]

Definitely!!! My 400w lights are off about 12" from the water surface... you have yours at 3"???

You'll be transferring ALOT of heat into your water!!!

Weileong... I wouldn't know if my results would mean anything to you guys... as you know... I run 1600w of MH over my large SPS tank... I certainly have a lot of water to chill.

As far as I am concerned... my chiller has been able to cool my tank down to 25c and cut off...

AT

[weileong]

ah 12" from the surface.

I think my MH so near means it heats up the water a lot. I might have to think of some ways to get the MH higher and yet won't get so glaring. Maybe stick some oyama paper of stuffs like that at the top of the tank.

I wonder how the performance would be like when the lights are like 6" from the surface.

[Achilles Tang]

I am sure there will be a difference!!

These days... my tank temperature can drop to 23.5c!!!

[weileong]

Looks like I've to raise it up ASAP. Wonder how much light intensity I loose if I shift it from 3" up to 6"

[IanJ]

I use 2 x 250W MH, suggest you raise to at least 8 inches.

Will give a wider spread of light, true some drop in intensity, but at 3 inches you are just boiling away your water(and electricity)

[CalciumReef]

mine also 6" away... ...raise your lights bro

[weileong]

looks like bo piang need to raise already. Probably means I need to buy a open top hood liao. Actually not a bad idea cos can mount the LED and hide a lot of stuffs.

No hood means a lot of glare from the MH.

However that still does not really explain why need 2.5 hrs to chill down 1.6 degs without the 2x250W MH running. This is provided the performance of other chillers mentioned by other brothers here are under the same condition.

The other day the tank temp dropped to 22 degs

[CalciumReef]

really funny bro....coming tomorrow?

[weileong]

yes going, must get the ricodia

[flubberina13]

any good and accurate digital thermometer to recommend? The one I am using now is the china made orange one currently selling in the LFS. The temp can jump by 0.5 degs in less than 10sec.

Get good one then I can measure the temp in the main tank too.

I bought one thermometer that is ceramic-coated for saltwater tank. Maybe you like to take a look?

It's at PR (Paradiz Reef)...

[weileong]

Can you PM me the price pls. Will go PR to see. Else can buy from farnell those lab grade ones but makes no sense for my fish tank.

[flubberina13]

Sorry...forgot liao...

[weileong]

yours accurate or not? in the sense temp dun anyhow jump one?

[flubberina13]

One man's gem is another man's poison...

Up to you lah...

[weileong]

no lar, I meant if you got time just stand 1 min in front of that thermometer and see if the temp displayed goes up and down like that.

[Blenny]

weileong, After you have documented the on off time of your chiller, what is your opinion? Did you think that it would operate at those number of hours as you have documented or were you expecting more? Just want to here your views.

Did Dr Chill give you any indication when you purchased the chiller? Or he just mentioned that it is enough for your tank?

[weileong]

My initial inquiry to Dr Chill was for a 1.25hp and Dr Chill say he normally recommended for 4ft is 0.5hp is more than enuff to cool a 4ft. He also told me that a 1.25hp will be much overspecs for a 4ft.

I want to be safe so went for the overspecs one cos before that I had a TW6 and it was working very hard on my tank so didn't want another 0.5hp chiller which will not make any sense.

After I actually measured the total run time of the chiller, it is according to what I've estimated by didn't realise it still requires abt 4hr to chill down 1.6degs cos seems like everywhere you go pple tell you their chiller run like 1 hrs can chill down 2 degs and that was the impression I got. However with all the 3 chiller (to-date including a 0.5hp reef relief) I used no such things happen on my tank. But as some brothers has pointed out my lights are 3" from my water surface and that might has caused the excessive heat.

According to the performance of the 1.25hp titanium chiller, it is more than enuff for my tank. The 0.5hp reef relief also enuff. The TW6 also in a sense barely enuff.

How I determine enuff is that it can reach and maintain at the setpoint you want without running 24hrs a day.

[Achilles Tang]

Weileong,

Did you match the correct pump with your chiller... having pump that's underpowered or overpowered will affect your tank cooling rate.

Also... you should give an indication of what kind of devices you have that could transfer heat to your tank besides your MHs... eg. your in sump pump? Powerheads? Heaters?

[CalciumReef]

i'm using 1250 for my chiller, AT using 1260 becasue his chiller is far far away

[weileong]

I am using 1260. Or I supposed to use a lower flow rate?

I was told I need about 2000+ L/H for this chiller???

The other equipments in use are.

1. 2x36W PL for refigium on between 8pm and 12noon

2. 2x250W MH 3" from water surface on between 12noon and 10pm

3. 1x Oceanfree 9000 pump 80W for skimmer.

4. 1x AT-106 4500 L/H pump 85W as return pump.

5. 2x6010 tunze stream.

6. 11W UV sterlizer

The other one is the 1260 but it is used externally while the other two pumps are in sump. Do you suggest I use a pump of around 1700L/H instead of 2400 L/H ?

[CalciumReef]

the oceanfree 9000 is a monster...actually all pumps if possible keep externally unless due to space constraint....one pump produces lots of heat already IMO...

[weileong]

when I redo my piping I am going to put that oceanfree monster externally too.

The MD55 will replace the 1260 and the AT-106. Then no more submersed pump already.