chiller advise

well it's about that time that the temperature outside is raising, and I'd prefer it not to raise my tank temperature. I currently have a 65 with ~75 water volume. I am going to upgrade the tank soon so I am looking to the long term as well. I'm thinking 1/3 HP unit for the new tank which would be ~275 gallons volume. What brands are good, what do you use? Really would like to not spend 1,200 dollars. Could I get away with a 1/4 HP, or should you really not underrun these? I'd be using it on my 65 until the new tank is ready.

 

I have a 1/2 hp Oceanic and a 1/3 Current, big price diff between the two. I dont know what chillers are the best but I am sure someone will tell you. I have the 1/3 running my 265 and the trusty Oceanic on my 85g coral tank. A smaller chiller will run longer trying to keep the tank cool. I would spend the extra money now and go larger, rather than paying a higher elec bill.

 

The JBJ Artica series is a really good chiller .. I have repaired a ton of different hobby chillers and the JBJ is the best built unit I have ever seen for a hobby line .. Just holler if you need any help sizing one and locate it as far from the heat source as possible or you will just be moving the same heat molecules around and around . Tank to chiller chiller to the air then from air back to the tank ): That gets expensive like having a a/c blowing the removed heat molecules back into the same room its cooling .

 

I have a 1/3 hp TradeWinds on my 265g and it does great. I have a 6" exhaust fan on the condenser coils so I move the hot air outside the house when the chiller comes on.

 

Can a chiller be put in an attic? or outdoors in Florida?

 

You can put it anywhere that you like. Why would you put it in an attic? In order to pump the water that distance and back, you better have a good pump. I have both mine inside only a few feet away from the tank.