Tank Journal Archive

[Dean Lovett]

Coming into the hotter months, and the first summer in my new place - I decided to look at getting a chiller for the tank. Given that it will be our first summer in the new place, I have no idea just how much the place heats up. We don't get any direct sun into our windows and we also have double glazed windows.

To chill the tank I was considering:

• Frozen water bottles - This is cheap, but it is only effective while the water in the bottle is still frozen. It cannot be regulated to my degree.
  
• Fans - these are cheap, can be regulated but without knowing how hot the place gets in summer, I didn't want to buy this and potentially find out they are ineffective, as well as increased evaporation and no ATO or refractometer to monitor the salinity closely...
  
• Chiller - In particular IceProbe - the only draw back, its expensive.

I decided to go with the Chiller. I managed to track on down last Friday from Rob from Marine Boutique - the importer of these Chillers. He was super helpful and actually managed to take $100 the chiller and thermostat/remote. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (This place also sells jellyfish)

So I 'installed' the chiller - if you can even call my attempt that and the picture is below:

To test it before I put it in, I left it running on the counter for 30 mins - it condensed the water in the air and FROZE the condensation!!

I was very impressed.

And here is a photo of my tank:

 

[Savage Henry]

Looks like it could be a handy piece of equipment to have around for people with larger tanks in case of an emergency rather than having a large chiller set up below the tank.

Please keep us updated on how it goes.

 

[Savage Henry]

I also noted you have an entire forest of that red macro algae in your tank Dean. Be careful, it will take over!

Otherwise, your tank could use some toxic green mushrooms and beautiful red mushrooms.

I just happen to have excess of both toxic green mushrooms and beautiful red mushrooms Dean.

 

[lukusis]

Tank is looking really nice Dean. Kudos :)

 

[Sam Parker]

Ice probe = Cool. And I mean cool in both senses of the word ;)

 

[Dean Lovett]

I also noted you have an entire forest of that red macro algae in your tank Dean. Be careful, it will take over!

Otherwise, your tank could use some toxic green mushrooms and beautiful red mushrooms.

I just happen to have excess of both toxic green mushrooms and beautiful red mushrooms Dean.

I know exactly where this is going! lol.

Looks like it could be a handy piece of equipment to have around for people with larger tanks in case of an emergency rather than having a large chiller set up below the tank.

Please keep us updated on how it goes.

Yeah, It's a neat little piece - I am really happy with it! Although, I think for a larger tank... it mightn't be economical... They are pretty pricey, I think you pay a premium because it suits a nano tank and is somewhat of a niche product, but i could be wrong... it might work out cheaper. I'll let you know how it performs!

Ice probe = Cool. And I mean cool in both senses of the word ;)

Hahaha, it is pretty mad! The temperature setting is a bit frustrating but once I work through it, it'll be good.

 

[Dean Lovett]

Tank is looking really nice Dean. Kudos :)

Thanks Mate!

 

[Pierre]

Pretty cool item. It's now I regret my tank design as I can't use one :(.

Does your temp look steady so far?

 

[dazzamx]

What temp will it pull the tank down too?

 

[Sam Parker]

Hahaha, it is pretty mad! The temperature setting is a bit frustrating but once I work through it, it'll be good.

One word STC-1000

 

[daveH]

One word STC-1000

Probably one of the best pieces of equipment I ever bought - takes the headache out of temp control

 

[Ziggy]

I'd be really keen to learn how effective the new chiller is in the long term for you. I reckon its an awesome piece of kit :)

 

[Dean Lovett]

Pretty cool item. It's now I regret my tank design as I can't use one :(.

Does your temp look steady so far?

Temp looks good thus far!

One word STC-1000

Thanks Sam! I will look into it!

I'd be really keen to learn how effective the new chiller is in the long term for you. I reckon its an awesome piece of kit :)

I will update you all as I go!

The iceprobe comes with gaskets and screws and it can be place into the tank through a hole, which would need to be drilled before filling obviously. But I didn't want to go that far! Haha

 

[Ben Broadfoot]

If you do get an STC-1000 and get someone else to wire it for you, keep us updated, I'm interested in the same thing :)

 

[daveH]

The STC-1000 isn't all that hard to wire. I've wired few of them now and had no problems at all. I found the above link to be the best and easiest one to follow.
I used a small Jaycar plastic box to house it and a small length of connector block to join it all up. For the plugs, I bought 2 short extension leads and connected them up using the female ends and 1 male end for the power in. Make sure you label the plug ends heat and cool before you wire them up because as sure as shit you'll forget which is which.

 

[Ben Broadfoot]

The STC-1000 isn't all that hard to wire. I've wired few of them now and had no problems at all. I found the above link to be the best and easiest one to follow.
I used a small Jaycar plastic box to house it and a small length of connector block to join it all up. For the plugs, I bought 2 short extension leads and connected them up using the female ends and 1 male end for the power in. Make sure you label the plug ends heat and cool before you wire them up because as sure as shit you'll forget which is which.

How safe is it? Any electrical qualifications required?

 

[daveH]

How safe is it? Any electrical qualifications required?

It's quite straight forward if you just follow the instructions. I've never had any problems at all and they've been running for 2 years.

 

[dazzamx]

I use one on my old bar fridge come reptile incubator as a dual temp gauge.
The fridge also has a heat cord inside.
The temp gauge turns the heat and cool, on and off at diffrent times to keep temp in fridge spot on for hatching eggs.
Straight forward to wire up.