Saltwater Aquarium Guide -- Fast Facts

Fast Facts (page 21)

Maintaining an optimal tank temperature in the summer months can be a challenge. (See below for optimal temperatures). An aquarium chiller is one of a couple options for maintaining that temperature. Although aquarium chillers can be quite expensive, we find that aquarium chillers are quite economical for a couple of reasons:

1. Running an aquarium chiller will be cheaper than running your air conditioning when you're not home or on vacation. This is especially true for situations where no one is home during the day and the the air conditioning is being kept on just for the sake of the aquarium.

2. Aquarium chillers are low maintainence and high longevity products. They don't need to be cleaned and parts do not have to be replaced on a regular basis.

WHAT IS THE OPTIMAL AQUARIUM CHILLER SIZE? Chillers each have a recommended tank size. It is highly suggested that you get an aquarium chiller that is more powerful than recommended. This is because as you go from the less powerful to more powerful aquarium chillers the price does not increase much while the capability increases greatly. This will increase the longevity of the unit, and it will also greatly decrease the amount of noise generated by the aquarium chiller.

WHAT IS THE OPTIMAL TEMPERATURE? Corals come from a variety of ocean enviroments where the temperature ranges from the low seventies to the low nineties. Ideally, you would stick to corals from a single environment and maintain your tank at the normal temperature for that environment. However, since most reef aquariums have a variety of corals from different marine environments, sticking to the 75-80 degree range is a somewhat safe choice.

ALTERNATIVES TO AQUARIUM CHILLERS: Air movement and ventilation can significantly reduce the temperature of an aquarium. Blowing air across the water surface, or across the lights, or blowing air out through a vent in the hood or canopy can be easily done with a canopy fan. Cutting back lighting hours in the summer will also help.

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