DIY chiller

[Paul B]

I really built this evaporative chiller for my blackworm tank but here in NY it is almost 100 degrees now so I transfered it to my reef for a while. It chilled my worm tank down to 65 degrees but that is only about one gallon.
I will see how much it chills my 100 gallon reef. If it works I will put this back on the worms and build a larger one for the reef.

 

[JRWOHLER]

Added bonus is gas exchange too. Always interesting ideas Paul.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Paul, you will never cease to amaze me….this Rube Goldberg of yours reminds me of the game, Mouse Trap:

I bet if you mounted a computer fan on the water ladder it would cool even more.

Pretty neat!

 

[Paul B]

I love that game ;D

 

[malulu]

how did it work?
just by running water down like that will cool off?

 

[Paul B]

There is a fan at the top right that blows water over the plates of cascading water causing evaporation and therefore cooling.
Here it is over the worm tank

 

[SHLUZER]

Have anyone thought of this - putting a waterfall on the wall above the tank and routing tank water on it - for aestetics and cooling (fan(s) optional)

 

[magic]

Have anyone thought of this - putting a waterfall on the wall above the tank and routing tank water on it - for aestetics and cooling (fan(s) optional)

Can you imagine the salt creep you'd have on that!

 

[Paul B]

Salt creep may be a bit much with that :

 

[The_Codfather]

Paul, you will never cease to amaze me….this Rube Goldberg of yours reminds me of the game, Mouse Trap:



I bet if you mounted a computer fan on the water ladder it would cool even more.

Pretty neat!

LOL.. I wonder if a kerplunk version would work? ;D

 

[malulu]

There is a fan at the top right that blows water over the plates of cascading water causing evaporation and therefore cooling.

ah... Ok. got it.
thx

 

[Paul B]

If I knew it was going to be 104 degrees here in NY now, I would have built it larger, but the tank is still about 80 degrees. ;D

 

[downbeach]

Add a little plastic canvas/lighting and you could have a dual purpose chiller/algae scrubber.

 

[TanksNStuff]

Hmm, I've shyed away from breeding blackworms because I don't have a chiller. The only spot I could do it is in the garage which isn't temperature controlled... so this is an idea that might allow me to have a black worm tank. I have a 4' square of 1/4" plexiglass that's been waiting for a purpose.

How did you make the curved parts on the ramps, just heat & bend them?

I might even make shallow troughs like you showed me before if I have any leftover material.

Thanks for sharing another awesome DIY project Paul.

 

[Paul B]

How did you make the curved parts on the ramps, just heat & bend them?

Yep ;D