Well, some of you know I am moving to NM....next week is the big move. I have decided to keep all my fish and haul all my tanks. I am planning on using styrafoam coolers to transport the fish in to their destination. they will probabally be in rubbermaid tubs with filters once we get there and I get the tanks up. Anyway that is a whole different thread. I have nice spot for a 3 stand 55g setup I want to use in my garage....the only thing is the garage will get up over 100 degrees in the summer there and I would need to keep it cool. I want to set up the Jack Dempseys in there for the breeding project...Any cheap ideas to keep the tank cool, or rather three tnaks? I don't want to invest hundreds on chillers and am open to suggestions.

Centeral Air or an AC

Mike D wrote:

Centeral Air or an AC

That is what I do. I use a in window AC and it keeps the whole room cold so the tank are never in danger. I think here the smallest chiller would cost about 600-1000 but that is a guess since te last time I cared to look was a 5 years ago. The Ac cost me 99.99 @ homedepot and I have been using it for 6 years and it is working like the first day I bought it. I know chillers screw up all the time.

The only problem with a wall mount AC unit is where you're going to vent the exhaust. Wall AC will be just fine provided there's a window. The other thing is that while wall AC units are cheap to get, they're kinda high on electrical costs.

Though I thought you said you were renting, so maybe you don't have to pay electric so that may not matter.

Another thing to look at down where you're moving too is what they commonly call a swamp cooler. It's an evaporated fan powered water cooler. They work really well in extremely dry areas like AZ.

saint_felony wrote:

The only problem with a wall mount AC unit is where you're going to vent the exhaust. Wall AC will be just fine provided there's a window. The other thing is that while wall AC units are cheap to get, they're kinda high on electrical costs.

Though I thought you said you were renting, so maybe you don't have to pay electric so that may not matter.

Another thing to look at down where you're moving too is what they commonly call a swamp cooler. It's an evaporated fan powered water cooler. They work really well in extremely dry areas like AZ.

Well you cant argue with that one LOL if there is no window you are out of luck. You can now buy AC units that are portable and all the exhust go out a tube like a dryer. They are about 200 here so should be around 125-175 there also depends on how many BTU's you want or need. These day's most brand new models are energy saving and use half the energy they used to use.

Ya. I forgot all about the portable AC units. They're extremely common in big server rooms. They keep things nice and cool but they're not at all quiet. Maybe the home models are quieter though.

Putting in a vent for one of those is definitely easier than the wall unit for sure.

How 'bout a chiller for far less than $100s? I seem to have a chiller that I acquired in an estate sale, box never opened until I opened it to see what was in it, that I seriously doubt I will ever use...

Sent ya a PM, MC.

WYite

saint_felony wrote:

The only problem with a wall mount AC unit is where you're going to vent the exhaust. Wall AC will be just fine provided there's a window. The other thing is that while wall AC units are cheap to get, they're kinda high on electrical costs.

Though I thought you said you were renting, so maybe you don't have to pay electric so that may not matter.

Another thing to look at down where you're moving too is what they commonly call a swamp cooler. It's an evaporated fan powered water cooler. They work really well in extremely dry areas like AZ.

The house is cooled wit a swamp cooler but the garage is not, matter of fact mst every house as a swamp cooler there.

Jackson wrote:

saint_felony wrote:

The only problem with a wall mount AC unit is where you're going to vent the exhaust. Wall AC will be just fine provided there's a window. The other thing is that while wall AC units are cheap to get, they're kinda high on electrical costs.

Though I thought you said you were renting, so maybe you don't have to pay electric so that may not matter.

Another thing to look at down where you're moving too is what they commonly call a swamp cooler. It's an evaporated fan powered water cooler. They work really well in extremely dry areas like AZ.

Well you cant argue with that one LOL if there is no window you are out of luck. You can now buy AC units that are portable and all the exhust go out a tube like a dryer. They are about 200 here so should be around 125-175 there also depends on how many BTU's you want or need. These day's most brand new models are energy saving and use half the energy they used to use.

Never thought of tat...good tinking, thanks.

Wyomingite wrote:

How 'bout a chiller for far less than $100s? I seem to have a chiller that I acquired in an estate sale, box never opened until I opened it to see what was in it, that I seriously doubt I will ever use...

Sent ya a PM, MC.

WYite

Well wyite hold on to that, I might take ya up on tat for sure.

Oooo you could go down to the local 7 11 and buy bags of ice and then dump them into your tanks

Mike D wrote:

Oooo you could go down to the local 7 11 and buy bags of ice and then dump them into your tanks

I think most ice habe too many minerals or some stuff in them that will affect the fish in the wrong way. I have read about this before. Plus it might drop the temps too fast and kill or stress the fish out.

EDIT- I mean ice that you buy.

I have actually frozen plastic bottles of water and then floated them in the tank to help cool down my tanks. I wouldn't recommend it as a long term fix as it takes a while to fully freeze. I do use it on some 90deg days during the summers.

When the temp here gets high here I use a simple, and cheap, DIY chiller on my outside 100 gallon breeder tub. I use the following:

1) Large Styrafoam Cooler
1) High Flow Powerhead
1) Pre-Filter
1) 25 Foot Long Clear Hose.
(In your situation, an extra large, or multiple coolers, 3 x powerheads, pre-filters and hoses)

Drill 2 holes in the lid, 1 on each side. Coil the hose in the bottom of the cooler, leaving enough hose so that each end can pass through the holes in the lid and, be submerged at least 3-5 inches below the water level. Fill the cooler with ice and secure the lid, I use a a couple of bricks. Use the powerhead to fill the hose with water, then reverse the flow, attatch the pre-filter to the other end and your all set.

This is safer than tossing in bags of ice, or frozen bottles of water. It chills the water gradually, and depending on the size of your cooler, this method could last days instead of hours, especially if you only run the pump during the hottest part of the day.

I am not familiar with the weather in NM, or if this will work as well for you as it dose for me here in MO, but I thought I would share this with you any way.

Best of luck on your move, and in your new home Paul. Take care, Ed

Thanks Ed!

Nice idea, Ed! I like that.

Great Idea ED