While a chiller may be quite an investment for some aquarium owners, it is a vital piece of equipment that may prevent disaster some the summer months. An appropriate water temperature is vital to keep saltwater fish and coral healthy.

Reef aquariums and often Fish only aquarium setups utilize equipment such as lighting, pumps and powerheads that will raise the water temperature significantly. Without a water chiller to decrease the temperature in your aquarium water temp’s will rise fast which can spell disaster. One of the most important aspects of keeping a saltwater aquarium is to maintain consistent parameters, whether it be temperature, salinity or even pH..consistency is key.

Chances are you will need a chiller if you have a large amount of equipment running on your aquarium or just live in a state where summers can get quite hot. But sizing and installing your chiller is not rocket science. Below you will find some useful tips to pick the right chiller brand, size and feed pumps for your application.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Chiller

While there are many different calculations to determine temperature “Pull Down” vs. Gallons of water, these are very hard to determine what you may actually need to decrease your temperature. The easiest way is go to by manufacturer recommendations and then go from there.

Below I have listed our favorite brands and tank recommendations and what we recommend for intense heat situations.

EcoPlus 1/10hp Chiller
Chilling Capacity: 93 gallons – can chill the water up to 10ºF 35 gallons-can chill the water up to 30ºF

EcoPlus 1/4hp Chiller
Chilling Capacity: 170 gallons – can chill the water up to 10ºF, 100 gal.- can chill the water up to 30ºF (For metal halide users or over 150 gallons we highly recommend at least an EcoPlus 1/2hp Commercial Grade Chiller)

EcoPlus 1/2hp Commercial Grade Chiller
Chilling Capacity: 320 gallons – can chill the water up to 10ºF 220 gallons-can chill the water up to 30ºF (Once again these ratings are not compatible with tanks using intense metal halides or inclosed canopies, we would recommend a 1hp for these situations for anything over 300 gallons.)

EcoPlus 1hp Commercial Grade Chiller Recomended Tank Size: 200-400 gallons Depending on Heat Transfer

EcoPlus 1 1/2hp Commercial Grade Chiller Recomended Tank Size: 300-500 gallons Depending on Heat Transfer

Other good brands to look for with similar ratings or even nano chillers are made by AquaEuro Chillers

Of course we are always here to help you choose the right chiller for you setup.