DIY Chiller

HawkeyeDJ · May 15, 2022

So I've been mulling how to keep a small aquarium (10 gallons) in the garage cool during the hot summer months where temperatures can reach 100F+.

Commercial aquarium chillers start at about $500 and go up from there.

I started another thread about using some kind of ice chest, running a flow tube through ice bags and back into the tank using a thermo controller like an Inkbird. There are a number of unknowns with such a setup.

Then I started looking at mini fridges. They can run less than $100 on sale.

How might I incorporate a mini fridge as a chiller?

blaxsun · May 15, 2022

Relocation to a basement would be your cheapest option. I don't think a mini fridge is going to cut it.

ISpeakForTheSeas · May 15, 2022

Yeah, I’ve done some research into this too, and the general consensus is that to make an effective cooler using a fridge (or even a chest freezer) just isn’t a good idea. People have done it (there are a few good threads on some other aquarium forums and on Reddit with examples), but the time, effort, calculations, and cost to make it work well are pretty high barriers to work around.

Basically, fridges and the like just don’t have enough power to meaningfully cool tanks without some intensive (both in DIY labor, time, and cost) modifications.

elysics · May 15, 2022

A mini fridge is just going to burn up or stop working, especially if it's outside is already at 100+ degrees. They make their inside cool by making their outside hot. If the outside is already hot without them doing anything, what do you think will happen? The temperature diffeerence they can keep up between inside/outside is pretty limited.

And before you try modifying an ice chest or buy a tank chiller, just get A/C for your room/house. It's not much more expensive if at all depending on room size and will probably make your life worth living in the days and weeks (months?) where it is 100+ degrees. I speak from experience.

And don't even think about evaporative cooling unless your climate is super dry at those temperatures and you don't mind leaving the windows open, and even then, hell on earth.