i found several chiller i have in mind. but not sure which to get. need some opinion from nano reefers. JBJ 1/20 chiller, pacific coast CL85, and coolworks iceprobe. I am very curious in how the iceprobe work and if it really makes a different in a 20 gallon. which of three is the best? The pacific coast is a heat and cool system. and it is cheaper than the JBJ. but jbj seem to have a better name.....and iceprobe...............iono if i can trust it.
chillers questions for 20 gallon reef
- Thread starter chun3rd
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I have run an IceProbe on my 12 gal. nano, and it does a good job maintaining temp..my nano has the 96w PC upgrade for what its worth. so i like the Ice Probe, but you have to drill a hole to install it and purchase the temp. controller..this could get expensive. Then there are the PCI and JBJ chillers. i like these units better as they are more reliable in larger tanks. keep in mind, the PCI is made in China...and this means cheapo compressors and fan motors..(my first chiller was a current usa, it was so quiet, i almost overheated my tank and chiller unit when the fan motor went out after six months)...i dont know where the JBJ is made, but when it comes to the 1/20 hp chiller market, there is not too many options. so when buying a refrigerint type chiller, quality is a small price to pay for. hope this helps.
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I have the pacific coast CL85 and for 200 bucks, its does a really good job. I have a 24 gallon dx and my tank would get to about 86 in the summer with the lights off. once i hooked it up i could keep it at 82 with it turning on for about 5-10 minutes every hour. I believe the chiller is only rated for up to 20 gallons. 4 extra gallons makes a lot of difference in So Cal where we get temps of 100+ daily. It also eliminated me from having to add a heater because when the temp drops more then 2 degrees either way it kicks in to even it out. Im looking at getting a 1/6 if i ever get my 60 up and running. Plus i've heard alot of good things about them on the reef tank(other forum) and from people at the LFS say that the JBJ's temp controll stops working. hope this helps PM If you have any questions
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ok, got mine delivered yesterday. paid for it in the morning through paypal and i was at my door step in the morning. talk about fast shipping. anyway, the chiller looks and works just like new. came in it's original packaging, had it's original hardware, and works flawlessly. great buy @ $149 for a 1/10... i gotta admit, i had my doubts when i first bought it, but now that i have it, it's one of the best savings i've found so far in this hobby. i almost paid $399 for it last week at the lfs.
if anyone is interested, check out ebay id: currentusa .... they have a few up with a buy it now price again. if you live near vista (san diego) they allow local pickups so you don't have to pay the shipping on it!
if anyone is interested, check out ebay id: currentusa .... they have a few up with a buy it now price again. if you live near vista (san diego) they allow local pickups so you don't have to pay the shipping on it!
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that's what i did. my tank is only a 28g. the chiller i bought is rated up to 70g. my next tank is probably going to be a 60g . that's why i went with this one. i figured, if i do go bigger and go for a 100+g and need to get rid of this chiller, the 1/10 will appeal to a more people rather than the smaller 1/20 or 1/15 that i intended to buy for this tank. but like i said, at $149 straight from the maunfacturer, how can you go wrong.
Its not an enclosed desk. Im asking because in the summer, sometimes we have the windows closed during the day so basically it will be sucking up warm room air. Will a 1/15 or a 1/20 cause much more heat into the room? I have a 6 gal NC that i am thinking of setting up a chiller for before the summer. Does anybody know if I can use a minijet 606 to run the 1/15 or 1/20 chiller?
