Aquarium chillers are used to lower the aquarium’s water temperature or prevent it from rising too high. They help maintain proper water temperature for the fish and plants to flourish. But why are aquarium chillers so expensive?
Aquarium chillers are expensive because they’re designed to cool the aquarium water. Water absorbs more heat than air or other gases. That’s why aquarium chillers need extra effort to cool the water than other devices. They are also called niche refrigerators as they maintain the aquarium’s health.
Aquarium chillers have to work harder than a refrigerator to cool the water because the aquarium is not well insulated like a refrigerator. So, does that make an aquarium chiller expensive to run?
5 Reasons Why Aquarium Chillers Are Expensive To Run
Aquarium chillers are a great way to keep your fish and coral healthy.
They provide the benefits of keeping water at a constant temperature in your tank.
However, for optimized performance, aquarium chillers can draw a significant amount of energy.
Given below are some of the common factors that make aquarium chillers expensive to run:
- Heat absorption capacity: Water can absorb more heat than air or any other gas. The amount of heat absorbed by an aquarium depends upon the volume of water in the tank. Additionally, if you want to cool down the water quickly, aquarium chillers will require a significant amount of electricity to bring down the temperature.
- Power consumption: Most aquarium chillers consume power even when they are not working. If you leave the unit off overnight, it still consumes energy. It also uses up battery life while idle. You should always turn off all equipment at night to save energy.
- Poor Insulation: Many aquariums are poorly insulated, which means they have poor thermal conductivity. It makes them utilize more energy to reduce the aquarium temperature. In such cases, the aquarium chiller has to work harder to get rid of the excess heat.
- Aquarium size: Large tanks will have more water than small tanks. Therefore, they need large aquarium chillers to reduce the temperature of the water efficiently. However, large aquarium chillers will draw more energy and increase power consumption.
- Maintenance costs: Chilling requires regular maintenance like cleaning fans and condenser fins. Calcium build-up is expected inside the heat exchanges, which reduces the efficiency of an aquarium chiller. Regular maintenance ensures all parts work efficiently, providing optimal results and thereby increasing costs.
Now you know the reasons that increase the cost of running aquarium chillers.
Let’s now also understand whether aquarium chillers, in general, use a lot of electricity.
Recommended Further Reading:
- What Is An Aquarium Chiller? (Do You Need It?)
- Do Aquarium Filters Oxygenate The Water? (How Exactly?)
- Can Aquarium Salt Go Bad Or Expire? (How To Make It Last Long?)
Do Aquarium Chillers Use A Lot Of Electricity?
An aquarium chiller is used to keep the temperature of a fish tank at ideal levels.
The amount of electricity utilized by an aquarium chiller to cool the water will depend on its size, the pre-determined temperature to maintain, the water flow rate, and how frequently it works to maintain the required temperature.
An aquarium chiller of a larger tank will take longer and draw more energy to lower the water temperature than the ones in smaller tanks.
Also, there are chances of overheating due to the high demand for electrical current.
Furthermore, the aquarium chiller has to perform till the pre-determined temperature level is not achieved.
Another reason for aquarium chillers to use more electricity is the higher flow rate of water.
It means less water contact with the heat exchanger.
Therefore, the aquarium chiller will have to work extra to ensure the pre-determined level of water temperature is achieved.
Finally, if the aquarium chiller is engaged frequently to reduce water temperature, it will require more energy to perform the task, increasing electricity consumption.
As you can see, aquarium chillers need more energy to perform efficiently. But are they necessary for your aquarium?
Are Aquarium Chillers Necessary?
Aquarium chillers help regulate the temperature of the aquarium water.
Without these devices, maintaining the correct temperature will be difficult.
They also help maintain the health of fish and other aquatic creatures.
Given below are some reasons why aquarium chillers are necessary:
- Regulate temperature: Aquarium chillers are designed to maintain a specific range of temperatures. They prevent the temperature inside the aquarium from rising above a pre-determined level as that can cause severe problems to the aquatic pets. So, aquarium chillers lower the temperature to the desired levels.
- Increase dissolved oxygen: As the temperature inside the aquarium increases, the ability of the water to hold oxygen decreases. Therefore, by lowering the water temperature, aquarium chillers also increase dissolved oxygen levels of the water.
- Reduce stress: When the water temperature inside the aquarium rises, it increases the metabolism and breathing of fish as they use more oxygen. As a result, they get stressed and become susceptible to diseases. Aquarium chillers can help the aquatic creatures reduce stress by maintaining proper temperature levels and keep the inhabitants healthy and happy.
- Create a healthier environment: Warm water above 90°F will kill beneficial bacteria. These bacteria help maintain the right balance in the aquarium. Aquarium chillers help lower the temperature. This helps save the bacteria and avoid the potential danger of a spike in ammonia and nitrites.
Aquarium chillers are necessary to maintain the proper health of your aquarium.
So let’s now explore further to understand whether they are needed for a planted aquarium.
Related Further Reading:
- 5 Best Plants For Saltwater Tanks (How To Choose The Best)
- Do Aquarium Chillers Heat The Aquarium Water? (How They Can)
- Are Aquarium Decorations Safe? (List Of Aquarium Safe Decorations)
- Can Fish Eat Chocolate? (No, Here’s Why…)
Are Aquarium Chillers Necessary For A Planted Aquarium?
Aquatic plants make an aquarium look fascinating and also balance the ecosystem.
They allow the fish to rest and hide, and at the same time, help reduce the water temperature in the aquarium.
However, if the temperature goes beyond the optimum level, the growth rate of plants will slow down or stop altogether.
In such cases, aquarium chillers can help.
Aquarium chillers work best when used in planted tanks.
The reason behind this is simple; plants absorb heat faster than any other material present in the tank.
Aquatic plants prefer temperatures between 70°F and 80°F to flourish.
At the same time, at 84°F and above, the plants won’t survive.
If you want to grow plants successfully, you need to ensure that the temperature stays optimal.
Aquarium chillers can help reduce the water temperature whenever it increases beyond the pre-determined level.
Interesting Further Reading:
- Can Fish Eat Rice? (Why Not & Ideal Fish Diet)
- Can Fish Survive Being Frozen? (Can They Come Back To Life?)
- Do Fish Scales Grow Back? (Why + Can They Live Without Scales)
- Does Aquarium Salt Kill Beneficial Bacteria? (Ideal Usage)
How To Reduce Energy Consumption Of An Aquarium Chiller?
The energy consumption of an aquarium chiller depends on its capacity and how much power it consumes.
If you have a small aquarium, the chances are high that you don’t need a large-capacity aquarium chiller.
However, if you have a large aquarium, then you may need an oversized aquarium chiller.
Given below are a few ways to reduce the energy consumption of an aquarium chiller:
- Use efficient equipment: When buying an aquarium chiller, check out what type of compressor it uses. There are different types of compressors available in the market today. Unfortunately, some of these compressors are very inefficient and consume a lot of energy. Therefore, choose one which uses the minimum amount of energy.
- Install timers: Timer switches allow you to turn off the aquarium chiller after the specified time automatically. They save money because there’s no need to run the aquarium chiller continuously all day long.
- Perform regular Maintenance: Aquarium chillers can reduce energy consumption only if they are adequately maintained. Therefore, it would be best to clean them regularly to remove the debris inside the unit. This reduces friction and increases efficiency. Also, make sure you clean the condenser fins and fans regularly.
- Identify voltage leaks: Check if the aquarium chiller or other electrical devices are faulty. It’s best to disconnect them and replace or repair the faulty units to eliminate the problem. By replacing or repairing the faulty parts, you can increase the efficiency of the devices and reduce energy consumption.
- Maintain recommended water flow rate: Aquarium chillers are designed to allow water to have sufficient contact time with the heat exchanger. By doing so, they allow the heat exchanger to remove heat from the flowing water. The aquarium chiller will underperform if the water flow rate is too high. Enough heat won’t get removed. It means the aquarium chiller will have to work harder and draw more energy to reduce the aquarium water temperature.
So do your research before choosing an aquarium chiller.
Some models consume a minimal amount of electricity, while some others consume massive amounts.
Therefore, it’s essential to choose an efficient aquarium chiller so that you don’t end up paying exorbitant energy bills every month.
