When choosing a chiller it is all based on the amount of water in your aquarium and how much you need to drop the temperature in your tank, your aquarium setup and the amount of aquarium heat it generates. which are very important considerations. Therefore, when choosing the right an aquarium chiller, slightly over-sizing your chiller is your best bet because this will ensure your aquarium tank is cooled efficiently and avoid the need for constant on/off operation of the chiller.

Choices for aquarium chillers are bewildering and available information is often missing important bits and pieces. If your cooling requirements are on the upper end of what is recommended, choose the next largest chiller to ensure an adequately cooled aquarium and healthy inhabitants. Variables include lowest temperature that the unit will chill too (some go down to 32 F [0 C]), maximum operating temperature (our home can reach 90–95 F [32–35 C] inside during peak summer days), required flow rates, availability of external temperature probes to control the unit, energy consumption (in HP) and thermal power (in BTUs; 1 HP = 12,000 BTU) and noise.

Below is a table of sample aquarium chiller sizes. This is just for example purposes. Of course, sizes and capacities may vary depending on the unit. This is just to give you a general idea of what’s available.

Horsepower BTU Max Aquarium Size Temperature Range

1/10 ~ 1,500 45 gallons (160-180 liters) 60 – 85 °F (16 – 30 °C)
1/4 ~ 3,500 85 gallons (300-350 liters) 60 – 85 °F (16 – 30 °C)
1/2 ~ 6000 135 gallons (450-500 liters) 60 – 85 °F (16 – 30 °C)
1 ~ 12000 280 gallons (1000-1200 liters) 60 – 85 °F (16 – 30 °C)
1 1/2 ~ 18000 400 gallons (1500-1800 liters) 60 – 85 °F (16 – 30 °C)
2 ~ 24000 550 gallons (2000-2300 liters) 60 – 85 °F (16 – 30 °C)
3 ~ 30000 800 gallons (3000-3200 liters) 60 – 85 °F (16 – 30 °C)
5 ~ 36000 1350 gallons (5000-5500 liters) 60 – 85 °F (16 – 30 °C)

Please note: The high ambient air temperature will decrease cooling capacity.

If you are interested in our aquarium water chillers, please contact us via sales@cnlando.com to know more it.