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hi there,
i am new to this overclocker's club
can anyone explain me what is aquarium cooling method and how is it better for cooling CPU heat?
I don't know about this method so can anyone explain me what it is?
Please provide some suggestions regarding this query.
My view:
The primary methods of aquarium cooling fall under these five basic categories:
· Simple fans that run on a timer along with the lighting
· Fans regulated by simple temperature controllers
· Thermoelectric chillers
· Refrigerant based chillers
· Alternative methods
When your coffee, tea, or soup is too hot, you blow on it and it cools it down. The same principle can be applied to an aquarium. Fans may be used to increase evaporation, thereby causing an aquarium to cool down. A fan mounted at an angle or completely horizontal blowing on the water surface can decrease the temperature of the aquarium significantly. Keep in mind that if a lot of water evaporates from the aquarium, the salinity of the water will increase. Since evaporation has such a cooling effect on an aquarium, it is common sense that an aquarium with a small amount of surface area might be more difficult to keep cool. Powerheads can also be used to agitate the water surface of the aquarium and cause evaporation.
If you have severe heat problems, you may need to look into getting a Freon or other refrigerant-based chiller. Liquid refrigerant-based chillers are extremely useful in decreasing the temperature of aquariums. The problem with these devices is that they are extremely expensive and use significant amounts of electricity. Liquid coolant chillers can be either "in-line," or a "drop-in coil" type. With an in-line chiller, water from the aquarium is pumped through it and returned to the aquarium or sump. A drop-in coil has a metal coil (with lots of surface area) that is placed in the sump and cools the aquarium. Chillers range in sizes from around one-quarter horsepower to greater than 1 horsepower. Some liquid coolant chillers have other features like digital thermometers and heaters built in.
Reason behind Aquarium Cooling Method:
- To make the captive environment more like nature. Most newts and salamanders in the wild live in much cooler temperatures than what an indoor environment provides.
- For optimal health. Temperatures closer to nature are likely to keep animals healthier longer.
- To provide a winter cooling period (some call it hibernation), which is necessary for breeding in many species.
- To avoid peak summer heat, which can be deadly to many newts, salamanders, and axolotls.
A small Experience from me about how i managed aquarium cooling:
There were 3 temperature readings taken by me in the same room using a counter top and 2 aquariums that sit side-by-side on the countertop. Both tanks are the same size and have bubblers only (no motorized filter). Because of evaporation, the water temperature in the tank with a screen lid is more than 3°F cooler than the ambient air!
- Air temperature: 68.6°F (20.3°C)
- Water temp (glass lid): 67.8°F (19.9°C)
- Water temp (screen lid): 65.2°F (18.4°C)
I searched for shops that sell products for "reef tanks" sell clip-on fans like this one for use over aquariums. They come in a variety of sizes.
I took a small computer fan which was mounted over an aquarium to increase evaporation. Note that computer fans need to be wired to a transformer in order to plug into a household electrical socket.
These fans are set up with one blowing INWARD, the other blowing OUTWARD. The tank owner was able to achieve a temperature drop of 6-8°F (3-4°C).
Now i used two small household fans are used to increase tank evaporation. Note that this only works if the tank has a screen lid, not a hood. Do not use this method for terrestrial tanks, or aquatic animals that spend much time out of the water, as the evaporation can dry out the animals.
This is a more sophisticated homemade cooling device. A pump or canister filter pumps the water through tubing, which passes through a large cooler containing ice water. While this method can be very effective, the ice must be replenished at least once daily.
I used screen mesh because I had an aquatic set-up and because I was too lazy to cut glass - screen is cheap. The water (only 2-5 inches) stays a cool 60F if you add about 1 Qt of refrigerated water (~50F) once a day. It's not as pretty as a glass tank with a cooling system, but it's a whole lot cheaper."
A water cooler can be used to cool aquarium water. If an aquarium pump is used to push water directly into the water bottle, the flow rate is too fast and the bottle could overflow. Instead, the water from the pump goes into a reservoir inside the tank (excess water can simply overflow within the tank). The water from the reservoir moves by simple gravity (siphon flow) into the water bottle, and then back into the tank.
Another example of WINTER cooling. This tank was moved to the garage. With a submersible or canister filter, the tank will not freeze even if the air temperature dips briefly below freezing. However, there are some very cold climates where this would be too risky.
There are several other methods for cooling fan Purposes:
- Air condition the room or the house. Window-mounted single-room air conditioning units can be obtained for a reasonable cost.
- Get an aquarium chiller. There are 2 basic types of chillers: refrigerated chillers, and thermoelectric (Peltier effect) chillers. Refrigerated chillers are very expensive, but also very effective. Thermoelectric chillers (for example, the Ice Probe) are less expensive but also much less effective. In a tank over 10 gallons in size, the Peltier cooler may be able to reduce temperature by only a few degrees, which is not much better than you can do with evaporation.
- Increase evaporation. Evaporation decreases temperature quite effectively. Using only evaporations, it is possible to get the tank temperature lower than the ambient room temperature. There are several specific ways that you can expoit evaporative cooling:
- If you use a screen top instead of a hood, this alone will lower the temperature 2°F (1°C) or more (see Example 1 below).
- In conjuction with the screen lid, a small airstone or other bubbling device will increase evaporation. A filter that spills water across the surface will fulfill the same purpose.
- Installing a fan over the tank (see examples below) will decrease the temperature even further.
- Put a wet towel on the outside of the tank glass and blow a fan against it.
- Move the tank. Put it in the basement or other cool area of the house. The floor of the room is a couple of degrees cooler it is at normal tank-height, so try putting the tank down on the floor. Move the tank out of any direct sunlight. Put the tank in front of the outflow from your AC system.
- Remove or reduce appliances. If you have an incandescent light, replace it with a fluorescent light - incandescent bulbs generate a lot of heat. If you have a fluorescent light, use it for fewer hours per day. Put a "spacer" to lift the fluorescent light up a little higher, away from the tank; the light will be the same, but less heat will go into the tank.
- Use a bubble-driven filter instead of a powerhead or submersible filter. All motor-driven filters produce heat, often quite a lot of it. When choosing a filter, choose the one with the lowest wattage, as watts directly correlate with heat production.
- Bottles and jugs. Fill with water, put one in the freezer and one in the tank. Switch back and forth. Be sure to refill frequently with clean, dechlorinated water in case the bottle leaks.
- Ice cubes. Remove some water from the tank and replace it with ice cubes made with dechlorinated water. It is best to do this in the evening, to replicate the natural cycle of warm days and cool nights that the animal would have outdoors.
- Insulate the aquarium. Place sheets of styrofoam, or other insulating material, around the sides, back, and underside of the tank. If this is done in conjunction with other cooling methods it will make other cooling methods more effective.