# Other Aquarium Forums > Equipment and Accessories > DIY Projects >  Titanium radiator + fan to replace chiller

## Land2013

Found there is a titanium radiator sell at US$3*.00/pcs but need minimum quantity of 10pcs. The size is 200x70x50mm with in/out. Was thinking to add 2 x 80mm low noise fan with low watt pump (3~4w) to maintain water temperature at 26°C. Don't think it can bring down the temperature without help but if it could maintain 26°C, it will be good enough. 

Any bro out there had tried before I throw my money into sea.

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## BFG

How many pieces are you getting? Are there any other titanium radiator model available?

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## eviltrain

3 dollars a piece??? i wants 10 please.

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## Land2013

Need to get 10pcs minimum but I intend to have 2 only in loop to delay further the water before get back to aquarium.

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## Land2013

It was US$3* and it was a figure there. Not nice to put the complete $$. :Grin:

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## cheetf

Erm, how many percent titanium?

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## avex30

You intend to soak in aquarium?? Or how you plan to have it chill the water?

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## Land2013

The water loop would be titanium and fin is aluminium. Didn't have detail and have to email them for more information.

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## Land2013

The radiator would external where the water will transfer by a small pump pass thru the radiator with support of fan to cool the water before it reach back to aquarium.

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## eviltrain

hmmm aluminium may break down easily if the ph of your tank water is low. it may harm the fauna and flora in your tank. 

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## Land2013

Understand aluminium or copper is toxic to fish that is why sourcing for titanium. The aluminium is on the fin only where the water loop will be titanium.

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## eviltrain

hmmm. that case i still prefer to use my marine grade Stainless steel pipes. more economy and safer. 

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## Land2013

Wanted to share how you use ss pipes to be a cooling device with fan? Don't mind to change if it's work to bring down my aquarium temperature to 26 deg C.

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## eviltrain

i connect my ss pipe with a chiller. its 3 "U" in series. you can go to my thread to find out more.

thread name ' just another shrimp tank '

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## Land2013

Check your thread and pretty detail i would say however the idea is without chiller. Is good to have chiller but wanted to try to find a way to keep electricity cost low else no choice.

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## eviltrain

using chiller the right way can cut down on bill cost too.  :Smile:  full rack setup is like 1 dollar a day. 

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## tawauboy

if the idea is to use fans to blow at the fins to cool the aquarium water, then this idea will not work.
the ambient air temperature is not low enough to provide the cooling needed.

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## Land2013

In this case, likely to explore other method like fan blow directly to aquarium with support of auto water top up (Lazy to add water daily :Grin:  :Grin: ) or buy chiller.

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## AQMS

Where to get the radiator? what is the size of the tube?

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## Land2013

The radiator get from China and haven't consult the supplier but based on photo should able to diy the hoses.

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## BFG

I was thinking of placing these radiator in a pail or styrofoam box of cold water.

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## Land2013

The question would be how to maintain cold water at the reservoir to cool the radiator water during the transferring as the titanium as insulator itself.

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## eviltrain

periodly put ice blocks in the sump?

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## BFG

> The question would be how to maintain cold water at the reservoir to cool the radiator water during the transferring as the titanium as insulator itself.


My work place has a few coldroom that can chill to -5 deg celsius. Going to make a few bottle of pykrete and see how long it can chill the water reservoir. Need to purchase a few of that radiator and find some sawdust, a pail full worth, to start that project. The sawdust is tough for me to locate as I do not have transportation and with my slip disc condition, can't walk far and carry stuff.

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## eviltrain

i think there is no point if you chilling to only 26 degree. just get a 2nd hand chiller will do the job. you can spent more time looking at your tank than changing the ice block.

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## cheetf

> i think there is no point if you chilling to only 26 degree. just get a 2nd hand chiller will do the job. you can spent more time looking at your tank than changing the ice block.
> 
> Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2


Totally agree with this. A properly matched chiller can be quite efficient. The plus point being you don't have to worry about temperature spikes with the diy situation affecting your fauna.

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## Land2013

Did some browsing and found it could work if using peltier TEM mount with heat sink (with fan) on this radiator however it could come with >40watt by doing so. How do you guys feel?

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## eviltrain

no point too. all you have found or wanted to do, i have already do before. hehehe

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## eviltrain

lets say TEM is running 24/7. 

total wattage used will be 40 watt X 24hours X 30days = 28.8kW per mth

as for chiller. efficient rate is 1/4 kick in, 3/4 rest.

lets take 150w chiller. 

(150 X 1/4) X 24 X 30 = 27kW per mth

just do the simple maths calculation yourself. 




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## cheetf

How big is your tank? TEMs are mainly effective for small tanks. Even then they are good to bring down the temp by a few degrees only. Your other issue would be how to mount the TEM for it to function effectively.

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## Land2013

> How big is your tank? TEMs are mainly effective for small tanks. Even then they are good to bring down the temp by a few degrees only. Your other issue would be how to mount the TEM for it to function effectively.


It was 2" tank.

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## cheetf

Think you are better off looking for a second hand chiller. Can try looking for a Haelia hc 100a. http://www.hailea.com/e-hailea/product1/hc-100a.htm. It's one ov the smaller chillers around.

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## li_gangyi

I've never found TEMs to be more efficient than compressor based chillers unless you have a very small tank, so even the smallest chiller is grossly oversized.

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## eviltrain

> It was 2" tank.


you mean 2 feet right? cannot be 2 inches hor?

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## Land2013

> you mean 2 feet right? cannot be 2 inches hor?
> 
> Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2


Oops! It's 2ft.

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## BFG

I won't resort to TEM chiller, I have 1, it didn't perform to my expectation. I do have a spare 1/10hp chiller but with a aircon compressor chiller running my 4 ft marine tank, activating the 1/10hp chiller would increase my electrical consumption.

Using the amenities at my workplace to freeze the pykrete solution is a method I am looking at. I am not doing it alone, I have a colleague who would be going the pykrete path except that he is not using the titanium radiator.

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## felix_fx2

hello there,

confirm inside titanium? got other sizes, please share with me details.  :Smile: 

BFG, i went "what the hell!! -5 deg.." till i read workplace cold room  :Razz:

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## felix_fx2

> Radiator did with others size. Goggle is ur best friend.


what does "ur" mean?

SMS and IM Lingo Rules

You mean $3USD or $30+ USD. you type US$3*.00 very misleading.... we don't see shops putting prices as "Jeans for $5*.00"

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## Land2013

> what does "ur" mean?
> 
> SMS and IM Lingo Rules
> 
> You mean $3USD or $30+ USD. you type US$3*.00 very misleading.... we don't see shops putting prices as "Jeans for $5*.00"


Are you bully newcomer? I already explain why write the $ in that way in the very first page to explain.

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## li_gangyi

> Are you bully newcomer? I already explain why write the $ in that way in the very first page to explain.


Relax, don't take it too personal, we're all here to share. Welcome to the forums, generally people here are helpful and friendly, sometimes because we are passionate, the discussion can become heated. 

Personally I think it'll take a very big radiator, to bring the water down to room temperature at best, to do anything lower than room temperature, you'd have to go with an evaporative setup (which is not very efficient because of Singapore's humidity and it makes your room humid), whereby evaporating water actually can bring the water temperature down to below room temp, TEMs or a chiller. 

I don't know how big the titanium radiator in your picture is, but if you could get a hold of a small fridge real cheap, I suppose you could put that into the chiller and run your tank water through that, that should probably guarantee some measure of success.

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## eviltrain

just get a chiller. if not you will end up spending more

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## felix_fx2

> Are you bully newcomer? I already explain why write the $ in that way in the very first page to explain.


I am naggy  :Razz:  , anyway.. to further check on details. As mentioned with you let us know if details.
Many people will help you check, doing it alone very taxing. 




> just get a chiller. if not you will end up spending more
> 
> Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2


Chiller might be more practical, your not wrong.
But DIY is quite the poison for some guys (which i see a few already inside this thread hehe)

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## Land2013

Start a hobby with DIY is always a good start as there was passion there and it could prolong the interest as long still not yet digging money from pocket. The idea may not break though today but it good to discuss.

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## cheetf

> Start a hobby with DIY is always a good start as there was passion there and it could prolong the interest as long still not yet digging money from pocket. The idea may not break though today but it good to discuss.


As you progress along you might find that for certain things it would have been cheaper if you had NOT diy. However it would not have been so much fun though. Many of these things we have tried before and yet we end up using chillers. There must be a reason to it right? Anyway have fun on your exploration.

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## felix_fx2

well said.

i know a few in forum, going far on DIY even when they are using and owning the most practical solution.
i will deepen some research and try if there is any more posion. i mean data good to share later.

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## fireblade

think you should put the price as US$30++++
since the place you got from is China, I think it is ok to put the price ... not so good to put LFS price as we can just travel to any LFS locally to buy stuff hence partially affecting the LFS business... 



> It was US$3* and it was a figure there. Not nice to put the complete $$.

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## Redember

Was digging around when i found this thread. Previously my 2ft tank temperature can soar up to 32'C with an ambient temp of around 30'C in my living room. 

I have since taken a few steps and the system now is able to maintain the temperature at around 26'C with the exceptance of extremely humid days.

1. Changing my canister filter to a greener model. Previous model pumps about 1000l/hr at 22watts. Current model flows 1120l/hr at 15watts.

2. Changing out all the 3 T5 tubes to a single Quad LED fixture. Electricity consumption dropped from 72watts to about 25watts.

3. Added a Boyu FS55 hang on side fan controlled by a DIY digital thermostat.

4. As my tank comes with a hood, i have bored a hole directly above my LED fixture and mounted a 80mm case fan which exhausts heat and humidity from within the tank. This is connected to the LED powersupply.

The digital thermostat helps to regulate the temperature between 26-27'C. If my living room aircond is on at night, temperature of the tank can drop below 25'C.

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## Urban Aquaria

> ... As my tank comes with a hood


Interesting, i was surprised at how your tank temp could be higher than ambient temp, until i saw your last point... covered tanks really do trap alot more heat compared to open top tanks, good thing that you changed your equipment setup (especially the lights and fans) to reduce heat accumulation under the enclosed hood.

I guess if you convert to an open top tank, most of those inherent heat issues will go away, and it'll require even less power to keep the water temp low too.  :Smile:

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## Redember

> Interesting, i was surprised at how your tank temp could be higher than ambient temp, until i saw your last point... covered tanks really do trap alot more heat compared to open top tanks, good thing that you changed your equipment setup (especially the lights and fans) to reduce heat accumulation under the enclosed hood.
> 
> I guess if you convert to an open top tank, most of those inherent heat issues will go away, and it'll require even less power to keep the water temp low too.


Yups agreed. Wife prefers a covered tank as it looks more neat and contemporary. Its easier to dust as well during our weekly housekeeping. Just changed the 80mm fan today to a 12vdc 2.4w Papst fan. This guy pulls more CFM,quieter and is virtually vibration free.  :Grin:

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## felix_fx2

> Yups agreed. Wife prefers a covered tank as it looks more neat and contemporary. Its easier to dust as well during our weekly housekeeping. Just changed the 80mm fan today to a 12vdc 2.4w Papst fan. This guy pulls more CFM,quieter and is virtually vibration free.


you can add rubber washers between to further lower any small vibration. 

interested with your DIY thermostat, I saw some selling online but they were not UK plug based. 

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## Redember

Great minds think alike! i have inserted foam pads on all four corners of the fan instead of rubber washers and they works great. Below are some of the pictures of my DIY digital thermostat. I have specifically chosen my unit to run solely on 12VDC instead of 230VAC for safety and convenience purposes. I have a common 12VDC supply providing power to all my lighting and cooling accesories on my tank. The digital thermostat module was bought off eBay for around S$17 plus shipping. The rest of the project box,light indicator,switches & speaker jacks were bought in Sim Lim Tower. Holes were cut using a Dremel with carbide mill.

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## stormhawk

I have a hooded tank too and yes it gets extra warm. I just leave the front cover open most of the time to keep the tank cooler.

Great job on the DIY box Redember. Could you provide a wiring diagram for those who wish to replicate this project?

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## felix_fx2

Foam pads should actually work better as vibration noise dampeners. 

oh... this one!!!! almost wanted to eBay this too and copy from reef forums for a ac240 one .

btw good handiwork you have  :Smile: 



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## AQMS

Hi Redember, where did you get the black box?

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## fireblade

I believe Sim Lim tower has alot to choose from ...

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## AQMS

> I believe Sim Lim tower has alot to choose from ...


ok,thanks.

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## Redember

I'm not really good at drawing electrical diagrams. Gave them back to my teachers long ago. Here its a sketch i roughly drawn out. This is based on 12VDC model. Do not attempt this on a 230VAC controller.

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