Arcadia, the leading UK aquarium lighting manufacturer, has launched a new range of aquarium chillers at this year's Interzoo trade exhibition in Germany.
Kevin Chambers, Arcadia's technical sales assistant, told Practical Fishkeeping: A lot of lighting products such as our metal halide lights do increase the temperature of a tank, and so there is often a need to cool it as well, which is why we're now doing our own specific chiller.
The range will include two models, a 250W version and a 650W version. The 250W chiller is designed to suit an aquarium of up to 800 litres/175 gal., while the 650W model is designed for aquariums of up to 2000 litres/439 gal.
Chambers said: It's very straightforward to assemble them. There are nice easy connections for a hose to come from the sump of the aquarium into the chiller, it goes through a titanium exchange refrigeration unit and back into the aquarium.
very simple controls for setting the temperature that you'd like the aquarium to be. Simply press the little 'set' button and you can then 'up' it or 'down' it to the temperature that you require, press 'set' and leave it to its own devices.
The chiller is fitted with a front-mounted, lift out air-filter to prevent dust particles clogging the heat exchange components and reducing efficiency.
Chambers told Practical Fishkeeping that, although not silent, the chiller was also one of the quieter ones on the market.
The model on display at Interzoo was a pre-production prototype, but the production quality chillers are currently being manufactured and are due to go on sale in the UK in September 2008.
The 250W model is expected to sell in the UK for 499.99 and the 650W unit is expected to sell for 699.99. The products are due for their official UK launch at the GLEE exhibition at the NEC in September.