Aquarium as cooling medium for Radiator, Instead of Air
 

Aquarium as cooling medium for Radiator, Instead of Air. I was thinking of combining two of My hobbies Computers and a Tropical Aquarium (240 gallons, 96"x24"x24" in size) As in putting a Radiator in an Aquarium hooked up to a PC with tubing and using water to cool the fluid in the Radiator without the two coming in contact with each other, possibly with a flow of water instead of air flowing through the fins from a pump or other such device. I'm up to 2.52Ghz (11x228Mhz) with Air right now and that seems to be the limit under air cooling. :D :D

My first question is, do you have a way of temp control on the aquarium?

If not would the added heat be harmfull to the fish?

Beyond that, I can't see why this would not work pretty well.

Yes a Chiller could be added (what size is the Question, As these range from around $100.00 to at least $775.00 I've found) to keep the Temp of the 240 gallon glass aquarium from going beyond 75F degrees. :cool: :cool: Of course a big Chiller may not be needed, If it's even needed at all that is. :shrug: :shrug: As long as the added heat didn't make the aquarium water go beyond 80F, I don't see It as a problem. :cool: :cool:

I had a thought about doing this same thing.
What stopped me is my Aquarium is on the other side of the room so I would need the coolant to run about 30 feet. I think I would loose more in flow from trying to push coolant that far than anything I would gain from the exchange.

But if your aquarium is close to your PC and you are useing a wet dry filter system, you might try putting the rad right where the tank water dumps into the filter set up, it would achieve a kind of bong cooling effect ( in my warped way of thinking).

I will try to draw it up in paint if you are interested

Aardil

I was going to use a Vortex Diatom XL filter and 2-Under Gravel filters 2'x4' each, in a reverse flow setup(Water would exit the Vortex and go into the UG filters, The intake would be for the Vortex only, which will not only leave the aquarium extremely clean, This is done so that the fishes won't get tired out since the Vortex could do that If the flow came out directly), Vortex Diatom XL filters can can filter down to particles as small as 0.08 microns in size. My PC would be only a few feet away from the aquarium. I was going to use a powerhead to push water into the radiators fins. And the Vortex can be had for about $150.00 or so. No need to draw, I know what It would do.

I remember seeing waterproof fans somewhere, you can use one or 2 of those to circulate water past the rad.

Fresh water tank?
Some thing that large I assumed would be salt water.
Then again my setup is 10 years old and I havent kept up with the latest and greatest in Aquariums.
125 gallon show tank 7 feet long, 2 feet high, 18 inches deep. Salt water, Reef tank
Wet dry filter is a 35 gallon aquarium converted.

Aardil

Yes, Fresh water. This one is 8 feet long, 2 feet high, 2 feet deep, with a 30 inch tall stand (Normally they sell 2 foot tall stands, Unfinished, I'll have to stain It). It'll contain 23-Swordtails, 23-Mollies, 23-Fancy Guppies, 23-Platies, 23-Neon Tetras, 1-Red Tailed Shark, 5-Otocinclus(Algae eaters, They stay small), 23-Harlequin Rasboras(No Jokers here), :p About 144 fish total. I'll have a mixture of Plastic Plants and some real ones, Regardless I'll have these types: Anabias, Java Fern, Val, "Jungle" Val, Anubis sp., Aponogetons & Floating Duckweed (Duckweed will be real, Fish like to eat It). Not bad for just a 240 gallon glass aquarium, It'll cost Me $974.00+ $75.49(7.75% sales tax)+ $200.00 (Shipping, they are still looking for a place to ship aquariums from San Diego, CA Blufront Aquatics Sellers of African cichlids, specializing in Frontosas) for about $1249.49 total. I have to save up for It over 2.5 months, But I don't have more than 2 bills (Rent/Food and Cable) per month so It's not that long of a wait. Besides Acrylic is even more expensive than glass, It's only saving grace is that It's lighter, not as fragile and leakproof (No Seams). But I don't make that much and so I'm on a budget. That and a Castle and a Mountain Cave(Plenty of Hiding places).

I don't think you'd even need a chiller with a tank that size:)
And if it does get warm, you could just use a fan to blow air over it. Maybe even controlled by a thermostat?
Just an idea:)

The only concern I would have is the rad itself... I know it isn't as much of an issue with fresh water as with salt, but I remember that when I was growing up we had freshwater fish, and there was still a big deal about not putting metal in the tank.

I suspect that if you were to stick either a Cu/Brass or Al rad in your tank, you might have problems with it corroding (That water isn't pure, the dang fish keep pissing in it! :p ) and the corrosion products killing off the fish.

I think it would work from the cooling end, but I would suggest running the idea by some aquarium experts to be sure it's OK from the fish health end...

Gooserider

How about an Anodized Heatercore?