Collection: Chillers

How to Choose an Aquarium Chiller

An aquarium chiller pulls heat out of your system when lights, pumps, and summer room temperatures push it past where your livestock is comfortable. Reef tanks under intense LED or metal halide, nano systems with too little water volume to buffer a swing, and coldwater or seafood setups all need one — and so do plenty of freshwater and planted tanks in a room that climbs into the high 20s.

Every aquarium chiller we stock uses a titanium heat exchanger, the standard for saltwater because titanium won't corrode the way other coil materials do.

Sizing by System

• Nano and desktop — JBJ Nano Arctica E-Chiller, in 10 and 20 gallon versions.
• Home aquariums — JBJ Arctica 1/15 through 1/3 HP, plus EcoPlus 1/4 and 1/2 HP.
• Commercial, coldwater, and seafood — JBJ Arctica Commercial Series, 1/2 HP to 3 HP. The 1/2 HP runs on standard 115V; 1 HP and above require a 230V circuit.

Match horsepower to your water volume and the temperature drop you actually need. A chiller rated for a given tank size at a 10°F pull-down handles far less water at 30°F — and undersizing voids the manufacturer's warranty. Check the sizing chart on each product page, and account for heat your return pump and lighting add.

Every chiller needs a dedicated feed pump and clear airflow around the exhaust. A chiller installation kit covers the plumbing side.

Not sure what fits? Call 604-444-1161. We've been sizing chillers for Canadian aquariums since 1997.