The Nisso Aqua Cooler Mini is an innovative thermoelectric with a form factor we haven’t seen before. Not to be confused with the myriad of small hang-on fans that are becoming increasingly available for small and medium sized aquariums, the Nisso Aqua Cooler Mini is a true chiller for nano and small sized aquarium.
Most large aquarium chillers use a compressor and radiator system to cool aquarium water with principles similar to an air-conditioner. However for smaller tanks, a different kind of cooling effect, using thermo-electric principles is more practical and efficient to cool small volumes of water.
The CoolWorks IceProbe is such a thermo-electric cooling device that uses the Peltier Effect to efficiently cool down water. This is the same kind of technology that is used in small dorm-sized refrigerators, as well as the CoolWorks MicroChiller which essentially places an IceProbe in an AquaClear power filter.
The Nisso Aqua Cooler Mini miniaturizes the thermoelectric cooling effect into a hang-on chiller for nano tanks for truly hang-on performance and practicality. You won’t be cooling any particularly large tank volumes, but the Nisso Aqua Cooler Mini can pull down 15 liters of water by 5 degrees Celsius. This equivalent to a 7 degree Fahrenheit pull down on a 5 gallon tank, or a solid 3.5F degree pull down on a ten gallon aquarium.
For larger tanks it is advisable to manage excess heat by increasing the rate of evaporation but this is not the best approach for smaller marine tanks, who’s salinity will be dramatically affected by high evaporation. So if you’ve got a small nano reef tank that is running a little hot, definitely consider the Nisso Aqua Cooler Mini to cool your tank. It retails for ¥9,800 (about $92) and it is available from Ratuken for ¥6,035 (~$56) so the only challenge if you really want one is getting it over here from Japan.
Thanks to Eiji Myorin for bringing this product to our attention, and supplying the header image above.
