Aquarium breeding is a "science of temperature". Whether it is ornamental fish, Marine corals, or crystal shrimp that are extremely sensitive to the environment, the stability of water temperature often directly determines their health and survival rate. Generally speaking, the ideal fluctuation range of water temperature is within ±1℃. However, in the hot summer, the room temperature often exceeds 30℃. Small aquariums (under 60L) are more susceptible to the influence of environmental temperature due to their small water body and fast heat dissipation. Therefore, we need to stabilize the water temperature through a stable and reliable refrigeration solution to ensure the healthy growth of fish and shrimp. The traditional solution mostly adopts compressor refrigeration, which is strong in cooling and high in efficiency, and is suitable for large aquariums. However, for home gamers, the compressor system is bulky, operates with high noise, consumes a lot of electricity and is relatively expensive. For this reason, a new type of cooling solution that is lighter, quieter and more energy-efficient is emerging - it is the TEC aquarium specially designed for small tanks.

1. Working Principle of TEC Aquarium

The core of the TEC aquarium is the semiconductor cooling chip, which mainly achieves cooling through the Peltier effect. When current passes through a special semiconductor material, a temperature difference is generated at both ends - one end cools rapidly (the cold end), transferring heat to the other end (the hot end). In the temperature control application of aquariums: The cold end of the TEC cooling plate comes into contact with the metal cooling head and extends into the water to absorb heat, thereby reducing the water temperature. The hot end is connected to the heat sink and the fan, quickly discharging the generated heat into the air. The entire process is driven by electricity and operates quietly without interference. When used in conjunction with a thermostat, it can automatically start and stop when the temperature reaches the set value, maintaining the water temperature within the ideal range throughout the process.

2.Application Examples of TEC Aquariums

Next, let's take a look at how a small TEC aquarium achieves precise temperature control through a specific example.

This is a semiconductor cooling solution for a 20L small aquarium, with TEC1-12715 cooling plates placed inside. One hour after being powered on, the water temperature dropped from 32℃ to 26℃ and eventually stabilized at 24℃. The measured operating noise is less than 45 decibels, and the power consumption in 24 hours is less than 1 kilowatt-hour. It can be seen from this that for small ornamental fish tanks with a capacity of less than 60 liters, the TEC refrigeration solution is an ideal temperature control solution with a relatively high cost performance.

Room temperature: 32℃

Aquarium volume: 20 liters

Cooling configuration: TEC1-12715 cooling plate + aluminum heat sink + 12V 5A power supply

Cooling effect: After one hour, the water temperature dropped from 32℃ to 26℃ and finally stabilized at 24℃

Operating noise: 30-45dB

Power consumption: The electricity bill is less than 1 kilowatt-hour after 24 hours of use

Installation TIPS：

① Cold end of the refrigeration plate: It can be attached with a water-cooling head or directly placed in water. Be sure to do a good job of waterproof sealing to avoid electric leakage or corrosion.

② Hot end of the cooling plate: The fan + heat sink should promptly remove the heat. Be careful not to let the hot air flow back into the interior of the cylinder.

③ Temperature controller: It is recommended to use it in conjunction with a PID temperature controller. After setting the target temperature (for example, 25℃), the system will automatically start and stop. When the water temperature is high, it will automatically cool down. Once the water temperature stabilizes, it will automatically shut down, thereby maintaining a constant water temperature.

3.Advantages of TEC Aquarium Applications

1. Compact and flexible

The semiconductor cooler is compact and lightweight, taking up little space. It can be placed directly on the water surface, hung beside the tank, or fixed on the side wall, and is suitable for various small fish tank layouts.

2. Precise temperature control

The semiconductor cooler, in combination with a digital thermostat, keeps the water temperature fluctuation within ±0.5℃, making it particularly suitable for temperature-sensitive organisms such as crystal shrimp, small tropical fish, and corals.

3. Energy conservation and power saving

The power is approximately between 12 and 30 watts, with low power consumption and low power consumption. Long-term use can save costs.

4. Silent operation

When in operation, there is no compressor roar, only a slight fan sound (about 30-45dB), and it won't affect daily routines even when placed in a bedroom or study.

5. Safety and environmental protection

No chemical refrigerants such as Freon are needed, and there is no risk of leakage. It does not harm water quality and ensures the safety of fish and shrimp.

6. Simple maintenance

The structure is simple, with no complex pipelines or sealing systems. On a daily basis, only the dust on the cooling fan and aluminum fins needs to be cleaned regularly, and basically no additional maintenance is required.

① Small cylinder/silent/fine temperature control scenarios → Select semiconductor refrigeration;

② Large cylinder/high energy efficiency requirements → Select compressor refrigeration;

③ Temporary solution → Ice bottles + fans for emergency use, but due to large temperature fluctuations, unexpected situations may occur.

Up to now, the application of semiconductor refrigeration technology in the aquarium field is still in its infancy. However, with the improvement of material performance and the continuous progress of intelligent temperature control algorithms, in the future, we will see an integrated intelligent water-cooling unit that combines TEC refrigeration modules and water pumps, providing a more stable and suitable living environment for ornamental fish, crystal shrimp and other organisms.