Testing Chiller Units Upon Receipt: Plan Ahead. Set up and test the unit at least a week before use. Carefully unpack the chiller unit, being careful not to lift the unit by the foam covered refrigeration line. The unit consists of a metal boxed motor unit, a foam covered line, and a stainless grid of cooling coils with a thermostat bulb attached.
Fill the aquarium at least 3/4 full of non-chlorinated water. Carefully place the cooling coil grid into the aquarium. The whole grid should be under water. Unfasten the thermostat bulb (it is usually tied to the coils) so it hangs in the water. Follow the packed instructions for plugging the chiller unit into a ground fault type wall outlet. Use a heavy extension electrical lead, 16 ga. or heavier 3-conductor wire with grounding plugs on each end. Continue following directions for setting the digital thermostat control. Within about 5 minutes the exposed portion of the tube should start to frost over. The unit will cycle on and off until the desired temperature is reached. Use a thermometer, if you wish, to test the temperature once the unit stops cycling.
Water Temperature Ready for Eggs: Ask the hatchery (where you obtain eggs) to write down the date on which the brook trout eggs were fertilized, and the last hatchery water temperature prior to egg removal. You will want your aquarium water temperature to be within 3 to 4 degrees of the hatchery water; cooler is better than warmer.
Window in Rigid Insulation for Viewing Eggs & Fish: With a glue gun or other adhesive, adhere a small "knob" of rigid insulation onto the section cut out for the window. This will make it easier to take out and put back in the window. Of course, duct tape can be applied to make sure the window stays in place when no one is viewing the eggs or fish.
Set-Up Requirements in the Classroom: When you make decisions about equipment (see the Appendices), you need to consider your classroom for efficient, convenient, and safe locations. We provided the following counter or table set-up options for schools that purchased Glacier Aquarium Chiller Units and who had similar sized (29 gallon) aquariums. Care in set-up is required because:
