How can I cool down the cool side of his tank?

[Meginsanity]

Hi guys. I live in AZ and although fall should be upon us, it's still pretty hot here. Throughout the summer, the cool side of Loki's tank has been between 80-85, but recently it's been more like 90-95. (I don't know why it wasn't bad when it was hotter... I've noticed the house gets hotter in September/early October).

How can I cool down the cool side of the tank? The ceiling fan in the room already goes at full blast all day.

He doesn't seem to be having any ill effects. Eats just as much, in fact he's having a growth spurt at the moment. He's active and friendly. His basking spot is about 105. Loki is 13'' long, and we've had him 3 months.

Should I not worry about it and wait for the high temperatures to pass?

 

[Rukii]

Try moving the light over to one side more or clamping it somewhere so it is lifted off of the top of the tank?

 

[gulfbrzdawn]

Yes, you should worry about the higher temps in the coolside. Your beardie could become severly dehydrated with too much heat. They do need to be able to thermoregulate.
Maybe you could tell us a little about your set up. This way we could maybe help in finding a fix for the problem.

What size is the enclosure?
What watt and type basking bulb are you using?
Is the basking bulb the only source of heat in the viv?
Where is the basking bulb positioned(ex: to one side or in the middle)?
How close is the basking spot to the heat bulb?
What type thermometer are you using? digital thermometer w/probe, stick on type, temp gun?

 

[Meginsanity]

Thank you guys for your concern. Loki still seems fine this morning, eating like crazy and basking. And being mischievous as usual.

Hi Rukii, do you mean the basking light or the sunlight light?

Gilbrzdawn:

What size is the enclosure?
40 gallons.

What watt and type basking bulb are you using?
150 watt. Just a normal basking bulb, not mercury vapor or anything. There's a rheostat on it.

Is the basking bulb the only source of heat in the viv?
Yes.

Where is the basking bulb positioned(ex: to one side or in the middle)?
To the right hand side.

How close is the basking spot to the heat bulb?
He can get about 8'' to it. 6'' maybe.

What type thermometer are you using? digital thermometer w/probe, stick on type, temp gun?
Digital with probe.

 

[Meginsanity]

Okay, I've been doing some reading around the Enclosures forum. I'm thinking maybe I should go down to a 100 watt bulb (currently have a 150 watt). How far away should Loki be from a 100 watt bulb? I think I might have to switch out his current basking tree for something else, but it seems like if I move him further down, I'd have to increase the output on the bulb, which means more heat would go throughout the tank...

Ugh, this is confusing. Anybody have any advice?

 

[madmax1]

You can try a small cooling fan that is used to cool saltwater light fixtures, I used one on my enclosure , put it on top of the cool side and works like an exhaust fan. will cool the tank by 5 to 10 degrees, worked for me! this is what i had it also has a probe to put in the tank to adjust speed.

http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3868

 

[Meginsanity]

Hmm, thanks madmax1! That looks cool. I will take a look at Petsmart tomorrow. In the meantime I have a desk fan blowing across the top of the tank, but I'm not sure if it's doing any good yet.

 

[Meginsanity]

Hi guys. Wanted to give you an update on Loki and let you know what I've tried so far for cooling. I appreciate your input.

In the room I've got the fan going, door open, and cardboard between the windows & blinds to keep it as cool as possible. Room is probably around 83-85. Not going to change until it starts cooling down in October. According to Weather.com, by October 5 temperatures will go down to 85-90ish for the rest of October. That should make his tank perfectly comfortable... so call it a week and a half before things are OK again.

For Loki himself I have been misting his food regularly, giving him daily baths to keep him hydrated, and taking him out of the tank as much as possible when he isn't basking or eating. He's also getting misted himself while he is in my hands (seems to be enjoying it). He seems perfectly fine. Active and alert, running around just as often as usual. Eating like a pig. Judging by his poops he is well hydrated. He was a bit grumpy and sleepy this morning, but he is about to shed & has been dull gray for a week or so.

In the tank, I have tried the following:
- Switched from a 150 watt bulb to a 100 watt bulb (standard household bulb). We tried this this morning at 6:30 & by the time I had to leave for work at 7:45 his basking temp was hovering at 101. It did not cool down the rest of the tank any. By the time I left, the rest of the tank was at 91-92. I think I will switch back to the 150 watt bulb tomorrow.

- Set up a small desk fan to blow into the tank. I can feel the breeze when I reach in, but the thermometers say still 91-92.

- Set up a larger fan to blow across the tank. No change.

- Ice cubes in the water dish (random idea to see if it would work). No change but it did provide some entertainment for Loki as the ice cubes shifted.

Other ideas I have thought of to try:
- Narrower hood for the bulb to try to direct the heat more & keep it from 'spilling'
- Moving his tank across the room away from the window (that'll be a pain, but totally doable)
- Physically blocking off the basking area from the rest of the tank and giving him an area to crawl through to get to the rest of the tank (in-laws' idea, not sure how feasible it is)

Anybody have any other ideas?

 

[Jiffy]

We actually have a computer fan in the cool end of one of our vivs, in the vent area. It helped tremendously.

 

[madmax1]

sounds like u need to get an air-conditioner for the room, that might help!

 

[Meginsanity]

Haha, I wish we could afford an a/c just for this room. The house is air conditoned (set at 80), but this room is particularly warm. We are currently living with my in-laws so there's not a whole lot of choice in living arrangements, or else I would just move his tank to another room.

Loki is doing well. Oddly enough the one thing that has helped the most is simply keeping the bedroom door open.

Luckily by the 5th of October the high is only supposed to be 90 and it gets cooler from there! We are both looking forward to it, Loki and I.

Here's a recent pic to "decorate" the thread. Would you believe he gained 45 grams in a week? He's now 147 grams and 13'' long... he's a trooper.