how hot is to hot

[Foxy]

I hoping to set up my tank and get my gecko in the next few days, the only thing I realy worryed about is how hot our house gets in the summer. At the moment the temp on the outside of the tank 82. Is this to ot for the cool side? its does ocationaly get hotter.

 

[OnlineGeckos]

That temperature is fine, just make sure there is some sort of air circulation. You may need to have a fan blowing to cool the ambient air for the tank.

And of course check the temperature on the tank floor, that's what's most important for your gecko. Don't let the floor temperature get above 95 on the hot side, and hopefully there's some sort of temperature gradient so there is a cooler side for them.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

You'll need a thermostat to keep the UTH from getting too warm in the summer.

 

[Foxy]

thanks

Thermostat is a must in this house.

 

[Gregg M]

Th Don't let the floor temperature get above 95 on the hot side

Any reason why you suggest this??? I have to say, I moved all of my remaining leopard geckos out of racks and into natural set ups (yes, with sandy soil substrate) and their basking spot temps hover between 105 and110 degrees under the lights... Some really hot days I have recorded the temps as high as 115... They actually utilize those high basking spots frequently during the day...

 

[M_surinamensis]

You may need to have a fan blowing to cool the ambient air for the tank.

Twelve days ago.

That won't help when the ambient temperature is high.

Fans make our skin feel cool because they are moving air across it that is colder than our skin temperature, allowing the heat to dissipate at a better rate, and because the moving air facilitates the evaporation of sweat.

Your enclosures though, they're the same temperature as the air in the room (if you have turned off or down the heating elements, or the heating elements have auto-corrected using thermostats) so you're just blowing air across them that is the same temperature and contains the same amount of heat energy. There's no imbalance, so there's no transference and nothing is cooled down.

Technically a fan aimed at an enclosure like that when the air and enclosure are the same temperature will actually heat the enclosure by a very small amount, as the moving air creates friction against the surface of the enclosure.

If it is reaching the point where even the cool end of your usual gradient is warmer than it should be, if it is a meaningful health risk for the animals... get a small Air Conditioner, even if it's one of the cheap window units that sells for under thirty dollars, and bring the temperature in the room(s) containing herps back down to manageable levels.

And a final word from Morbo on a related subject.

[YT]ZQg8JKo_3ZQ[/YT]

Incidentally, every post I write should be read in his voice.

 

[OnlineGeckos]

Read what I typed from what you quoted, I didn't say to blow the fan ON or INTO the tank did I? Just as you said, the ambient temperature of the tank is the same as the temperature of the room. So the key is to cool the air in the room, by creating some sort of air circulation. Believe it or not, some people do keep everything closed during the day.

For where I live, I have a window where cool air comes in, and it's always from that side of the building. It really helps, for me, to have a fan setup by the window where cool air comes in at, and direct it to blow through and out of the other window. This may not work for others, others may need AC. But it works for me where I live and really helps to bring the room temperature down.