Keeping Cresties Cool

[IamTheLord]

Is it ok to put bags of ice around the edge of my atrium to keep it cool? Also, what are some other simple ways to lower the temperature?

[jason longboard]

I think it would be just fine. I live in a hot town in CA and i just need to run the air a lot, not fun, but I think that should work as well. If you can float ice bags in fish tanks you know. I would just use real ice in good bags though not that blue ice stuff. A fan and just misting often without over soaking for too long.Summer sucks.

[Midland]

If you use the search function above you will find lots of threads with lots of good ideas on this topic. A couple of the easiest are to bring the tank to the basement and put it on the floor. Or, frozen water bottles in the tank, or blocks of ice in a large tub with water and a towel in it but also suspended above the water with a fan blowing air past the towel toward the tank. The water seeps up the towel and evaporates cooling the air around it. Be sure the air is down to at least the mid to low 80s or the health of the gecko could be at risk.

[rubberduckey273]

i just set up frozen water bottles against one wall of each cage. sometimes i freeze large ice cubes and let them drip into the cages.

[Waterbear]

About how long do your water bottles stay frozen? I'm away from home about 10hrs a day w/ work and commuting. I was thinking about going the water bottle route, but if they only last 3 hrs, then I'll have to find something else.

[Rainsong]

I use water bottles for my mice & rabbit, and used them for rats when I had them. The "standard" size for the rabbit only lasts maybe four hours, but he lays right up against them. I've switched to larger ones for him now, and they're lasting longer. I had a fan on him though, and I think that caused even quicker melt.

The mice get one regular-sized water bottle in each cage- we have two. One is an old '90's solid-plastic Habitrail affair, the other is a brand new wire-and-plastic Crittertrail. Mostly the same size cages, just different airflow conditions. I can plunk one in around 10am and still have ice chunks some days at 8pm- it really depends on the cage (The wire cage bottle melts faster then the solid plastic cages bottle; but not tons faster), the temperature, and air movement.

If you really want to see how well it would work for you, make up a bottle and set it in a dish where you're intending to have the cage set up, and let it go. I'd do it for a couple of days, even a week, to get a good idea of timing.

[rubberduckey273]

if i remember right, last year when it got between 80 and 90 degrees in my room, the bottles would last anywhere between 4 and 6 hours i think. it varied depending on what time i put them out, and how hot it got.