Thoughts on Cooling Montanes??

[Lloyd Heilbrunn]

OK, I have had my pair of T. Deremensis a couple of weeks now.

They are currently set up in my family room. My central air is set at 74-5 but struggles to keep those temps during the hot months. We've had a few hot days and thermometer on the ac says 81 by the end of the day.

Tempgun shows the temps vary in the 3 Horns' cages between 72-78. A nearby ceiling fan helps.

Even though they seem fine, and I've seen at least one reference say they are one of the more heat tolerant Montanes, I would like to keep them a bit cooler. Especially since I expect it to get hotter than 81 in the summer.

Now, last year I set up a additional portable ac in my bedroom, both for my own comfort, and to keep some cribo eggs cool for incubating.That kept that room right at 75. The temp right in the ac exhaust vent is 53 and in the 60s about a foot away. So I was thinking of relocating the 3 Horns into the bedroom and putting them right in front of the vent, a couple of feet away...

Good idea? Too breezy? Chance of URI?

Your thoughts please!!

And before anyone suggests keeping the whole house cooler, it is not happening, I've been working on it for years with no solution yet.

 

[Jimturner]

Do you have a basment?

 

[Lloyd Heilbrunn]

I don't think anyone who lives in Florida has a basement.....

 

[Jimturner]

Never been there... lol Here they're kinda common. Just about the only place with stable cool temps

 

[laurie]

Lloyd i would not keep them near an a/c vent. I did stuff like basking light was a 15 watt, they don't bask much anyway. The more live plants I have the easier to keep it cool. I put a tiny 5" fan pointing away from the cage at the level of the bottom of the plants, running this seems to help keep the temps down. I also used a window air conditioner but made sure the chams were at least 10 feet away from the vent. Husband had a bit of issue with central air and a window air conditioner but he got over it. This year I coped out and moved the montanes downstairs. The other thing I was told but never tried was using ceramic tiles in the bottom of the cages to help keep it cool, don't know if that has any effect or not.

I have both ends of the temp problem, -30 in winter and 100 in summer.

 

[ataraxia]

id take them into your room but set them away from the a/c exhaust. 75 is going to be fine. windows and insulation looks to be in your future or a bigger a/c unit.

 

[Sang]

modify single room AC units/swamp coolers/ micro duckt work! bam! cage coolers!

 

[Elizadolots]

I'd agree with moving them to your bedroom, but not so the vents blow on them. 75 is definitely okay for them. Turning off the basking light is also a good idea when it's really hot. One of the many great things about having separate UVB and UVA bulbs is the ability to pretty much cut the heat without losing the UVB.

We don't have AC and it does sometimes get into the 90s here. Fortunately, that's rarely for more than a day or two. So far, turning off the heat and upping the misting has seemed adequate. If more is needed, my plan is to ice the drainage water. My cage is mesh over a rubbermaid drawer. I figure if I put ice in the drawer, it will help cool the cage above it.

If I didn't have this nifty system, I think I'd put bowls of salt water on 2 or more sides of the cage, then add ice to the bowls. I don't know how much good that would do, but minimally, it couldn't hurt and it would make me feel like I was doing something.

 

[Stanly]

modify single room AC units/swamp coolers/ micro duckt work! bam! cage coolers!

this sounds like a project for.... BUILDER BOB!

 

[Elizadolots]

Isn't it Bob the Builder?

Can we build it? YES WE CAN!

 

[Stanly]

Isn't it Bob the Builder?

Can we build it? YES WE CAN!

errr yes thats what I meant. bob THE builder.... it's late

 

[Lloyd Heilbrunn]

No basking light, uvb only. I do probably need to add a plant light though.

I'll look into moving them over the weekend.

 

[Carlton]

No basking light, uvb only. I do probably need to add a plant light though.

I'll look into moving them over the weekend.

Yes, ditching the basking lamp would be the first thing to try. Deremensis just don't bask much at all. You could use a single fixture with a "used" UVb bulb for a plant light easily enough.

Another thing you could try especially to give them a temp drop at night is to lay one of those re-freezable picnic cooler mats on top of the cage or maybe in combination with a small fan to move the colder air. These mats have cells of liquid that you keep in the freezer or fridge and they don't make a wet mess.

The problem with putting the cage in front of the ac vent isn't the temp, but the humidity. It will really dry the cage out.

 

[Syn]

I love swamp coolers for anything that needs high humidity.