Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi guys,

I'm really new in vivs and I'm from the Philippines. I've setup up a 35 gallon tank as a viv for dart frogs. Temperatures here get pretty warm in the summer. I've just tested my temperature. In the evening, outside temp is 30degrees in the tank its 26degrees celcius. But morning temps will definitely get warmer. Was planning of keeping D. Azueus. How much heat can these frogs take?

Do you guys have any tricks on how to cool a viv?

thanks

bluetip

Ive heard to put a wet cloth with ice cubes on or in it and have a fan blowing down on the cage. I think if you just put some ice cubes over the screen area and allow them to melt it would be pretty effective since the cooler air will sink down. The ice water dripping in would also be a good way to keep the humidity up a little. The only problem with these solutions that ive found is that it doesnt seem like it would be very easy to regulate the temp.

While those temps sound a little on the high side you may be ok. But as for cooling there are some options.

1) You can run the day/night cycle of the tank opposite that of the actual day/night cycle. This helps keep the tank cool in that the lights are off during the hottest part of the day.

2) You can isolate the lights from the tank with a sheet of glass and keep constant ventilation running across the lights. Which would limit their heating effect on the tank.

3) You could build a compact swamp cooler. This device forces in coming air across a network of plates that have water running over them. The result is the incoming air is cooled as its energy is used to evaporate the water running across the plates.

4) You could build a thermoelectric cooler based off of a few Peltier cells. Here are some instructions for the setup and curcitry: http://digilander.libero.it/westaustralia/terrarium/t-cooled.htm

I am working on a system that combines methods 3 and 4, to cool a 30 gallon Mantella aurantiaca tank. The pic below is it in the works. These are a high elevation species that will not take kindly to the heat of the summer where I am at. The advantage to this system will be in that it is based off a 12 volt supply, so I can have a battery backup incase of a power outage.

You may also want to consider, assuming you do decied to go with additional cooling, insulating the tank. This reduces viewing area, but can be done quite nicley (ie a foam background on 3 sides).

Just some thoughts,
Jay

hey guys,

thanks for all of those suggestions and I would really think about all of them and see how I will plan to this cooling system.

bluetip