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How to Cheaply Cool Down an Aquarium

Abcat1993

Just a garter snake
Okay, I have a newt tank which was doing fine in it's corner in semi darkness, but now I have moved it in front of a windowsill and it gets too hot for newts (around 80 F). As some of you may know newts need temps in the 60's and 70's. So I was wondering what cheap ways there are to cool down a newts tank.
:wavey:
 
An oscillating fan, pointed away from the top of the cage, but cooling off the exterior surface of the glass...
 
I think The Nothing said it all.

When my fish tank got too hot I would aim a fan directly at the water's surface. Believe it or not, evaporation cooled it down so fast the tanks heater couldn't keep up and it started getting too cool.

Just watch you don't dry up your newts!
 
OK, and I guess I forgot why I wanted it in the windowsill, which is because I want to be able to see inside of it (lit up), and there aren't any good spots elsewhere. And it only gets in the upper 70's (now that I actually put my thermometer in), but it's still too hot for my newts. And I'll try the fan then
 
You will have problems with it if you leave it on the window sill. Especially with the warmmer weather comming. Get a light for if you need to see in but I thinks your asking for trouble if you leave it there.
 
Agreed. You'll have algae growing out the wazoo, and right in front of the window it will still get too hot, even with the fan. Why not spend the electricity and a little money on a light that you can turn on just when you want to look in there and put it back in the corner. Aquaria lights aren't that expensive.
 
Well, then I pretty much have two options: Move it two feet up, or move it 3 feet down. Either way it will still have some sun shining on it from the window, and I am basically broke so I'm waiting for my dad to finally buy my 40 gallon tank for my terrarium until I move the lights from it to my newt's tank.
 
If the tank is in the window with direct sunlight, I think that's a very obvious way to decrease the temp. The only thing I'd worry about is it might decrease the temp to fast for the newts. It was a good suggestion though.
 
What if you (bad idea already, since money is an issue...) put blinds in the window? Or (cheaper) sheer curtains, to block the direct sun?

Nanci
 
What if you covered the back of the tank with a background, to block light and slow down algae growth?

Nanci
 
What if you put a sheet of cardboard, just as high as the tank, in the window, still letting light in higher up? You could sponge paint it to look pretty.

Nanci
 
It's not really being in front of a window that's warming it up because there's a house and tons of giant oak trees blocking most of the sun, except when it's at around a 40-50 degree angle (the sun, that is) to our house. I got a bamboo background for it that looks really nice, but it does absolutely nothing for blocking out the sun, so I guess I'll either get a new one at Petco or put some cardboard over the back (but I'm trying to look a little less ghetto with my animals).
 
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