how to cool down a chameleon enclosure

[JosieJobo]

Ok so this week the uk has been very hot and humid and im struggling to cool my male panthers cage down with no heat lamp just x2 0.5 uv and a 60w normally house bulb (he wont baskunder the uvs only) a cool mister running 15min on 15 off its still 33-34c at the top mesh half , the bottom is a living vivarium and the damp eath keeps cooler but was still 22c and he dosent move down there when he's too hot, even with my window open my room temp was up to 27c
today ive closed my curtains and raised the uv hood up as high as I can no heat lamp just the uv and 60w its still 32c on the purch under the light. my room is 24c and he's been digging presumably because he's too hot!??

PLEASE HELP!!!!!

 

[ZiggyStardust]

I'm having the same problem.... when I came home from work tonight my Veiled was sitting with his mouth open, a sure sign that he's too hot.

 

[JosieJobo]

uk "normally" cold

Lol yes mine was doing that before I even went to work!
I kinda designed the hole tank keeping In mind how cold my house gets in the winter, its pretty cool in the summer... all apart from my room it seams! but its the only place I can have the tank???

 

[ZiggyStardust]

Ziggy is in my bedroom as well, as its quieter up there- he's a bit anti-social and my husband likes to watch the football at silly volume levels in the lounge. Downside of the bedroom is that it gets full sun in the afternoon and even with the curtains shut it was like an oven in there when I got home from work. I can't leave the window open as its a sash and we have a balcony, but i opened both his glass doors for an hour tonight when I got in and the temp dropped to about 25/27 which he seemed more comfortable with.

I spray three times a day for between 4 and 5 mins a time and he has a dripper on twice a day, once morning and once afternoon.

He doesn't seem dehydrated at all and is eating like a horse but I am really interested to hear ideas for keeping his viv at a lower temperature? Its a worry!!

 

[Rodcham]

I use a small electric fan, similar to a fan used in a PC box. I use it as an extractor fan. Creates more air flow and pulls the hot air out the top. May need to mist a bit more as it may dry out a bit quicker.

 

[hpc1979]

Connect a thermostat to your basking bulb. That's the best way I know how.

 

[sharp229]

You can turn off the house bulb if the perch under his UV is already at 32c without it. You should make sure he can get to areas near the top that don't have UV as well in this case, in case he doesn't want UV.

If it wasn't humid, you could use an evaporative (swamp) cooler, but it sounds like you have high humidity so this probably wouldn't work.

So if the temperature is too high after turning off all heat lamps, your only options are going to be cool misting or buying a portable AC. You can get a portable AC for about $250 for a small room.

 

[JosieJobo]

thermostat. .

Ok today im trying curtains closed, uv hood on and raised then swaped my 80w reptile heat lamp for the 60w house bulb and put it on the thermostat at 28c.
Now the house bulb is flashing on and off every other second??? Is this right will it not upset him??

 

[GrimsbyPatchwork]

Im in the process of building a a diy ac unit...check it out on youtube...its called what I wrote.. needs some maintenance but it is electricity bill friendly.

 

[JosieJobo]

Oo sound interesting! I put my 60w house bulb on my thermostat and its design for ceramic!!! Grrrrr so flashes all the time? Hoping it'll be ok off the thermostat and ill try sorting it all out Friday im off work and the forcast is 27c!!!! hot Hot HOT!!!

 

[BKFritz]

Im in the process of building a a diy ac unit...check it out on youtube...its called what I wrote.. needs some maintenance but it is electricity bill friendly.

Oo sound interesting! I put my 60w house bulb on my thermostat and its design for ceramic!!! Grrrrr so flashes all the time? Hoping it'll be ok off the thermostat and ill try sorting it all out Friday im off work and the forcast is 27c!!!! hot Hot HOT!!!

I don't know if this is the one you are doing but it looks pretty simple!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaC0dlRENk0

 

[Carlton]

I wouldn't bother trying a thermostat. Use a lamp timer to turn the basking light OFF during the warmest part of the day during your heat wave. Give him a warm up in the early morning, but have the timer turn the basking light off before the room heats up.

 

[JosieJobo]

good idear

Ooo good idear Carlton I hadn't thought of that I gessing he'll be ok if the uvs are on... they only basking to warm up, right?

 

[JosieJobo]

Neet $8 air con too might give it a go if im really struggling lol warm nights here too

 

[Yowzercham]

How about a frozen Jug of water in the cage? Freeze a jug of water and place it in the cage...see if as the day progresses if it does not cool the cage. Next day new jug. I do it for my outside cricket cages if it is going to be really hot

 

[xraygirl]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxSLbpAwibg