Using ice chips to cool the water...

Yesterday, I tried to use about a two inch diameter disc that is one inch high of frozen dechlorinated water to cool my newt's tank. It didn't budge the thermometer. Today, I tripled it to three discs and again, got no fluctuation. It's a ten gallon tank, only filled about 4-5 inches for two newts. Has anyone actually used this method to keep temps down successfully, and if so, how much ice did you use? My son's room, which houses the adult pair, gets some strong afternoon sun and I am beginning to worry about the newts, though they are fine and the female is still laying an egg or two every few days. Today, we were home and I kept the a/c running at 70, but if we're all gone, I'll put it up to about 74 and don't want problems as we head into summer. Last year, my son (and the FBNs) were in a room which, in my estimation, stayed cooler as it had no west window unlike the current room. The west setting sun is the warmest.

Any suggestions short of moving the newts? How expensive are the aquarium coolers?

Dana

First and foremost, its not wise to use ice not in a container. It can still contain chlorine and chloramines. In my experience, it is best to use clean soda or water bottles of frozen water with the cap on to cool a tank.

For a ten gallon tank, back in my pre-basement and central air days, I used 1 liter soda bottles. One every 8 hours. Another trick I used was to insulate the ten gallon tank with a blanket or beach towel.


Much more information on cooling methods can be found here:

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cooling.shtml

Thank you!
Dana

I haven't needed to do this yet but I try to keep it in mind in case I have an emergency need to cool....

.. sheets of styrofoam. You can even tape a background to it and it'll be pretty, you can even make it stand back a little (think of a cardboard soda flat) and place those blue ice blocks in there - they're supposed to last longer than frozen water and its not safe to put those in the tank.

I was thinking of moving my filter from the back to the side so that the water would move past the back glass carrying the cooler water throughout the tank.

For fuller tanks there are fans mounted to the top the tank. I don't know if you want the air blowing AT the water or drawing away from the water.

I had another idea but HOME IMPROVEMENT distracted me and I forgot.. thinking.... I give up.. its to funny..

someone?

Great ideas, Sharon. I'm sort of wondering if I really need to change anything as my FBNs are doing well, obviously, and reproducing. Even the gravel slope that I was all set to replace w/ aquarium slate is now on hold after speaking to a man at the aquarium shop who said, "If yours are breeding, I wouldn't change a thing - they're obviously happy and healthy." I mentioned the possibility of pockets of anaerobic bacteria and he said, "That doesn't mean it's bad!" So, I'm more confused than ever. However, since this room is new to the newts and we are approaching summer here (S. FL), I am concerned about the temperature since their last room was cooler w/o afternoon sun.

I'll think about strapping the ice packs onto the back w/ styrofoam - seems easy enough. Thanks for the idea!

Dana