Cooling a terrarium?

[numpty]

Hi there,

Just wondering if anyone had any practical, and affordable, ideas on how to cool a terrarium/aquarium by a few degrees. I've been thinking of keeping frogs or newts for a while now, but it just isn't feasible for me in my current situation ... summer temperatures in my apartment are just too high. I've looked at misting systems, but they're pretty expensive here, even for systems running from the tap. From a reservoir it's really expensive, and I'm not convinced evaporative cooling would work so great when the ambient temperatures and humidity are so high anyway.

I have the same problems with the temperate carnivorous plants that I grow, but at least I can stick some of them in an ice-cooler at night for a break from the heat!

Thanks for any ideas!

[Mentat]

If you can't cool the tanks by cooling the room they are in, there are options, but none that I know to be affordable. A PC fan could be adapted to enclosure but that would have a small overall effect. If you are looking at bringing the temp of one or more enclosures by 10F or more, it's going to cost $$$ .

[Louis Charles Bruckner]

I have used Petlier ( a solid state heat pump.) devices to cool aquariums but had to deal with condensation.

Sorry but with high humidity and high temps you only solution is $$$
you will have to cool the room or at least de humidify and use a evaporative cooling system.
It would be more cost effective to get a small air conditioner for the room.

[numpty]

Thanks guys,

That's pretty much what I thought. I'd wondered about trying a peltier cooler or some other kind of modding fix, but from what I understand it's only effective up to a point and I'd need to try to cool the air by close to 10 degrees Celsius in mid-summer. The missus wouldn't be too happy about running the A/C 24-7, especially as we're both out for most of the day.

Oh well, there are always the wild frogs out in the hills ...

[Louis Charles Bruckner]

Well the only heps I know of that don't like temps above high 70's to low 80's are toads.

Most frogs are tropical and don't mind temps 85F to 90F for day time.
But if you kept the the temps around 80 and the AC would dehumidify and that would help the most.

I have no idea the kind of temps in your area.
I looked at the weather in Taipei and the highs have been in the low 90's
So keeping the AC to the low 80's shouldn't cost too much.

[numpty]

Well the only heps I know of that don't like temps above high 70's to low 80's are toads.

Most frogs are tropical and don't mind temps 85F to 90F for day time.
But if you kept the the temps around 80 and the AC would dehumidify and that would help the most.

I have no idea the kind of temps in your area.
I looked at the weather in Taipei and the highs have been in the low 90's
So keeping the AC to the low 80's shouldn't cost too much.

Hi, and thanks for the input!

You're right, temps have been in the ( ... digs out calculator to convert degrees F to C and back again ... ) low 90s F, but it's a rooftop apartment and catches full sun, and so acts like a brick oven ... heats up all day and throws it back all night. Without A/C, the temperature can get up to >40C / >>100F.

But your advice is well-taken. Maybe I'll look into heat-tolerant species, and also work out exactly how much the A/C costs.