# Please consider doing this if you haven't already.



## MeiKVR6 (Sep 16, 2008)

Seeing plenty of nightmare heat situations on the forum over the past few days... Most people already do this but I figure I should mention it, although I know it's unsolicited advice.

Consider putting a few ziploc bags of water in your freezer today. (now?) Don't wait. It will cost you nothing - and can buy more than a couple of hours of safe temperatures if your AC or power goes out. Bags full of ice have saved our breeding operation a handful of times over the past few years. A simple flat gallon bag of ice can last hours placed on top of a vivarium with a towel over it to help keep the cool in. If situations are really bad - you can move your vivariums together and put ice bags between them, so each bag does 2X the work.

It's the cheapest insurance policy ever - and it can save your animal's lives.


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## ggazonas (May 11, 2008)

I had to this a couple years ago and it dropped the temps in the viv a good 5-10 degrees. Its helped enough until the power went back on and i was able to cool the room through A/C. Since then I keep ice packs in the freezer just in case i ever need them again.


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## MrFusion (Jul 18, 2011)

Great suggestion!


Also, something everyone should know is that the most common A/C problem is that your condensation drain is clogged. Drain the water and do your best to clear the drain and your A/C should be up an running right away. 

Even if your A/C hasn't gone out, check your drain for clogging anyway. It's better to prevent a problem than it is to wait for one to occur! It's not a pleasant job, but it's an easy fix and it'll save your money and your frogs! Hope this helps!


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

Oh wow I've been doing the ice on top of the viv, put I didn't think to put a towel on top to increase the insulation!


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## stemcellular (Jun 26, 2008)

water bottles filled with H20 can be put inside enclosures, they work to regulate temps.


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

What if you wrapped the frozen ziplock bag of ice in cloth and placed it directly in the viv? Would that work better?

I think I'm gonna ask my husband to show me how to clean the drain as soon as he gets home...just in case!


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## GRIMM (Jan 18, 2010)

Great suggestions. My place got up to +34c before I had my AC. Better plan for the worst before it happens!


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## MeiKVR6 (Sep 16, 2008)

WendySHall said:


> What if you wrapped the frozen ziplock bag of ice in cloth and placed it directly in the viv? Would that work better?
> 
> I think I'm gonna ask my husband to show me how to clean the drain as soon as he gets home...just in case!


I'd be concerned about something so cold being in direct contact with the inhabitants... Generally a bag of ice on top of the vivarium kept our 10-29G vivariums well under 80 (ambient) even in extreme heat. Hardier animals like geckos that we keep... Then the cages are 30"+ tall so keeping ice inside is the only way to go. Darts are much more sensitive, tho.


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## kate801 (Jul 7, 2011)

Great info! I learned the hard way a few years back and now I always keep those reusable ice packs in the freezer, but I never thought of doing simple bags filled with water. Thanks!


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## darkspot716 (Sep 4, 2008)

and i just learned the hard way this time.....

thanks everyone for the great advice on "improv AC"


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## sports_doc (Nov 15, 2004)

Tbh i bought two AC units 5 yrs ago. Insurance!

But i like the backup frozen water as well. 

Good ideas.


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## ConFuCiuZ (Jul 13, 2011)

No Room in both Freezers lmaoo im screwed . Hopefully there isnt no power outage in South Ny. Crossing my Fingers


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

ConFuCiuZ said:


> No Room in both Freezers lmaoo im screwed . Hopefully there isnt no power outage in South Ny. Crossing my Fingers


What you got in the freezers? Bags of frozen veggies? If so, toss those on the tanks if you lose power. And whatever else you got.


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## SmackoftheGods (Jan 28, 2009)

Phase 22 panels directly in the viv can help as well....


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## MeiKVR6 (Sep 16, 2008)

Wanted to bump this thread for those on the East coast about to get nailed w/the hurricane this week. There's a pretty good chance a lot of us froggers are going to lose power, so now would be a good time to be sure you'll be able to keep your frogs cool in the summer heat with no A/C!


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

its probably too late now(for those in the projected storm path), but a cheap generator can be a really helpful tool for those who can afford it. for under $200 you can get a unit which can easily run a window AC. a generator, AC, and inline thermostat, can be bought for about $350 (a small investment when you consider that the value of many of our collections greatly exceeds this)

whether its ice, phase packs, fans, generators, or something else, its essential to have some plan.

i personally keep enough temp containers that i can readily remove every frog in case of an emergency evacuation. there would be nothing worse than realizing that you need to move frogs, but have nothing sufficient to transport in.

james


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## MeiKVR6 (Sep 16, 2008)

^^^ On that topic... Anyone have info (good or bad) on cheap generators?


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

MeiKVR6 said:


> Wanted to bump this thread for those on the East coast about to get nailed w/the hurricane this week. There's a pretty good chance a lot of us froggers are going to lose power, so now would be a good time to be sure you'll be able to keep your frogs cool in the summer heat with no A/C!


Thanks for the reminder, Mike! I guess I'll be spending the evening getting ice bags and water bottles ready for the weekend.


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## Markw (Jun 27, 2011)

Also, if you wanted to make a stockpile, you could always fill a cooler with water and a bag of ice cubes (since water is a MUCH better insulator than air), and keep making and putting the ice packs in the cooler. This way, if Irene really is as bad as they're saying, and we are hit hard, and go a few days without AC, you will have a nice stockpile of ice to use. The ice cubes and water will stay for at least 2 days. The ice blocks in the bags will stay for another 1/2-1 full day after some of the ice will melt a bit. Keep the cooler in the house, as it's bound to be cooler in the house than outside. You'll spend $5 in ice, $3-5 in baggies, but they can be reused. So, for $8-10, you can have 2-4 days worth of ice, depending on how many tanks you have. For $13-16 and 2 coolers, you can have double the amount of ice and sustain cooler temps in many tanks.

Good luck east coast! 
Mark

EDIT: You can also add a little salt to the water. Saltwater has a lower cooling temperature, so it will freeze slower, but stay frozen longer.


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## Woodsman (Jan 3, 2008)

I think the only good part of this pending disaster is that temperatures in our area will be coming down after the storm, so the generators might not be essential (though still a generally good idea).

Richard.


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## guppygal (Aug 23, 2007)

OMG, I feel so bad for y'all ! We went thru Hurricane Ike a few years ago. Luckily, my husband had the forethought to buy a generator when we moved into our new house. I thought he was an idiot at the time. I didn't say so, though, and I sure am glad.

If you do have a generator, start stocking up on gasoline NOW. That was the worst part. It was my job to collect the containers from my neighbors and go wait in line for gas. We were 2 weeks w/o electricity. Fortunately, the generator ran our refrigerator, freezer, the entertainment center, the lights and humidifiers for the frogs, and the fans. We put the generator on the covered back porch and ran the extension cords thru a gap in the window with towels tucked in around them. We also had a cool front come thru at the same time, so it was much more bearable than when I went thru Alicia back in the 80's.

Whatever needs to be done, do it now. We'll be hoping for the best for y'all ~

kristi


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## MeiKVR6 (Sep 16, 2008)

Getting hot in New England already this year... Figured I should bump this thread as a reminder!  *Get those ice packs ready in case you lose power during a hot summer day! *


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## GP dynamite (Feb 19, 2013)

Great suggestion Mike. Thanks for bumping


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## frogwatcher (May 9, 2013)

I am a big computer nerd ( but one of the cool ones lol.) Have any of you heard of a Peltier cooler. I am going to build a solar powered micro ac unit out of one that will pump directly into the tank. All controlled by a fan controler with temp sensors. All pc stuff.  im trying to utalize the free energy of the lights.  the whole thing might seem very complicated but if you learn how they work. Its very neat and a fun thing to to work with. Very overkill but thats how I work. I love to overcomplicate simple solutions. (the mad scientist in me) >


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## epiphytes etc. (Nov 22, 2010)

I'd like to hear more about this. Maybe you can start a thread?


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

frogwatcher said:


> I am a big computer nerd ( but one of the cool ones lol.) Have any of you heard of a Peltier cooler. I am going to build a solar powered micro ac unit out of one that will pump directly into the tank. All controlled by a fan controler with temp sensors. All pc stuff.  im trying to utalize the free energy of the lights.  the whole thing might seem very complicated but if you learn how they work. Its very neat and a fun thing to to work with. Very overkill but thats how I work. I love to overcomplicate simple solutions. (the mad scientist in me) >


I have done a peltier cooler, but i have not tried to hook it up to a solar panel...
here's my thread, i still need to update pictures...
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/82510-thermoelectric-cooler-cool-viv-2.html


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## frogwatcher (May 9, 2013)

Very nice. I checked out you (TEC) cooler. You had great results (it nice to see verification my ideas work.  ) I have done alot of playing around with them the issue with them is the power they need wich is why solar. Since you are blasting the viv with great light anyway. Why not use it its free. It wont be the same as pluging it into a power suply. But like I said its free and it will work just remember the cooler you make the hot side the colder the cold side would be. In some cases -60°. Another reason for the controler. To regulate temps.


I will post a build thread but I am so broke right now I can't afford it. The whole thing will not be much money at all. But I will draw something up step by step. If you would like. and give a complete parts list.


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## Boboluke (Apr 12, 2013)

My power bill and I thank you for bumping this one.


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## Markw (Jun 27, 2011)

Also, saltwater freezes colder than frwahwater. You could throw some salt in the water to give it a few extra degrees of kick. It would thaw sooner, but wont warm any faster than freshwater because of it.

Mark
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2


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## Icedfire01 (Dec 30, 2008)

Good bump. *heads to sink with ziplocks in hand*


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

Electricity costs a lot here, where I live, but it never goes away. With lights out, fans on, frequent misting, I can keep temps in the tanks under control. But I'm always worried! It may happen that the temperature in the room rises to 84° F. Today outside temp is around 100° F. So each solution is good, thanks for sharing!
But a question: if I put ice packs on top of (or between) vivs is it safe or may it break the glass?


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

My AC went out a couple of weeks ago (outside temps in mid 90s) and I iced the outside and the inside of the tanks. I worried about breaking the glass, too. No glass broke. 

On the inside, I put ice cubes into a small plastic bag and squeezed the air out. Then I put that bag into another bag and left the air in. So, when it went into the tank, there was a bit of an air cushion between the outer bag and the inner bag. I also put containers of water in the tanks to help keep the temps stable. The frogs climbed up onto the ice bags and sat on them. I'll post pics when I get home. 

For those of you who have frogs living at my house, the AC is fixed and all frogs are fine


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

5000 btu window ac units are cheap..100 bucks new if you can find a sale...also often on craigslist for 50ish. Larger ones, or the portable ones can also often be found on there for a decent price.

I have 2 as backups to my main AC. They are enough to keep the froggy parts of my place in the 70's, 80 tops usually. It is good to have these before you need them as finding them in the middle or near the end of summer can sometimes be hard. You can probably pick some up cheap in fall/winter though when people feel like they no longer need them.

I also have 2 space heaters for winter. May pick up 1 or 2 more this year just to be safe.

Next since my collection has grown a bit this year...It is enough to begin to justify a generator. So hopefully that will show up under my tree for Christmas. 

Reverse day/night schedule, fans, cool mist foggers (that fog comes out chilled), Ice packs and other suggestions people offered... all good. 

If you save the gel packs from shipments (I do) you can always toss those in the freezer and have them handy when you need em. Having heat packs ready to activate during winter to get you through short term power outages or buy you a little time is good too.


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

@ Frogface: Thanks, pics are welcome.
Reverse cycle day-night does not help much for me, because my house is warm at night the same (always exposed to the sun, morning and afternoon) and at night I can't control the humidity level in the tanks with the fans always on. My frogs are in the cooler room, but with the lights on the temp rises.
A/C unit would be the best solution, but the electricity here (Italy) is much expensive. So every solution is good. 
Last summer (very hot here, three months of relentless heat), I turned off the lights, but I lost all the orchids and plants also suffered because of darkness.

P.S.: Despite the heat, last summer I've not lost any frog.


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