Summer

[Alioth]

Hi,

Im thinking/worrying about the upcoming summer all the time :happy:! I don't have enough money to buy a chiller, so I will have to stick with the ice bottle method.
In Belgium, summers are typically like this: weeks that it is around 20-25°C (and then I don't see a problem about using the ice bottle method, this will be fine). But then there are "heat peaks"... This is typically a period varying between a couple of days and a week or 2 that it is very very warm. Think 30°C-35°C. I'm afraid the ice bottle method won't be enough then.
So I thought about this: Would it be an option to fridge the axolotls during those heatpeaks? Or is this something you better don't do, except when it's really necessary?

 

[lea]

I have heard of people fridging there axies all of summer so that is not a silly idea.

Summer here is very hot and humid before i got a chiller i would run extra long hose that is attached to the filter through a tucker box freezer, while floating frozen bottles. Another method I tried, which worked really well but was a bit pricey over time was putting my filter in a esky filled with ice and i would top up the esky with new ice 2 sometimes 3 times a day depending on the heat. You could also have a fan blowing across the tank, this could help ,lowering the temp a degree or two..

 

[Alioth]

Thanks for the reply!
Problem is that we live in a really small appartment. They are in the living/kitchen room which is about 20m², so we don't have the room for hoses and stuff they will have to be on our couch then ! We can't move them to another room either, because the only other room is the bedroom...and that room is full allready with our bed and closet! We also have an internal filter!
I thought about the fans as well, it's a very good idea. But I think when you use fans, you can't have a canopy on the aquarium? We can't remove it, because we have a cat who fancies a swim now and then...

 

[Minniechild]

Fly screen on top, then? I know down here it costs around $5AU/m, and is useful for more than just cat deterring! The one I have on my little tank (Not made by me!) has some super cheap wood on the sides larger than the lids:
=========
|| ||
|| ||
========= ...I'm sure you get the idea
For my larger tank, I just stuck it down with duct tape, worked for a week, and the screen's still intact, so when I get some cash *Snorts* I'll get some thin dowel, wrap it, and stitch along so they'll fit into the spots where the front glass panels would sit (if i actually used them *facepalm*).

I must agree with the fan idea, which worked REALLY well for me over summer, and if you put it down the end furthest from you, angle it so it blows across the water, the axies and their humans remain nice and cool (Think being able to cuddle happily under a doona on a 27c night cool )

Good luck!!

 

[larn]

I don't have to worry too much about the hot summer since we only get about 2 weeks of it here :tongue:

 

[Minniechild]

I don't have to worry too much about the hot summer since we only get about 2 weeks of it here :tongue:

and you Brits wonder why we (usually) beat you in the cricket!!(It was a cold summer this year...You wait until the temp's back up to its usual forty three, and we'll be whalloping your pasty butts once again!!)

 

[Star]

I'm using a small fan at the moment and it has dropped the temp by about 4 degrees C I remember seeing a post somewhere last year though of a cheap DIY chiller, it consists of a mini fridge (if you have freecycle you might even get a free one), lots of aquarium hose and I think that was about it? It was something along the lines of getting LOTS of pipe, coiling it around in the mini fridge then having the rest going into and out of the tank, if I can find it I'll post it for you

 

[Star]

Found it DIY: Aquarium Chiller | eHow.com

 

[Alioth]

Thanks for all of the advice! But our canopy is glued to our tank! I don't know why, we got it for free! I don't dare to remove it in fear of breaking te glass! Only the lid is able to open (luckily, or we wouldn't have the opportunity to put anything in the tank ).
Thanks for the refrigerator link as well!!
Problem is that I'm not so technical and as I don't have a boyfriend, but a girlfriend who is just like me at that point...
Thing is I searched everything on the web for possibilities. And the only possibilities that I see for us are:
1. Buying a chiller = a lot of money
2. Ice bottle for moderate warm days and for heat peaks putting them in the fridge

I'm still studying now (my last year) and I'm sure I will buy a chiller once. I want the best for my animals. But now its a lot of money and I would like to wait one year before I buy one. Then I'm able to work and earn some money and so on .
So by now, I would really want to know if it's really okay to put them in the fridge when it's really hot?

And again, thanks for all the advice: I love this super friendly forum!!! And you guys off course!!

 

[lea]

I would say yes it is ok to put them in the fridge if you are unable to chill the tank enough. while they are in the fridge you will have to do daily 100% water change with water that is the same temp, so when i need to fridge i put a extra bottle of treated water next to the axies so the water is the same temp and they dont get a shock when i change them over.
Also while they are holidaying they wont eat as much.