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HIghlands / Ultra-Highlands

  • #41
rampuppy, when you do test it out let it sit for a while and do some other looking around. if it is a leeky one it will cost alot to fix it R-12 is not cheep at all 60+ a pound. so let it sit and make sure it is getting cold enough
 
  • #42
Hey, do you have any updates on how this, or the ripped apart refridgerator went? I am working on setting up an auto cooling system for going out of town throughout the summer, so any help would be great! THANKS!!
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  • #44
the refrig. idea worked for a while but, i got tired of moving the plants back and forth. with making the idea work it would of been alot of extra parts i didn't need. so finally i spent some money on a window unit and finished the 3'x3'x4' tank i had built year ago to cage a iguana. works out great only thing i have to do is turn the system all the way down at night. during vacations i just turn it a little bit warmer so they stay cool most of the time the only problem is after a day or 2 the ultra sonic humidifier runs out of water and there is now way to fill it up. still have to come up with an idea to refill it automaticly.
 
  • #45
That computer cooling thing looks like it would cost a fortune (I didn't see a price) but a $4.95 dryer vent hose, $12.95 4" computer fan (pulling air from outside a window blowing through the hose) and a $24.95 ultrasonic humidifier from Wal mart intersecting the dryer vent hose makes a perfect highland tank cooler til summer sets in. From June through September I put the intake fan/hose infront of an air conditioners output at night to drop the temps.

Easy and cheap and hassle free!
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  • #46
josh, click the link at the bottom of the web page. yes, it is outrages $219.99
 
  • #47
Josh, the idea sounds good, but I don't totally understand, so could you make it clearer? Also, I've only got A/C vents on the cieling, and they're at least 10 feet from the tank
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Thanks for the suggestions!
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  • #48
OK I can try!
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Take a 4" computer fan with the highest CFM you can find glue it to the flast side of a 4" Vent Panel from Home Depot. This is a flat piece of metal about 8-10" square with a 4" hole and 4" diameter "spout" behind the hole where a length of ductwork can be attached. If you buy the 4" diameter accordian style flexible Dryer Vent Hose (it looks like a giant slinky covered in tinfoil) it comes in 25 foot rolls just cut off what you need. Then you can stretch the hose as far as you need either to the window or to the A/C. Not pretty but a lot easier than shuttling jugs of frozen water, rigging up refrigerator contraptions, etc. if your AC is too far or this looks too ugly you can easily get a small 5000 BTU window airconditioner for $99 at just about anywhere these days.

Putting air into your highland chamber from outside or an A/C unit will really dry out the air inside so you will need to buy a ultrasonic humidifier and cover the output hole with a piece of tubing that runs from the humidifiers output into the dryer vent hose (just cut a hole in the hose a foot or two before the terrarium so the moisture gets mixed with the fresh air) this will also make the incoming air cooler yet. to get started put the humdifier on a timer to run every 15 minutes. A later addition can be a humidistat to accurately control humidity but this adds to the start up costs.

Hopefully that was a bit clearer, If not I can try to make a sketch or take a picture.
 
  • #49
I now understand, but that sounds a bit complicated, and I can get a mini-fridge for $60-$70, so I'll just do that!
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I can also get the aquarium pump and hosing for like $20!!
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  • #50
lithopsman,
beleave me save the time and trouble and build a set up like Josh stated. forget about the mini-refrig. it is more of a hassil moving the plants back and forth every night and they will be alot happier if ya build a tank w/ a window unit to supply the cold air. just make sure that a ultra sonic is hooked up of inside the tank for the reason of the air will not be humided enough. a timer will be ok for the ultra sonic to turn on and off. leave the window unit running all the time but, let it get warmer in the tank durung the day 75-80 degress. then turn it down at night to get colder. i have had reading of 50-60 but, the digital t-stat. broke due to it being to humid in the tank and i'm getting untrue reading now from a normal one.
i have also tried the bottel ice water at night and with moving them back and forth is just a pain in the a$$. so to make life easier on yourself and the plants build a set-up the right way the first time.
 
  • #51
I would expect a minor if at all noticeable temperature drop trying to pump cool air through aquarium hose placed inside a mini fridge. I don't think this is an effective way to try cooling a highland tank.
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  • #52
I don't think I made this clear enough, this is not full time, only for while I'm on vacation...
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 I personally would prefer to stay home with my little sweet plants, but what the family wants is what the family gets... I will have someone that comes by every other day, but they won't stay until 9
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0 P.M. to put in the frozen water bottles
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 Thanks for all of the suggestions!
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P.S. @ Tony: I meant cold water would run through, would this make a difference?
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  • #53
Complicated? It's essentially the same system a greenhouse uses for automated climate control just scaled way down to fit an indoor growing chamber(my particular one is currently 4ft x 4ft x4ft).

Here's that diagram:
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A: 4" Fan ($12.95) glued to Vent Mounting plate (B) air flow blowing inwards
B: Vent mounting plate ($4.99)
C: flexible hose ($4.99 for 25 feet package)
D: Ultrasonic humdiifier from Pharmacy ($24.99)
E: hose coming from humidifier ($2.99 for 10 feet) and intersecting the incoming air duct so that incoming air is pre-mixed/humidified
F: Growing chamber full of happy plants (priceless)

To operate this coolling unit Place fan in window mid September though mid June and in front of Air conditioner output Late June through Early Sept depending upon your climate.

My highland plants get a continuous inflow of fresh humidified air with this system and they really love it and All I have to do is fill the humdifier every other day and water the plants, everything else is either running contnously (fan) or on a timer (humidifier and lighting). I jsut sit back and enjoy and try to resist the urge to bring home more plants!
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  • #54
Water is deffinately a better cooling agent. Air conditioned setup like Josh has is very easy to put together but can be a little costly. So there are tradeoffs to each.

You will need a good sized holding tank and run of tubing within the fridge to be sure the output water is as cold as possible. How to you plan on cooling the terrarium though with cold water running through the tube? You would need some sort of heat exchanger in the terrarium?
Tony
 
  • #55
I would think of going with a 'radiator' type colling tubing run thru. Take the tubing that will have chilled water in it coming to the tank and make a zig-zag with it on all 4 sides of the terrarium if you can and find someway to hold it against the walls in the up and down pattern. Than run the end to the resevoir to return the water to the water pump to be re-chilled. This way you would get an all around cooling effect that would privde even cooling from all sides. Hope this helps out.
 
  • #56
Dustin, thanks!!
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That is pretty much exactly what I had in mind, and I think it should work! Also, does anyone know where to get a humidistat? Thanks again!!
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  • #57
home depot sells a prewired one which has a dangerous plug position for $24.99 and a unwired one by GE for $19.99. I preffer the GE one to which I attach a "Remote Extension Cord". You cut the "remote" part off and attach the humidistat, this way there are no powercord connections being made inside the terrarium as with most prewired humidistats there will be a connection inside the chamber.

You can also look for prewired greenhouse humidistats online at greenhouse suppliers but they run about $80 to start with. Before I knew Home Depot had em I bought an $80 one. The $19 one + the $5 Remote cord works the same as the "specialty" one!
 
  • #58
LOL! Last night I was thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and finally I realized a pretty darn cheap way to cool!
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Drum roll please!:..........................................................................................
............ Build a mini swamp cooler!
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I was thinking get a vent deal, like Josh mentioned for the A/C way, as well as a fan, but then put a thin rag/washcloth, (or two) on one side, fan on the other, and TA DA!!! If I find that the rag doesn't stay wet long enough, I could buy a semi-aquatic pump for like $15 (a pump that operates half in-half out of water) Does this sound good? Any improvements? THANKS A MILLION!!
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  • #59
You could do that sure, but have the swamp cooler pad itself in a window and duct the air to the tank. This way you won't have to cut into the terrarium or do any pain in the rump modifications. Not sure how effect this mini cooler would be but you could give it a shot. You'll need a small PC fan or if it is a little big, a small desk fan in front or back of it to move air thru the pads.
 
  • #60
Well, sometime soon, the glass place is supposed to be coming, so saying I could get it cut, is that a good idea? Thanks again!
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