Exo Terra CFL canopy question

[gaboon]

I'm considering getting the 60cm unit which contains 3 CF's but am concerned about the heat emitted. Is it common practice just to place it over the mesh or should I get glass cut?

Was also thinking about raising the unit 5-10cm above the tank to allow heat to escape and maybe adding a computer fan. Summers here are ±32 degrees celcius.

How else could I keep it cool?

[Faceless]

im pretty new myself but from
what i have collected from my reading is:

1- You need the glass or acrylic piece for these reasons:
Moisture, to keep in humidity (for frogs) and to keep
it away from your light (not really meant to get wet)

2- You can lift the light either with light extenders or
by rigging something that will keep it a few inches
off of the tanks top... with this you can place fans
that will circulate the air between the tank and light
keeping it cooler.

Hope that helps,
saw nobody replying so i figured
i'd throw my two cents in

Goodluck,
Justin

[Tony]

I don't have my darts in an exo yet, but my red eyes and pacific tree frogs are and I just have it sitting on the screen like it's designed to, haven't had any trouble from misting and the temps are fine.

[holidayhanson]

I have two exo terra CF fixtures above my 24x18x24 exo terra tank. There are 6 bulbs and I have the fixtures sitting right on the tank. These bulbs are reletively cooler than others out there...if you need it cooler you could put the fixture on some riser blocks and it would help.

Pretty much a tank will be as warm or warmer than the room temperature. Another way to control the temp in summer would be to have the lights on at night and off during the hottest part of the day.

On my tank I removed the plastic and mesh top and cut a piece of glass that is the dimentions of the top of the tank. I put weather strip material on the glass all the way around so that the weather strip is between the rim of the tank and the glass. It works great. I think your tank might get too dry with just mesh and the bulbs won't do well with that much humidity over time.

[AJ50504]

Originally Posted by Tony

I don't have my darts in an exo yet, but my red eyes and pacific tree frogs are and I just have it sitting on the screen like it's designed to, haven't had any trouble from misting and the temps are fine.

I second that . My exo-terra 12x12x18 has been fine with the lights right on top, but every set up is different .

Alan

[ghettopieninja]

CF's usually produce far less heat then other bulb types, also most units (I don't know about the exo terra screw in ones though) have a pane of glass or plastic covering the lights for protection anyway so no worries. Also you should definitely go with a glass covering or else things may get way to dry.

[jehitch]

I use plastic cling wrap under the screen top to hold humidity in, and the CFL bulbs don't put out enough heat to affect it. Temps inside the vivs near the top may be as much as 4 degrees above ambient room temp, but at substrate level, it's about the same.
JIm

[gaboon]

Thanks for the replies