Electric fan in indoor table

[No1much]

Hello. Just wondering if small desktop fans are okay in the tables.

I have two Russians in (separate) indoor tables atm. It's summer in the UK and we're getting a bit of warm weather and Aircon is rare here. I live in a flat that's partially in the roof space and it gets warm. It's currently 26°c 80°f inside.
Obviously I like to have the correct warm/cool sides in my tables but having a cool side is impossible if my room temps are 26°+ so I'm considering a small fan in each (attaching pic of what I have in mind). The concern is that I've always been told to keep away draughts and I don't want to include the fans if it will cause respiratory issues.

I've attached them to a solar panel in the hopes that generally the warmer it gets outside the faster the fans will go. And also free power lol.

Any idea if it's safe ?
Suggestions on positioning are welcome.

Blink is already very curious as to what it is 😂

 

[Blackdog1714]

Not needed unless you have a closed chamber then even then not really necessary.

 

[Tom]

Hello. Just wondering if small desktop fans are okay in the tables.

I have two Russians in (separate) indoor tables atm. It's summer in the UK and we're getting a bit of warm weather and Aircon is rare here. I live in a flat that's partially in the roof space and it gets warm. It's currently 26°c 80°f inside.
Obviously I like to have the correct warm/cool sides in my tables but having a cool side is impossible if my room temps are 26°+ so I'm considering a small fan in each (attaching pic of what I have in mind). The concern is that I've always been told to keep away draughts and I don't want to include the fans if it will cause respiratory issues.

I've attached them to a solar panel in the hopes that generally the warmer it gets outside the faster the fans will go. And also free power lol.

Any idea if it's safe ?
Suggestions on positioning are welcome.

Blink is already very curious as to what it is 😂

Temperature is such a matter of perspective... I'm not laughing at you, but I am amused that you think 26C is hot and your Asian Steppe tortoise needs a fan... I'm not making fun of you at all. We are friends on the tortoise forum as far as I am concerned, but my daytime high here today, in mid June, will reach 39C. Thats in the shade. And its not even summer yet...

Oaky. Enough of me being amused by our different climates... 26C is just barely getting warm enough for your tortoise to be comfortable. Have you looked up the weather where they come from? It is very hot there this time of year. You don't need a fan, and a fan will only move hot air around if ambient in the room is 26. Fans work to cool us because we sweat. Our skin creates perspiration which evaporates and gives us evaporative cooling. Tortoises, and all other reptiles don't sweat, so a fan just moves the air around and does nothing to cool it.

If the room temp climbs up over 35C, then you can shut the heat lamp off, but still leave the ambient lighting on. Under 35C, and your tortoise is just getting warmed up. Literally.

 

[Cathie G]

I agree. But I do open the window in the summer for some fresh clean air in my little tort's room and make sure the temps don't go too far below 80°f at night all year. But being in a flat partially in the attic, I know how that could be suffocating. Maybe you could set up the fans to help with circulation and to direct the heat where you want it to go. I also watch the humidity 🤗

 

[No1much]

Temperature is such a matter of perspective... I'm not laughing at you, but I am amused that you think 26C is hot and your Asian Steppe tortoise needs a fan... I'm not making fun of you at all. We are friends on the tortoise forum as far as I am concerned, but my daytime high here today, in mid June, will reach 39C. Thats in the shade. And its not even summer yet...

Oaky. Enough of me being amused by our different climates... 26C is just barely getting warm enough for your tortoise to be comfortable. Have you looked up the weather where they come from? It is very hot there this time of year. You don't need a fan, and a fan will only move hot air around if ambient in the room is 26. Fans work to cool us because we sweat. Our skin creates perspiration which evaporates and gives us evaporative cooling. Tortoises, and all other reptiles don't sweat, so a fan just moves the air around and does nothing to cool it.

If the room temp climbs up over 35C, then you can shut the heat lamp off, but still leave the ambient lighting on. Under 35C, and your tortoise is just getting warmed up. Literally.

Haha I'll try and explain my logic 😂😂

Yeah this is always a huge topic for debate online when Brit's get a heatwave and people in other countries are always like "THATS NOT HOT! IT GETS TO (whatever number)° HERE!" the UK gets so humid and because our buildings aren't designed to release heat that a relatively small increase in temperature compared to other parts of the world can feel unbearable. I do see your point though 😂.

I worry about the little guys because they were born and raised here and they're just not used to this kind of heat and will usually start to try to aestivate or have other problems. Last year blink had excessive runny pooping issues that the vet put down to the excessive heat so I'm just trying to get ahead of it because today is due to be a lot warmer than yesterday and I'll be at work for 10 hours.

I know fans don't cool tortoises like mammals but like I said I like to keep a cooler part of the enclosure and I was hoping to accomplish that with the fans blowing down onto one corner on the opposite end of their basking spot and hopefully carrying some of the heat of that corner out. The fans won't actually be blowing onto a tortoise or near their basking spot 😂😂 even if it reduces the temp of that area by fraction of a °c it's better than nothing and it's free power.

Tbh. All that said, I know they'll probably be fine if I just did nothing. I like to just give them options when they are trying to make themselves comfortable.