I recently got my first hatchling and have been struggling with keeping the temperature in the tank regulated. Earlier this week we had a heat wave and his tank got above 80F. I was able to keep it fresh using a fan above the tank. Since then we were able to get our house temperature down by running two ACs at all times. Now the tank has great temps during the day but last night it hit 63F.
What should I do? I have them in a 8x8x12 but I am tempted to upgrade the set up because I feel like it would be easier to control the temperature with a bigger enclosure.
Anyone have advice? I included a pick of his tank, I have since upgraded the hygrometer and I have more vines coming in
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If the temp goes down during the night, and up during the day, i wouldn’t worry too much. This idea that they collapse and die the second it gets above 80f is very outdated. They’ve been found to prefer temps between 75-82 actually, but will willingly expose themselves to temps upwards of 90f for a short while if given the chance to thermoregulate. Not that i would recommend exposing them to temps like that unless your setup is humongous, but i personally dont start panicking until it’s around 86f. Ive had temps above 80f for quite a few hours of the day for the past few days, and not even my day old hatchlings (hatched tuesday evening) seem to mind, i haven’t seen a single sign of discomfort or sign of trying to cool down in any of my geckos, they’re all acting as usual.
Its getting more and more common to recommend keeping them with a basking spot in the low-mid 80s, although keeping them at room-temp (given it doesn’t get below 72-73 during the day often) doesn’t seem to be an issue.
As for nighttime temps, mid 60s isn’t an issue either, and it dropping down to 63f occasionally also shouldn’t be an issue. Colder temps are mainly an issue due to it causing lethargy, digestion issues, and potentially affecting their immune system, all of which are more likely to be an issue over time, so if it’s just over night from time to time, it’s unlikely to cause any harm.
Here’s a study where they looked at how cresties thermoregulate Thermoregulation and thermal performance of crested geckos (Correlophus ciliatus) suggest an extended optimality hypothesis for the evolution of thermoregulatory set‐points - Aparicio Ramirez - 2021 - Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology - Wiley Online Library
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While I think your information and experience is really valid, I do have to disagree about the temperature. It may be possible that some of them are comfortable with temperatures over 80 degrees, but I don’t think this can/should be assumed in general.
When I moved up to Illinois from Texas back in 2021, I had seven geckos with me - six cresties of varying ages and a sara. I was VERY careful about packing them for the trip. They were inside an igloo, inside a cardboard box shaded from the sun. There were multiple reptile-safe cool packs in there with them. They were each in their own individual deli cubs (plenty large enough for them to move around) and with a slightly damp paper towel in each deli. I also had two different thermometers in the bin with them. About halfway through the drive, both thermometers let me know them temp in the bin was over 81 degrees (81.6 when it alerted me) and I pulled over within 15 minutes as soon as I could find a spot to safely do so. I had checked on the geckos roughly two hours prior and they were totally fine, and the thermometers both showed the temp had only been above 80 degrees for about half an hour, and had only gotten above 81 for about 15 minutes. Never went above 82. By the time I stopped, three geckos were dead. Two more passed while I sat there trying to cool them off. The other three luckily survived. It was the most devastating animal loss that’s ever happened to me. So from personal experience - I do not ever let my crestie temps get above 80 degrees.
It’s going to depend on other factors like air flow, hydration, etc. as well of course, but in my opinion it simply is not worth the risk of higher temperatures.
Im very sorry that happened to you. Totally get how that experience could make you err on the side of caution, and there’s definitely no harm in keeping them at 80 max if you feel that’s safer.
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And wasn’t intending to say you were wrong at all! I’m sure some of them do handle higher temperatures. I just get nervous seeing that recommended sometimes. 
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I get you! Any experiences regarding temperatues are worth sharing imo, so people can form their own opinions and decide what they feel comfortable with. Like you said, things like stress, humidity, hydration etc can make a gecko less likely to cope with higher temps. I imagine the poor airflow, and stagnant humid air in a deli cup might make things worse, compared to the environment in a tank. So definitely would be even more mindful of temps while transporting, and it sounds like you definitely did your due diligence trying to keep the temps down. But yeah i just personally feel bad every time i see someone freaking out, because based on current evidence, for the average healthy gecko, in a normal tank environment, it shouldn’t be an issue, so long as it isn’t for days on end 
But also, making the “panic” cut-off at say 82f rather than 86f definitely won’t hurt either.
