I'm losing my mind over the humidity, please help.

[neptunebaby]

A few weeks ago I bought a 2 month old ball python. She's been doing great in general, never misses a meal or anything. It took me awhile but I finally got the temps right (I was using an analog thermometer which was 10 degrees off, so she was cold for a bit until I started using a digital one. Don't even get me started on that damn analog thermometer) but otherwise everything's been fine, except I absolutely cannot get her humidity up.
I'm using a ceramic heat lamp, 100 watts, which is keeping the temps perfect. However, it's sucking the moisture out of the air like crazy. I know the humidity in my room is fairly high (about 50% usually) since I live in the south, but her humidity is almost always below 40%. I've switched to EcoEarth substrate, scattered sphagnum moss everywhere, misted a thousand times a day, put a wet towel over the top of the tank, but no matter what I do within an hour the humidity drops down to 37% again. She's going into shed right now so I've made her a humid hide in the meantime, but I'm really afraid of her getting sick from the low humidity in general.
I think I've found a possible solution though and I really wanted some opinions, since all of you seem to know a lot more than I do. She's in a 20 gallon tank and I know UTHs aren't great for keeping up ambient temps, but what if on the warm side I had one under the tank and one or two more on the sides. Would this be enough to keep the ambient temps right? And if so, does anyone have any suggestions on what brand of UTH is best, and where I can find a thermometer for them? If this isn't a good idea, I'd really love some other suggestions. Thank you in advance. I'm getting pretty desperate at this point.

[bcr229]

UTH's do nothing for the ambient temperature. I would keep the one you have on the warm side, put one under the floor on the cool side set to 80-82*F, ditch the CHE, and completely cover the top of the tank with Glad Press n Seal.

When the time comes to move your snake to a bigger home get a tub or proper reptile enclosure.

[mamaodie]

I'm new and unexperienced to say the very least, but what about getting a humidifier to use next to the enclosure? It helped me get my humidity spot on.

[EL-Ziggy]

Just to be clear, your heat source and temps should be regulated by a thermostat and your temps can be measured with a thermometer. It's an important distinction so make sure you have the proper equipment. I live in GA and it's pretty humid here but the humidity in my enclosures is only about 45-55%. I believe humidity is something we tend to over think a bit. I've had all perfect sheds and no RIs or other illnesses with humidity ranging anywhere from 30-60%. As long as your snake is well hydrated ambient humidity should be fine. If you want to add a moist hide or mist your enclosures during shed periods that's ok but I don't even do that anymore.

[neptunebaby]

UTH's do nothing for the ambient temperature. I would keep the one you have on the warm side, put one under the floor on the cool side set to 80-82*F, ditch the CHE, and completely cover the top of the tank with Glad Press n Seal.

When the time comes to move your snake to a bigger home get a tub or proper reptile enclosure.

This sounds like good advice but everything I've read says BPs need good ventilation. Wouldn't plastic wrap prevent that?

[Tash]

I HATE tanks. Humidity was the worst. I had a very similar if not exact set up once before I switched. In order to keep humidity where I was, I would lay a folded towel over the screen top ( where the ceramic light wasn't lol) and when my humidity started to drop I'd spray the towel down. I normally had to do this twice a day, sometimes three if he was going into shed. But it worked, kept my humidity 50/60 instead of 20. Good luck!

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[Lacey]

I had issues to. Cover the top with a piece of plexiglass like 70% covered this kept my humidity in

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[OTorresUSMC]

Im having more or less the same issue, also in a tank, with a 150 watt red light heat bulb hooked to a rheostat. I have a thermostat for the heat pad, with probe between pad and glass, a thermometer probe inside the hot hide another in the cool hide and an accurite thermometer/hygrometer sitting on the cool side of the tank to measure ambient air. My hot hide fluctuates from 88-92 with the thermostat kicking it on and off at a setting of 90. the cool hide sits at about 84-86 and my ambient usually reads about the same. My humidity is constantly dropping to about 35% because of the damn heat bulb. Id have to mist a few times a day to keep it around 50% and it has already caused a problem with her first shed. My solution is going to be to hook up a small humidifier with tube pushing the moisture into the tank. Ill likely have to put it on a timer as running it 24/7 would prob keep the humidity way too high. Im also switching to fine shredded coconut husk for a bedding as the word is that holds moisture way better than others and there is not the high mold risk like with aspen. If I were you I would consider those two options. humidifier is pretty cheap($30 or so) and the coconut bedding can be found for the same prices as aspen. I got mine on amazon just havent put it in the tank yet. Also the thermometers I have, Vivarium Electronics, the probes measure humidity and temperature. You may want to consider these so you can get accurate humidity readings in your hides themselves. they were not expensive($12 i think) from reptilebasics.com good luck

[mcamnl]

I have a repti fogger I use sometimes. It has been hot and humid in Michigan the last couple of weeks so I haven't been running it but it works ok. When I run it I do have it on a timer.

[bcr229]

Covering the screen top with Press n Seal or foil will still permit air exchange between the screen top and the top of the tank. You could also leave just two corners uncovered if you are worried about it.

Too low humidity = too much ventilation.