Please help me!!! Humidity issues...

[Bestinthehaven]

ok im going to give you the setup im using. i have got the temperatures perfect now, but now the tank keeps drying out. i have my juvenile BP in a twenty gallon long with a full screen top.

Heat: two 5.5 inch deep domes with 60 watt bulbs. one appropriate sized UTH. i was using a single 5.5 deep dome with 100 watt bulb and a UTH. the 100 wat bulb was making the screen too hot under the dome (they sit directly on the screen.) i was worried about the snake getting burned. also it was a little on the cold side both during day, and also at night when i only used the UTH. now during the day it has 120 wats of light/heat but the smaller bulbs allow the screen to stay cooler. at night only the red one shines and combined with the UTH, the temperature gradient is perfect according to the majority of info i've read, during both day and night cycles.

the snake has a large sized corner bowl on the cool side of the tank, and i am using cypress mulch now as substrate instead of aspen because i was told the cypress will keep the humidity better. now the tank finally has perfect heat, but keeps drying out. i want a humidity between 50 and 65 for my snake, and im having trouble getting it up above 40 to 45 for any extended length of time. if i mist it jumps to 70 or 80 then back to 40 or 45 within an hour. i know my issues are due to the open screen top, so i have tried putting towels over all but the warm end where the domes are, that got too hot, and didnt hold humidity. i am thinking of having plexiglass cut to size and placing on top of the screen top, with some vent holes over the length of the tank, and two 5.5 holes to accomodate the two 5.5 domes above the basking end, but i know this will probably throw off my heating again. if anyone has any sugestions or comments please let me know. this is my first BP, and im kinda getting frustrated trying to find a setup that looks nice but still creates a perfect habitat for my snake, and i really want it to have the best environment possible.

again, if anyone has ANY input or advice, PLEASE share your knowledge with me...

[isanta666]

ok im going to give you the setup im using. i have got the temperatures perfect now, but now the tank keeps drying out. i have my juvenile BP in a twenty gallon long with a full screen top.

Heat: two 5.5 inch deep domes with 60 watt bulbs. one appropriate sized UTH. i was using a single 5.5 deep dome with 100 watt bulb and a UTH. the 100 wat bulb was making the screen too hot under the dome (they sit directly on the screen.) i was worried about the snake getting burned. also it was a little on the cold side both during day, and also at night when i only used the UTH. now during the day it has 120 wats of light/heat but the smaller bulbs allow the screen to stay cooler. at night only the red one shines and combined with the UTH, the temperature gradient is perfect according to the majority of info i've read, during both day and night cycles.

the snake has a large sized corner bowl on the cool side of the tank, and i am using cypress mulch now as substrate instead of aspen because i was told the cypress will keep the humidity better. now the tank finally has perfect heat, but keeps drying out. i want a humidity between 50 and 65 for my snake, and im having trouble getting it up above 40 to 45 for any extended length of time. if i mist it jumps to 70 or 80 then back to 40 or 45 within an hour. i know my issues are due to the open screen top, so i have tried putting towels over all but the warm end where the domes are, that got too hot, and didnt hold humidity. i am thinking of having plexiglass cut to size and placing on top of the screen top, with some vent holes over the length of the tank, and two 5.5 holes to accomodate the two 5.5 domes above the basking end, but i know this will probably throw off my heating again. if anyone has any sugestions or comments please let me know. this is my first BP, and im kinda getting frustrated trying to find a setup that looks nice but still creates a perfect habitat for my snake, and i really want it to have the best environment possible.

again, if anyone has ANY input or advice, PLEASE share your knowledge with me...

before i switched to tubs i used to cover 1/3 to 1/2 the tank with a damp towel or paper towel to hold in the humidity. using this method i was able to keep the humidity from 50-60, paper towel or towel normally dried out every 6-8 hours. the use of two light bulbs is really dropping the humidity. if the towel method doesn't work, I would insulate the all sides of the tank with foam insulation, and only use one light bulb. this will allow you to hold the temp and at the same time you wont sap the humidity in ur tank

[blushingball419]

x2

The heat bulbs are your main problem, they kill humidity. Tubs are so much easier when it comes to controlling environmental conditions, but if you're set on using a tank for aesthetic reasons, then a custom piece of plexiglass is definitely your best long-term option. Damp towels or aluminum foil work well short term, and a warm-mist humidifier placed near the tank will help as well. Also, if you can possibly cut back to one lamp and insulate the rest of the tank as was already stated, I would recommend that. When you say the temps were "a little on the cold side" what are we talking? 70-75? And how are you measuring the temps?

[kitedemon]

I have different ideas. First off tubs can be very hard to deal with to keep cool side and ambient temps correct in cool rooms most keep them in 'snake rooms' heated to 80ºF to maintain correct cool side and ambient air temps. I'd advise against it if the UTH cannot maintain the correct temps alone.

restricting air flow can lead to health issues often respiratory issues I'd again advise some caution doing this. Tanks do not vent well to begin with if doing so I'd never suggest blocking much more than the middle and then only half or less the surface area.

humid hides can solve all of the above the snake will use it when it needs.

The other method I personally use is substrate controlled. Like you have already figured out substrate choice will change the humidity. I'd recommend using coco coir (aka eco earth) in place of the cyprus. it will add a lot to the humidity but it too will dry out. I use a 'banked' method. The cool end has about 3 or 4 inches of substrate. The hot side has very little maybe 1/8 inch this helps keep the gradient. I 'water' the cool end I have a small tube that drop almost to the bottom where there is a shallow bowl (plant drip tray) adding a few ounces of water to this will moisen the substrate from below and will add a huge amount of humidity to the system. The substrate in the hide never gets 'wet' but isn't dusty dry either. This hold 55-65% for ten days with out anything on the screen top.

the third solution is this.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...arium-Solution
secondary heating is not super difficult but will need different ideas than what you are currently using.

[pigfat]

I had the same problem so I wet a towel down pretty well, and wring it out just enough to where it doesnt drip everywhere, then I place it on the screen, and then place another towel over that one just to help keep the moisture evaporating down into the tank. Its been working for me very well. I soak it in the morning and again in the evening. My humidity hasn't dropped below 50 since I've been doing this. Hope you find a way to make it work!

ALSO: I attached a sponge to the top of his hide on the warm side, and wet it down once a day as well. I got a pack of 8 sponges for a little over $1 and I change them out every 5-6 days just in case they decide to go bad.

[blushingball419]

humid hides can solve all of the above the snake will use it when it needs.

That's true! I never think of humid hides, and they're so easy to make.

To the OP, you can take any plastic container that is appropriately sized for your bp and cut a big enough hole in the lid for your snake to fit through, then line the container with damp (not wet) sphagnum moss or paper towels. Your bp can go inside during shedding or any other time he feels the need

[Hydrolicious]

I switched to cypress mulch after dealing (well, currently treating) with an RI caused due to very low humidity. It works wonders, without getting too moist. Glad to see you're using that.

Also, I've done the tin-foil deal with the custom lid I made, and I have to say it doesn't look too bad. It does look makeshift, but if you have the right tank I'd say it would definitely work long term.

[Skiploder]

I switched to cypress mulch after dealing (well, currently treating) with an RI caused due to very low humidity. It works wonders, without getting too moist. Glad to see you're using that.

Also, I've done the tin-foil deal with the custom lid I made, and I have to say it doesn't look too bad. It does look makeshift, but if you have the right tank I'd say it would definitely work long term.

I doubt the RI was caused by humidity in the 40% range - I think your vet is dead wrong.

As Alex advised, provide a humid hide. The risks of providing high humidty without adequate ventilation far outweigh any incorrectly perceived risks associated with moderately low humidity.

[Hydrolicious]

I doubt the RI was caused by humidity in the 40% range - I think your vet is dead wrong.

As Alex advised, provide a humid hide. The risks of providing high humidty without adequate ventilation far outweigh any incorrectly perceived risks associated with moderately low humidity.

As I said in my topic, I'll ask him again... However, I had plenty of ventilation(the 1/8 screening was UNCOVERED) at the time, so that was likely not the problem.

[Bestinthehaven]

ok i think i have it nailed. here is what ive got. i got a piece of standard thickness plexiglass cut to fit so it sits right inside the frame of the sliding screen top. i cut six 1 1/2 inch holes for ventilation (two rows of three) that ventilate from the end of the cold side to the middle of the tank. i left some room to add more but so far its holding humidity and temp very well. i then cut two six inch holes over the hot end for my 5.5 inch deep domes. i now have a timer running my lights. i have a 100 watt day-blue bulb from zoo med running twelve hours in the day. the twelve hour night cycle is a 60 watt red night bulb also zoo med. i stayed with the cypress mulch, at least until it comes time to change it out. maybe ill experiment with substrates then. i also bought a zoo med reptifogger. i got this idea after seeing that even with a day range of about 80 on the floor of the cold side to 95 on the floor of the hot side, and 70 to 85 at night, when misted well it held humidity in the appropriate range all day (14+ hours). now with the fogger when it gets bellow fifty i give it a shot of fog to bring it up to 85 then i let it go. it drops from 85 to 75 pretty quick (probably the substrate soaking up some) then hangs the rest of the day between 75 and about normally down to 45 or 50 the next morning. also i got myself two exo-terra digital thermometers and an exo-terra digital hygrometer to moniter conditions. now my snake has a nice morning fog and humidity spike just like what would happen in an african temperate forest i'd imagine

i knew if i kept tweaking things i could get a setup that didnt require 4+ mists a day and held steady warm temps the plexiglass insert idea came from a friend who keeps tarantulas. i just tweaked it a little. also i guess i should note, even though i feel kinda dumb... back when i was running a single 100 watt on an open screen, with no night bulb, i turned the thermostat in the bedroom up to 75 degrees. i forgot this untill i was sweating bullets in there setting up foggers and thermometer probes etc. it was still on the warm side with a single 100 watt day bulb and the plexiglass insert, so i turned it back to 68 where it normally is, and it has stabilized at a great temp. range. i know electric heat also kills humidity, and costs money, so that made me smile...

one last side note... i was concerned about the restricted airflow, until i turned on the fogger and saw how it swirls throughout and around the tank. this tells me there are some good air currents moving around in there. at least it seems so from the way the fog flows down the cold side and across to the hot side, back up that side wall and then across the top and around again...

i hope these details help anyone who stumbles on the same dilemma i was in. im still pretty new at this, but my bp eats every four or five days like a little pig and that has to count for something. if anyone has any questions about any of this feel free to write me. also, i havent figured out how to get pics on here, but if you search for Loren Bitner (thats me) on facebook i have some pics of the snake and stuff there, or search for "Rockelle takes her first meal at home" on youtube to see my baby girl eat for the first time in her new home with me.