Help! Humidity Disaster

[LavenderFields]

I've been able to read /tons/ of helpful tips on here over the course of getting my first ball python, but I've finally reached a point where I need help directly!

I've got my girl in a 30 gallon glass terrarium with a screen lid, there's a UTH on her warm side that gets between 85-90, but her cooler side was way too cold...72 on average. I looked into alot of options but settled on getting a ceramic heating bulb with dial temperature control. It helped alot in boosting the ambient temperature, though I keep it in the middle so that the hot side doesn't get /too/ hot.

But here's where I've run into problems,
The humidity is completely shot!
Before the ceramic heater I was at a good 50% and easily boosted it up to 65% for sheds...but now it's boarding 30%! I've tried moving the water dish closer to the heat, but this hasn't helped.

I'm stuck misting the tank constantly all day, which I know isn't great (Or entirely practical)

Does anyone have tips to help with this?
I'm currently using aspen shavings for substrate, though I've heard coconut fibre can be useful in retaining moisture...would it be worth it to change? I don't want her getting blisters

[belialsson]

Put a damp towel on the screen it will give ya a boost

[CryHavoc17]

You best long term option is to replace the screen lid with a homemade lid that is completely sealed aside from the hole for the light fixture. This will help a LOT. You can use just about any material for that, plywood works well and ots a very simple project.

In the short term id wrap up the screen lid with cling wrap or aluminum foil. That is safer then using a damp towel in my opinion, as a constantly damp towel is a mold/mildew concern.

The combination of your screen lid and CHE basically is a moisture vacuum, it will suck out all the moist air pretty much immediately.

A substrates change wouldn't be a nad idea. Aspen doesnt hold up well to regulare misting. I like cypress best when I need a humidity boost personally

Sent from my SM-G730V using Tapatalk 2

[KMG]

A damp towel will also make the screen rust with time.

I like making a cardboard insert for the screen and then cover it with foil. Just make sure to lead a hole for any lights or heaters plus you need air flow. This is lite and can be removed easily if needed but it still works.

As for the humidity issue this is what I do. Take a handful of moss and place it in each hide. When a shed is coming keep the moss damp. When no shed is coming make the moss damp and allow it to dry out before making it damp again, this puts the humidity directly where the snake is most of the time so it benefits from it greatly. This will not raise the humidity in the tank but instead makes a micro climate in the hides and should help you alot.

I use this trick on my 40 gallon that has a 100w che and a 60w bulb and my sheds are great. Using the moss and misting once or twice a day you should be doing fine.

[Spencer88]

put damp towel over half the lid. then use foil to cover the rest of the lid and just a cut out for the heater.