Possible humidity solution???

[dkatz4]

I'm trying to get my humidity up between 60 and 70% for my Central American Boa; so far i'm just misting many times a day (ambient room humidity is 40%). I have a patch of moss that holds a bit of moisture, but its messy and will rot soon. I have a 27 gal sterilite, roughly 34 long by 14 deep by 12 high with a generous number of air holes around the perimeter about 3 inches up from the bottom. Heat source is an 40 watt radiant heat panel above (78 degrees at ground level on the cool side, 84 on his elevated perch) and UTH on the warm side (92 degrees). I use paper towels for substrate, I know coconut husk andy cyprus holds humidity better but i'm not into the cost and maintenance it requires at this time. Reptifogger type devices seem to get terrible reviews for durability though homemade hacked humidifiers look interesting (i'm definitely tinkerer), but seem over complicated and i also worry they may produce too much humidity.
so i had an idea and i'm looking for feedback.
A dripper (think zoo med little dripper) with a slow drip onto a sponge (natural) sitting on part of the hot spot. I use distilled water, and of course will sanitize the sponge a few times a week. I know it wont be terribly attractive, but my setup is not meant for display, just comfort. I like the simplicity of this idea; once i get the drip to evaporation ratio dialed in i feel like there is very little that can go wrong.

What do we think?

[bcr229]

I've done the same but don't bother with a dripper, just put a damp/wet clean synthetic sponge into a shallow "undumpabowl" in the enclosure. I run the sponge through the dishwasher to clean it. Then you can just add water to the bowl as needed once a day instead of constantly misting.

[redshepherd]

You can also put a tray/plate in the enclosure, soak a towel, and spread the towel in the tray. Soaking wet towels retain water for a very long time.

Anything that retains water and has a large surface area!

[dkatz4]

You can also put a tray/plate in the enclosure, soak a towel, and spread the towel in the tray. Soaking wet towels retain water for a very long time.

Anything that retains water and has a large surface area!

very interesting, i suppose part of my problem is that the paper towels hold very little water and dry out fast which is why i thought the constant drip would be necessary, but if i could manage just one towel/sponge/shamwow! change per day i'd be stoked. I think you're probably spot-on, it seems to me this moss stuff that the (well intentioned) pet store guy was so wild about better for looks than actual moisture retention. I wonder, if its so easy, why is there so much hullabaloo concerning auto-misters and humidifiers? I guess species that require really really high humidity...?

[Jeanne]

Cool mist humidifier. The tear drop style..go to hardware store, get cpl feet tubing tht fits in top collar of tear drop.. Pipe in to your enclosure. Put on a timer that can be set to run several times a day... Humidity problems solved.

[Jeanne]

Do not waste your money on repti foggers.

[dkatz4]

Cool mist humidifier. The tear drop style..go to hardware store, get cpl feet tubing tht fits in top collar of tear drop.. Pipe in to your enclosure. Put on a timer that can be set to run several times a day... Humidity problems solved.

so the wet sponge is not working, maybe the sponge is too thick, maybe my hot spot is too cool (too cool for the sponge, its just perfect for my snake) but i think i am going to have to break down and build a "humidifogger". So now i am trying to figure out, should i run it a few times a day with a timer (and if so how much?) or should i try to put it on a dimmer and have just a bit of humidity running constantly? Im just want to tryand create as stable an environment as possible, rather than one that fluctuates from very wet to very dry throughout the day.

[theskyturnsgrey]

All you need to do is cover a large percentage of your air holes. You will not suffocate your snake. Keeping up humidity is really just a matter of limiting ventilation. Give that a shot.

[dkatz4]

All you need to do is cover a large percentage of your air holes. You will not suffocate your snake. Keeping up humidity is really just a matter of limiting ventilation. Give that a shot.

OK, so its not that i don't belive you, clearly less ventilation would keep the humid air in, but i am a nervous Nelly. I assume you read the description of my enclosure, i tried to be specific, but tomorrow i will take some pics. I mean its a big space for a little snake, he's a male dwarf, currently 30" long at 21 months old, so i'm hoping he wont age out of it for at least a few years. It holds a lot of air and i open it up at least once a day or more if he's acting like he wants to play. Maybe i overdid it with the air holes. man, i just want to get this thing dialed in so i can enjoy him more than i worry about him (ratio is roughly 50:50 right now; like i said, nervous Nelly).
Thank you all for your input, as a newbie i've found this site to be invaluable.

[theskyturnsgrey]

Trust me, I was in the exact same situation as you and I asked the breeder. Humidity is ultra important for my rainbow boa and this guy assured me that limiting ventilation is the most important aspect of maintaining humidity. Lots of air holes create a draft/cross ventilation which sucks moisture right out. I have had no issues since and my humidity stays at a CONSTANT 80%--right where I need it to be.