Humidity driving me nuts...

[TheKingInYellow]

My JCP's cage should be an ideal setup. Large enough, lots of climbing furniture, aspen substrate, etc, but humidity is driving me nuts.

The top is covered with a wire mesh, to which I have bolted a sheet of acrylic. The only gap is whatever gaps exist around the edge and the hole cut for an IR lamp. I know that the IR lamp will dry out the air somewhat, but I mist daily and have a *huge* water bowl in there as well.

So, I want humidity around 60% for this species. When I mist, it gets up to 80% in no time, but it drops to < 30% within an hour, maybe even within a half hour. The IR bulb is small, only 75w and it's dialed way back with a rheostat so the ambient is only about 82f.

What else can I do to get this enclosure's humidity up and stable?

[SvicksTC]

Try adding some moss to the setup? I mist multiple times a day to keep my humidity up and the next trip to the store im going to pick up some moss to add to my enclosure

[DavidG]

Try removing the acrylic and using a hot wet towel. Also, I know some BRB owners who set a wet towel on a branch under the light. Aspen molds and doesn't hold humidty very well. I recommend using Coco soft if you can find it. If not, mix eco-earth and aspen together and that should help a lot.

[skaplan86]

the moss will help a lot for humidity... Don't bother getting it at a pet store because they will overcharge. Go to Lowes or Home Depot in the gardening dept and just pick up a brick of Sphagnum Moss for like $3

[Colin Vestrand]

you'll be hard pressed to keep humidity up with that IR bulb in my opinion. but... if you mist, they will not dessicate on you... i wouldn't fret too much.

[TheKingInYellow]

Woah, post back from the dead!

Yeah, I've given up worrying about this and I'm making sure to mist once or twice a day. Zoot just shed again this week, and it was perfect again, so I must be doing something right.

I'm changing out her cage this weekend, and I'm switching from the Aspen to Jungle Bark with some CocoSoft mixed in instead. The Aspen does tend to mould a bit and the smell is less than pleasant. If it help the humidity stay up as well, all the better.

Zoot will be moving into a larger enclosure next year anyhow, and I'll switch to a radiant heat panel at that time.