Humidity Tips?

I have a 29 gallon fish tank that I am currently housing my 2 bps in (I am awaiting funds to build them each their own tank. should have enough with my next paycheck. http://www.arbreptiles.com/cages/4x2.shtml). I have an uth on the warm side a UV heat light on cooler side and a basking light on the cool side. Temps are warm belly 92/cool belly 81/ and ambient is 80-84. I have a screen top that has been covered with aluminum foil and duct tape. I have holes cut for both the UV and basking lamps that are the same size as each lamp. I also cut a 5”x5” whole in the screen for ventilation and I set two pieces of foam poster board over them to help keep the heat in. I currently use aspen bedding. With winter coming the outside humidity is dropping and I’m seeing the effects on my hydrometer. I have to mist 2-4 times a day to keep the humidity at 50% any ideas on how I can help raise the humidity to reduce misting?

Get a tub.

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Originally Posted by omnibus2

Get a tub.

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That, or get rid of the heat lamp... they suck out humidity like you wouldn't believe. If you don't do one or the other (tubs or removing the lamp), you'll be stuck misting on a daily basis - trust me, I've been there. :oops: Then I switched mine over to tubs/rack, and now have trouble keeping the humidity low enough!

P.S. If the temps get too low without the lamp, just add a second UTH or get a bigger one.

After doing the foil thing, and trying to go without a heat lamp today, I've found out that humidity and a pretty steady temp will happen if you take a decently moist towel (not dripping or anything, but wet) and drape it over about two thirds of the tank. keeps my humidity from 65 to 72%. If its too humid, knock it back an inch or two. Works amazingly well, in my opinion.

P.S. Pickles is shedding, thats why the humidity is a little high.

I used a heat lamp at first when I got my BP a little under 2 years ago. I found that keeping humidity up was next to impossible. Instead I just put a second heat pad in under a second, smaller plastic container that was sealed with holes in the top. I also put some aluminum foil over 3/4 of the tanks screen top.

The water evaporates into the tank and keeps the humidity at almost perfect levels all the time. I also have a glass tank, but a tub would definitly help keep humidity up if you had real humidity problems. I also live in SouthWest Florida so keeping humidity up isn't too hard :D

In the winter (when the humidity is low in your house) i'll throw a damp towel over 2/3 of the top of the cage and i'll usually get a 20% bump in humidity.In the summer i'll just do this during shed. You can switch to cypress as this emits more humidity but will also eventually dry out. But the benefits of cypress is that if you wanted to mist it resists mold and you can re-dampen it . Act soon as its tough to find cypress in the winter.

Something some folks with Rainbow Boas do is place a small pan or container of damp moss or bark bedding in the cage--the snakes can choose if they want to sit in the damp area occasionally, and the damp substrate will keep the humidity a lot higher in the cage. (You do have to watch they don't spend all of their time in there, risking skin infections).

Won't draping a damp towel over the top eventually rust the screen?

Eventually, it probably would rust the screen, but since they are building seperate enclosures anyway, a week or two won't. I myself am only using it as a quick fix, while the auto mister comes. Still one of the absolute best quick fixes EVER for humidity. I've tried foil. and paper towels in the tank. and I still had to mist the tank upwards of 6 times a day. Damp towel? none, and humidity stays at 70%. Very, very nice fix.