2 Questions

Hi everyone! I have 2 quick questions....

1. I bought the coconut husk substrate and it was wonderfully moist for a few days after installation. Now that it's all dried up, what's the best way to re-wet it? Misting it doesn't seem to help - it just dries out in a few hours. Should I pour a few cups of water on it around the tank and mix it all up with a fork? I want it moist, but not wet.....

2. Are 2 CHE bulbs less drying than a CHE and a red heat bulb? I have the latter combination now, and wonder if 2 CHEs would remove less humidity from the tank. Just wondering....

Many thanks!

Pamela (and OLIVER!)

Heat bulbs are heat bulbs, and will dry out tanks regardless. However, I cannot say that one dries out an area less than another. I would suggest just keeping it as is, rather than spending more money.

Don't pour cups of water into your vive... they are reptiles, not amphibians ;) that being said, I understand that misting may not seem to help much. In that case I suggest a humid hide - you can make this with just a plastic container with a hole cut in (container large enough for your snake to curl up in) and add in damp (but not wet) sphagnum moss. It is very cheap and lasts awhile. You will still need to re-dampen or change out the moss regularly though.

What type of vive do you have, by the way? Is it a glass vive with a mesh lid?

You can also try Cyrus mulch in the future as well, although I don't know if it would be any better than the coco husk. I have not used the coco husk myself.

Best of luck!

With coconut husk substrate pouring a little warm water in and mixing it up is a good way to rewet it, but you have to be very careful not to turn the cage into a swamp. Slowly pour in small amounts and mix. repeat the process until all the substrate is how you like it. You should let it completely dry out for a few days between rewetting.

I had the a similar problem with cypress mulch at 1st it was to humid out of the box .. so then I baked it and it got to dry so I would spray it down and it would dry up in a day or so .. so now im tryin spag moss I wet and rang it out in put it in most of my tubs with a humidity probe to see what it does last night eveything was sitting around 60 when I last checked .. I didnt have a chance tl check this morning so when I get of work tonight I will see what's going on .. I broke off chunks and stuck them in the corner of the tubs and if holds for a good 3/4 days around 60 I will just use it for now on .. just rewet it when needed

Don't worry, I'm slowly pouring some water in specific areas and mixing it up to get moist - not soaking wet. No swamps in my house, lol. I just wanted to make sure that there wasn't some magic trick that I didn't know about :-)

Yes, Oliver is in a 30 gallon tank with mesh kid, which is 1/2 covered with foil. We live in a draft farm house, so I need extra heat for him with the brutal cold that we've had this winter. Can't wait until it warms up in the Spring :-)