Ventilation in PVC cages

I have two PVC cages from a local cage builder and I’m really starting to feel like there is not enough ventilation.

Basically, if I use any substrate that is meant to maintain humidity (such as reptichip or prococo), the humidity is at 85-90% and condensation forms on the glass. It only goes away and starts to lower when the substrate is bone dry, and then, of course, it gets dusty, which I don’t want. So essentially in order for the humidity to stay in a reasonable range I have to use a solid paper type substrate.

I am looking for suggestions as for how to add a little more airflow. Obviously, I could just add more slits under the ventilation that is already there, but I was wondering if adding a small plastic circular vent might be an easier, more effective solution? I don’t want to add so much airflow that it affects the heat and humidity retention in a negative way, but I just don’t want it to be SO stuffy.

Here is a picture of the current vent. There is one on the other side of the cage as well, and of course there’s a small maybe 1/4 inch gap between the sliding glass doors. The cage is 4’x2’x18”

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...a71d577335.jpg

Does that seem like not enough to you guys, or is it just me? I really have no clue how to tell other than I feel like the amount of condensation that builds up is telling.



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That's what I personally hated about the plastic cages I had a while back. They were easy to drill extra holes in, & you can just as easily tape over them (on
the outside, of course) if you change your mind (-if it's too much air flow). More work to install a fancy round vent, but your call.

I’d start by letting your substrate air out in a tub/bucket/something before drilling into your nice cage. I had the same issue when I got my pvc enclosures a few years ago. Definitely don’t need to soak the reptichip as thoroughly as they suggest. I break it off in big chunks, break those apart and then give them a quick rinse in a hefty tub under my shower head for a couple seconds. Then break it up and mix it real well. I do that in batches big enough to fill the enclosure and then have leftovers for spot cleaning


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by jmcrook

I’d start by letting your substrate air out in a tub/bucket/something before drilling into your nice cage. I had the same issue when I got my pvc enclosures a few years ago. Definitely don’t need to soak the reptichip as thoroughly as they suggest. I break it off in big chunks, break those apart and then give them a quick rinse in a hefty tub under my shower head for a couple seconds. Then break it up and mix it real well. I do that in batches big enough to fill the enclosure and then have leftovers for spot cleaning


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The substrate is definitely not soaking wet when I put it in - I barely get it wet to begin with, just enough to break it off and have it expand, and I’ve left it to air out for up to 3 days before putting it in and it never makes a difference. If the substrate is anything other than 100% dry, the humidity is insane. For instance, it’s currently been over 2 weeks since I last replaced all the substrate. The day I put it in the humidity spiked to 90%...... today the humidity is still at 87% and there’s condensation all over half of the glass. I’m using a RHP so it should be drying out way faster if there was adequate airflow.




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I've just drilled some hole in my Pvc cages. Since my vents are on the back, I wanted a little more cross flow from the sides.

Put ventilation holes high up on the warm side, and lower in the walls on the cool side. This will encourage flow-through.

You could also try setting up a small/personal-sized fan to blow air in through the gap in the doors to see if that makes a difference before you start putting holes in the enclosure.