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Humidity Question

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  • 12-07-2012, 11:20 AM
    kitedemon
    Re: Humidity Question
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TheSnakeGuy View Post
    All of those round analog thermometers are unreliable. Digital with a probe is the only way to go. ...

    http://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/...ps76f47eb5.jpg

    I too recommend the exact hygrometer. I calibrate instruments as part of my job. Yes there are digital units that have higher accuracy than the posted analogue. They are generally called PSYCHROMETERS and are fragile and hand held, The cheap ones that have an accuracy of 2-6%RH generally run in the 200$ range better ones with a 1% accuracy are in the 500$ range. They are fussy and frail (dropping it is often the end of the unit) I would not suggest them ever. The cheap digital hygrometers are cheap. The use a micro resistance to detect the change in RH and most common ones are 5-10% accuracy. To me 10% up or down from correct seems a bit much some have even worse at 20% which is about the same as licking your finger and timing the time it takes to dry.

    The little analogue dial one posted has a METAL face card. This is the issue with the junk ones the card warps in humid conditions and jams the needles swing. The unit posted also has a calibration screw. I have own 25 of these units and have owned 30 digital units the best digital unit is 3% RH off the worst is 55% off (low it got peed on and that is all she wrote.) The worst of the analogue was 3% and I then corrected it. I test them every 6 months with a salt test and adjust them as needed they almost always are spot on the test which is only accurate to 1% so all average 1% error.

    So 10$ analogue buys you 1% accuracy, and 500$ buys you a digital unit with 1% accuracy. I tend to feel that robust and cheap beats fragile and expensive. Don't believe me test them your self. You can do a salt test (google) on the analogue and buy a test kit for the digital (salt tests are hard on them digital are fragile and cannot be dusty dirty or damaged)
  • 12-10-2012, 11:31 AM
    yellowbelly76
    Re: Humidity Question
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant View Post
    Changing heat sources

    Changing cage types

    Covering the screen top of a class cage

    Changing substrate

    Adding a humid hide to the cage

    Getting a larger water dish (more surface area)


    This humidity issue is kicking my butt. It seems drop to about 42% +/-. I mist, but that doesn't seem to last very long (maybe I am not misting enough), and therefore, I am misting often. When I mist, it typically hits about 70% on the hygro, but within a few hours, is back down again.

    I have most of the top covered, half with a thick piece of plexi-glass under the screen, and last night I put foil and foil tape over most of the other half (left an opening where the heat lamp is). I am not sure what you mean by a "humid hide". I have to small hide boxes that I got from reptile basics. I have not replaced the water dish with a larger one yet, but I will try that tonight. I am trying to accomplish all of this without spending a fortune, so I don't think a different cage is possible at this point. The substrate will be the next step, if a larger water dish doesn't have an affect on the humidity. I would cover the entire top with plexi, but the heat lamp caused it to warp a little, and if the UTH doesn't affect ambient temps in the tank, then I need to continue to use the lamp.

    I've been fighting this issue for about a week now...how much more can my snake handle before I run into health problems? He didn't accepts his first meal with me yesterday. Not sure what that was about...using a separate feeding bin, mouse was practically dead, etc. I just want my BP to be happy and healthy.
  • 12-10-2012, 11:41 AM
    JohnNJ
    Go to Home Depot and buy natural sea sponges. They are in the paint aisle.

    Rinse the sponge out completely, spray it with a disinfectant like chlorhexadine. Let it sit for a bit and rinse it out again.

    Wet it but don't squeeze out the water. Just let it drip out and pop it in a water bowl. Put the sponge/bowl in the tank. Place a piece of cardboard on top of the tank screen.

    Repeat every few days. Leave more water in the sponge during sheds.

    Good luck.
  • 12-10-2012, 11:46 AM
    yellowbelly76
    Re: Humidity Question
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by JohnNJ View Post
    Go to Home Depot and buy natural sea sponges. They are in the paint aisle.

    Rinse the sponge out completely, spray it with a disinfectant like chlorhexadine. Let it sit for a bit and rinse it out again.

    Wet it but don't squeeze out the water. Just let it drip out and pop it in a water bowl. Put the sponge/bowl in the tank. Place a piece of cardboard on top of the tank screen.

    Repeat every few days. Leave more water in the sponge during sheds.

    Good luck.

    I presume this is in addition the existing water bowl, and not putting the sponge in the normal water bowl? Regarding the cardboard...should it cover the entire top of the tank screen (minus the heat lamp area of course)?
  • 12-10-2012, 11:58 AM
    JohnNJ
    Re: Humidity Question
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by yellowbelly76 View Post
    I presume this is in addition the existing water bowl, and not putting the sponge in the normal water bowl? Regarding the cardboard...should it cover the entire top of the tank screen (minus the heat lamp area of course)?

    Your presumption is correct. Use a different bowl for the sponge.

    Base the coverage of the top screen on your temp and humidity reading. Start with it covered and move from there. If the humidity reads correctly but the temp gets too high, use a lower wattage bulb. You want to use the least amount of cardboard you can to achieve the desired results. You want to get fresh air in the tank too.

    Not sure where you are but this is something I did in the winter and during sheds. The humidity was ok in the summer.
  • 12-10-2012, 12:16 PM
    yellowbelly76
    Re: Humidity Question
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by JohnNJ View Post
    Your presumption is correct. Use a different bowl for the sponge.

    Base the coverage of the top screen on your temp and humidity reading. Start with it covered and move from there. If the humidity reads correctly but the temp gets too high, use a lower wattage bulb. You want to use the least amount of cardboard you can to achieve the desired results. You want to get fresh air in the tank too.

    Not sure where you are but this is something I did in the winter and during sheds. The humidity was ok in the summer.

    I'm in PA, so it is the winter months, and the air is much drier than it would be in the summer. I may not have such humidity problems come the summer months. However, I don't think my bp will be tolerate low humidity for that long. That's why I am trying so much to get it right, and get it quickly. I'll look at different substrate next. I am using carpet right now cause I thought it would be easier to maintain, and change out at cleanings. However, someone suggested problems with mildew/mold when using carpet, and cypress would hold humidity better.

    Could placing his normal water bowl closer to where the UTH is help with humidity? The bowl is in the center of the tank, and the UTH on the right side, bottom. I know that part of the problem is the heat lamp, which everyone suggest will eat up humidity. However, with the lamp, I am only getting the cool side to 77 degrees. If I get rid of the lamp, I have no idea how low it will drop.
  • 12-10-2012, 12:34 PM
    kitedemon
    Re: Humidity Question
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by yellowbelly76 View Post
    I presume this is in addition the existing water bowl, and not putting the sponge in the normal water bowl? Regarding the cardboard...should it cover the entire top of the tank screen (minus the heat lamp area of course)?

    NO! humidity warmth and low air flow grow bacteria and fungi both can lead to RI. This is basically making what in human terms is 'sick building syndrome' blocking air flow is a poor unsafe way to increase humidity.

    Misting is useless it is not enough water for too short a time. Clearly you know this already. I have made a suggestion why not try it out? It is safer than using stagnation to increase the humidy.

    Perhaps you should read the sticky on RI you are walking down the 'petri dish' road.

    http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ons-The-Basics
  • 12-10-2012, 01:13 PM
    yellowbelly76
    Re: Humidity Question
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by kitedemon View Post
    NO! humidity warmth and low air flow grow bacteria and fungi both can lead to RI. This is basically making what in human terms is 'sick building syndrome' blocking air flow is a poor unsafe way to increase humidity.

    Misting is useless it is not enough water for too short a time. Clearly you know this already. I have made a suggestion why not try it out? It is safer than using stagnation to increase the humidy.

    Perhaps you should read the sticky on RI you are walking down the 'petri dish' road.

    http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ons-The-Basics

    I am willing to try many things that have been suggested. I just wanted to clarify, before I do something wrong. I am a new bp owner, and I will have many questions as I try to resolve issues that I have.

    Regarding your suggestion, it's not a matter of not wanting to try it. I just wanted to have a series of things that I could attempt. Due to space availability in the house, laying the tank on its side isn't something that I can do right now. The tank sits on a stand that was build for it, and can only go on the one way. Once I am ready to upgrade his home, as he gets bigger, I will look into other options. For now, I have to make what I have work.
  • 12-10-2012, 01:36 PM
    yellowbelly76
    Re: Humidity Question
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by kitedemon View Post
    http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...arium-Solution


    When I used an open top tank I had a very simple method, I was using coco coir and placed tupperware sandwich container in the bottom of the cool side, filled the substrate into the tank banked 3 inches on the cool side and 1/8 on the warm. It formed a small hill, I then when the RH dropped I just pushed my finger to make a hole to the container buried under the substrate and filled it with water (80º water). This would be absorbed by the substrate (under the top layer) and evaporation would take over it is too much water to evaporate in a few hours so it lasted me in the winter (30%RH room) for 4-7 days.

    Regarding your use of coco in your open top tank...did you buy the brick, and then get it wet to break it apart and spread in your tank? Also, you would just fill the hole from your finger with the warm water, versus trying to fill the entire container under the coco? Your 3 inches on the cool side was so that the sandwich container was just covered by coco, correct?
  • 12-10-2012, 08:32 PM
    yellowbelly76
    Re: Humidity Question
    I got home for work, and the temps were 79.2 and 91.7 with 43% humidity. I tried the wet towel again, spreading it out more over the open area. Now getting 79.3 and 91.9 with 52%. I'm going to try to move the water bowl more over the spot where the UTH is, and see what that does. I'll keep trying different things, and if needed, I'll get a diff substrate on Friday when I am off work.
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