Cypress/coco husk mix + new display cage = too much humidity

I got in a new display cage for my boy Maynard, and since I've been having a lot of trouble keeping humidity up because of the heating, I decided to go with something to hold humidity as a substrate and that would look nice since he'll be in a display cage after all.

I went ahead and got a compacted brick of mixed substrate, cypress chunks and coconut husk, but to separate it I had to soak it. Well the problem is it bring the humidity up too high and I get a sort of fog on the plexi door of the tank!

I've been trying desperately to dry out the substrate in the last two days so I can finally get him in there, but I'm not having much luck. Has anybody else got this problem?

I had that issue with just cyprus mulch.. I am going to try letting it sit out in a thin layer for about 12 hours (over night) and hope that that dries it a bit.. have you tried leaving the cage open?

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Originally Posted by MommaK

I had that issue with just cyprus mulch.. I am going to try letting it sit out in a thin layer for about 12 hours (over night) and hope that that dries it a bit.. have you tried leaving the cage open?

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I've left it open for about 48 hrs now, and the substrate has been "kiln" dried in the oven at 250 F, twice, and been put through the dryer in a tied off pillowcase at least three times and it's STILL damp!

wow... ummm I have no idea what to do about it if you have already tried all that.. sorry. Is it possible that it may always hold too much humidity for the tank? have you tried putting other substrate in the tank and seeing if it does better ( you said you picked it foor looks as well as humidity) with something like aspen?

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Originally Posted by MommaK

wow... ummm I have no idea what to do about it if you have already tried all that.. sorry. Is it possible that it may always hold too much humidity for the tank? have you tried putting other substrate in the tank and seeing if it does better ( you said you picked it foor looks as well as humidity) with something like aspen?

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I haven't tried it on anything else yet, really hoping I can make this stuff work so I can pinch a few pennies (minimum wage is NOT the salary to try new snake stuff on lol). I guess if I can't get it to work in a couple days I'll dish out for some aspen or give up and go to paper towels.

Put a heat lamp over it and leave the cage door open.

Yup, the coco is a killer that way I use a mix of dry loose with the blocks I once they have been expanded. In your case can you leave the cover off for a while before you add the snake?

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Originally Posted by bsash

Put a heat lamp over it and leave the cage door open.

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+1

as many lamps as you can spare.

I use coco substrate by itself in my Angolans cage and the only time it creates a lot of humidity is when I expand a new brick by soaking it.

It always dries out fairly quickly though, and when I mist it to create higher humidity, it will only stay moist for a day or so. I really like it as substrate.

But I've never used it in conjunction with cypress...

I'm not too fluent with ball python substrates yet, but in terms of cypress mulch arent you suppose to put it in the oven anyways, unless it is provided as a for reptiles product? Just because there could be bugs and other parasites in it.

I have always found our infrared heatlamp dries out our substrate fast, which isnt entirely desirable in my case, but may allow you to achieve what you are looking for.

If that doesnt work, try spreading it out in thinner layers. That may allow your heat lamp to dry it faster.

This is all theoretical though. It just seems logically correct.