Heat vs. Humidity

My tanks humidity has been low so I switched to an UTH but its not providing enough heat so I am quite confused of what to do any advice would be very appreciated thank you

Are you sure the UTH isn't providing enough heat? Hit it with a temp gun to see the temperature your snake is exposed to, the ambient temperature isn't as important. Make sure you have that UTH on a thermostat, too.

If you still can't get enough humidity in the cage, create a "humid hide." Fill some tupperware with sphagnum moss and wet it down. Make sure its pretty full, your snake will move it around to make himself comfortable. This way, he gets the heat and humidity that he needs.

If you aren't using a digital thermometer with a probe right on the glass where the UTH is then you don't really know the temperature. All UTHs get so hot that they need to be used with a reptile thermostat to keep them from burning your animal.

Chances are it is much hotter than you think.

To increase the basking spot temp
1. get rid of bedding, go to paper towels or at least decrease the depth of the bedding
2. be sure to use a thermostat. Get an infrared thermometer. You can get one for like 18 bucks from reptile basics I think. They work great to see just what you temp is at a spot in the tank.
3. consider a bigger under tank heater.

To increase ambient temps
1. if you have an aquarium, cover 2/3rds to 3/4 of the top with foil covered cardboard. (this will also help with humidity)
2. make sure your aquarium is on an inside wall in the home, not near a window or on a colder outside wall.
3. Consider insulating 3 of the 4 walls of your aquarium on the outside with the cardboard. (Aquariums don't hold ambient temps well at all)

I now have gotten the all around temp up quite a bit and same with the humidity. My snake just had a long and struggling shed but was completed and still will not leave his hot spot hide am I just over complaining still?

Mcriddalin out of curiosity what was your humidity at before and how much after using the UTH

I now have gotten the all around temp up quite a bit and same with the humidity. My snake just had a long and struggling shed but was completed and still will not leave his hot spot hide am I just over complaining still?

It was low around 47?
but then I noticed the eye change and started frantically trying to increase it and did so as the shed started to start

If it was 47 before how much did the UTH help it increase, Mine has been horrible this time of the year at around 20% and I have thought about a UTH.

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Originally Posted by Southernshooter

If it was 47 before how much did the UTH help it increase, Mine has been horrible this time of the year at around 20% and I have thought about a UTH.

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If you are just using lamps and are having problems with humidity, get a UTH with a reptile thermostat to control it.

Lamps are what cause the humidity to fall so drastically.

For me, a UTH has not been enough to heat the entire enclosure. I need a CHE to manage temperatures throughout the day.

Keep in mind where these snakes are from. Meridian areas in Africa. Probably 95% of us in the US and Europe are not in these areas so we need heat with other considerations to duplicate the environment they are bred for. In many generations of breeding they may need something different, but I think we are a long way off from changing their DNA regarding heat.

My humidity rose drastically when I witched almost 20% increase.
Sorry but whats CHE? I have tried a farf away heat lamp with UTH but it had still sucked humidity right out of the tank.
How would I set up the UTH witha thermostat and where would I be able to get one?

One way I've increased humidity in my ball tank is to introduce a fish tank bubbler to her water dish. The humidity still decreases under lamp exposure, but at a MUCH slower rate.

I have 30% humidity in my house in the winter because of my house heater and theres no changing that, so thats what i have in my racks and displays. But what i do (and this is just me), and i've had good success now for about 2 years is when they go in shed i throw a wet towel over 2/3 of the enclosure and get a 20% bump in humidity. Then i pull it after the shed is complete.
If you can find Cypress you can mist it because its mold resistant but its hard to find this time of year. Also remember too much humidty is worse than too little.

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Originally Posted by withonor

For me, a UTH has not been enough to heat the entire enclosure. I need a CHE to manage temperatures throughout the day.

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A UTH isn't meant to heat the entire tank, it's meant to provide only belly heat. If it were hot enough to heat the tank, it would burn the snake.

How would I increase the all arpund heat without a heat lamp?

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Originally Posted by McRiddalin

How would I increase the all arpund heat without a heat lamp?

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You could either use two UTHs, both controlled with a thermostat, or you could increase the temperature of the room to around 75*.

A reptile thermostat is something you absolutely need to use with a UTH. They are hard to find in stores so you will probably have to order online. The reptitemp 500r is the cheapest thermostat that is reliable. I would order one of those ASAP.

You never said what you are measuring temps with, but if it isn't digital, then it isn't accurate.

I have a UTH (controlled by the ReptiTemp 500R) and have been using a heat lamp for the cool side/overall temp. Still haven't been able to get it much past 77. The heat lamp drops the humidity by about 15-20 per cent. I've been combating that by having 2 soaking wet paper towels in/on plastic bowls, as well as slightly dampening spots here 'n' there on the substrate paper towels. It's been working as we got a perfect shed last week, even with the humidity at just below 50. It sure is a battle, though. (We're using a glass tank, and will eventually move to a tub, which I hear is easier to control temps and humidity with.)

My dads wiring up a thermostat for me good to know an electricia haha and if taht does nto work the place where I had bought the ball python is ordering a few thermostats in and hoding one just incase.
But with my lamp at a distance facing the tank as brought up the ambient and humidity with some insulationa round my tank has rose to jsut past 50% my snake ahs been much more lively and gobbled down his meal so I think this problem has finally been solved.
Thanks for all the help
Mike