The Infamous Humidity Question

I searched, I read a bunch of threads but Im asking anyway.

Cleo is in a 15 quart tub, on papertowel with 2 hides (one of which is also a water bowl) that is all there is room for in there. I mist 2xs a day to try and keep humidity up. Temp on hot side is about 92 and ambient temps are between 78-80. Humidity however is great when i mist but falls after a few hours, this wouldnt be a problem if i didnt have that pesky thing called work that takes me out of the house 9 hours a day.
So, my question/s should I change substrate? Aspen, cypress, coconut? Im sure i can get any at the pet stores around here or from my breeder. But in the meantime how should I raise the humidity? Or should I just keep on how we are? I wont be able to go get any till saturday.

Im switching her to a bigger home once I find place for it in my house and finish making the hides. So Im assuming whatever I use to up humidity in the other tub I should use in this one. How many holes should I put in the new tub? its 32q.

1.) Coconut Mulch is your new best frined. Great, great, great for humidity. Organic, doesn't mold, absorbs odors.

2.) Upgrade to a larger water bowl

3.) Wet or heavily mist the mulch, place a large water bowl inside

4.) Make sure you have an accurate hygrometer.

I use a glass cage, not a tub, so a damp cloth over the top may not work.
The humidity should be better in plastic than glass. Others will chime in - people who use tubs. But Coco Mulch is wonderful for keeping humidity stable.

Good Luck!

Can you post a pic of the entire 15qt tub your using at the moment? I'm curious as to how many holes this tub has.

My tubs have no holes at all. There is enough of a gap between the edge of the tub and the rack that there is enough ventilation. Plus every tub is pulled out twice a day for a quick check and to completely circulate the air in there.

Many people do not need holes in the tubs. Unless there is an air tight seal between the tub and rack which isnt possible. The biggest reason people put hole in tubs is to decrease humidity. This is usually needed in smaller tubs but not with big ones. Unless of course the tub is not in a "shelf" and is being sealed off by it's own lock down lid.

Snakes dont actually breath very often when at rest. They have very efficient body systems to preserve energy.

So you can do one of a few things. Switch the tub out and start with less holes. This may mean you need to set your thermostat a couple degrees lower to compensate. Or switch substrate to something that holds humidity. Or take one hide out and replace it with a larger water bowl. Many snakes in racks/tubs do not need hides if the tub is the correct size and they are not exposed to unnatural light like lamps or room fixtures.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by iCandiBallPythons

Can you post a pic of the entire 15qt tub your using at the moment? I'm curious as to how many holes this tub has.

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It has a lot of holes they are all the way around the top. My breeder gave it to me, it was what he housed her in. But then he has a snake room which is probably nice and humid lol.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...a/IMG_1554.jpg

As you can see she isnt in a rack (i wish i had that many my bf would kill me) she gets ambient light but not direct light, and we dont spend a huge amount of time in the living room (puters in the basement and we are both nerds) so I try and keep as much light off of her as possible, especially at night.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...a/IMG_1555.jpg

The orange hide is crappy, she doesnt like it but i dont have anything that will accomodate her and fit in that tub, which is why I want to switch to a bigger one. I suppose I could put the ceramic water bowl in there but that would block her hot spot.
Also, obviously i dont go by the crappy dial thermometre/hygrometre, but for giggles it is almost exactly what my digital thermometre reads lol

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...a/IMG_1556.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...a/IMG_1557.jpg

Its missing a hide, as I made one out of clay to put in and i just need to shellac it.

I really appreciate your help, i love this site!

My tubs with lids and paper towel substrates have ridiculous humidity without trying. Maybe try putting a piece of tape over half of those holes and see what happens. With your new tub, drill a few holes and keep adding them till the humidity is okay. It's easy to add holes but you can't remove them.

If you have drilled / melted holes in the tub, try covering them. If not, you will likely have to switch substrates. Cypress mulch would be your best bet.

I would tape up some of the holes, that's prob where your humidity is going. Every room or house will differ on the amount of holes needed in the tub, some may not even need them.

Don't tape the holes up. What if they flick their tounge in the hole and it gets stuck! lol well maybe I am being a bit over the top but you can just as easily hot glue them closed.

I would say just leave one row of holes in the front and one row of holes in the back and see what that does for your humidity.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

Don't tape the holes up. What if they flick their tounge in the hole and it gets stuck! lol well maybe I am being a bit over the top but you can just as easily hot glue them closed.

I would say just leave one row of holes in the front and one row of holes in the back and see what that does for your humidity.

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I agree. If you don't have a hot glue gun, you can tape a small piece of paper or plastic wrap, or wax paper over the hole, just so they can't have access to the actual tape...

thanks guys, I will try and cover some of the holes :)