I want to stop using my heat lamp but...

Currently I have a 30 gallon tank with a uth under one side for the hot side, but the cool side gets too cool if I dont have my red heat lamp on it. I have the lamp dimmed, but even so it still keeps the cool side temps a nice 80*. The problem is that I am having a heck of a time keeping my humidity where it needs to be, it usually drops to about 35% while I'm at work which is not good.

I'd like to get rid of the lamp because I've heard it doesnt help with the humidity one bit. Does anyone have suggestions for how to keep my cool side at the right temp? Could I get a small uth for under the cool side? I worry that if I do this the ambient temp might not stay around 80 because we keep our house pretty cool (around 70* in summer and even down to 65* sometimes in the winter). Could I just offer a humid hide instead of taking away the heat lamp?

Thanks! :)

I put foil over the top of the cage to keep heat and humidity in. I get a pretty consistent 79-80 F on the cool side with 60% humidity in my boas 40 G.

I use three layers of foil and secure it with foil tape leaving about a half inch gap on back for ventilation. I do the same thing with the 10 G I keep my ball in but the gap is on both sides.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jfreels

I put foil over the top of the cage to keep heat and humidity in. I get a pretty consistent 79-80 F on the cool side with 60% humidity in my boas 40 G.

I use three layers of foil and secure it with foil tape leaving about a half inch gap on back for ventilation. I do the same thing with the 10 G I keep my ball in but the gap is on both sides.

---

Do you just use 1 uth for your hot side and the foil keeps the heat in?

Thanks for the suggestion!

I left out a big piece of information, I am very sorry.

I keep my reptile room heated to upper 70's. I'm guessing your results will very. I remembered when you asked about a second UTH. Yes, that tank has a second UTH, but I have not had to use it since I started keeping the room heated....guess it's been long enough that I forgot :oops:

Ah I see, Thanks for the info!

Yea, I'm thinking I will need to purchase another uth and thermostat for the cool side then, because especially in the winter it gets quite cold in our house (saves money on heating costs :P)

I will start out doing the foil over the top as suggested and see if it holds the heat, if not then I'll get the second uth with a thermostat. The light really is a pain anyways.

I believe ceramic heat emitting bulbs don't dry out the air as much.

buy a second uth and a dimmer (save on expense) but you will want to keep the dimmer at the lowest possible setting to keep cold side temps steady. But to be honest, I think you could keep your cool side temps up if you put some foil on the lid (leave space for ventilation though).... I did it and bumped up my temps just where I needed them.

Ok, so I tried putting the foil over the lid leaving a space for ventilation and I shut off my lamp, and sprayed the enclosure a little to get humidity up...I left it alone for about two hours and the humidity dropped from 55% to 33% and the cool side dropped from 80* to 76* and still dropping. So it seems the foil is not working to well for me.

I did a search in the forum on adding moss to the substrate and I saw a few people who say it worked really well. I was thinking of trying to mix some sphagnum moss with the reptibark that I use and hopefully that will help :confused:

I put a really wet paper towel over the uncovered screen area and it keeps the humidity perfect I just spray in the enclosure and the paper towel every time it gets dry. And it stays good over night.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hunter94

I put a really wet paper towel over the uncovered screen area and it keeps the humidity perfect I just spray in the enclosure and the paper towel every time it gets dry. And it stays good over night.

---

I have been putting damp towels over the screen but its just a real pain to have to do that several times a day, plus no one is home during work hours to check it. My BP shed a few days ago and it wasnt in one piece (about 3 large pieces and a few small) even though I tried my hardest to keep the humidity up during his shed. So now I'm looking for a better alternative/more permanent alternative.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Brstin2flames

I have been putting damp towels over the screen but its just a real pain to have to do that several times a day, plus no one is home during work hours to check it. My BP shed a few days ago and it wasnt in one piece (about 3 large pieces and a few small) even though I tried my hardest to keep the humidity up during his shed. So now I'm looking for a better alternative/more permanent alternative.

---

Uhm, try dumping water in the bedding and then mix the bedding around, don't use to much water though. Also there are ways to mod the screen tops so you can keep humidity in and its a permanent solution. There is a Tut on it here but I can't find it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hunter94

Uhm, try dumping water in the bedding and then mix the bedding around, don't use to much water though.

---

I would think that dumping water and mixing it through the substrate would be a bad idea because it would be a breeding area for bacteria and mold.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Brstin2flames

I would think that dumping water and mixing it through the substrate would be a bad idea because it would be a breeding area for bacteria and mold.

---

You would be surprised how fast it drys up also I don't dump that much water in.

I used to use a couple of 20 gallon longs for QT tanks. The best way i found was to put a UTH on the bottom of the hot side and another UTH on the side of the tank on the oposite end. The one on the side of the tank doesn't need any temp controlls and it will give it a nice ambiant warm area. Just use the little Zoo med one.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Brstin2flames

I would think that dumping water and mixing it through the substrate would be a bad idea because it would be a breeding area for bacteria and mold.

---

When i notice my snakes getting ready to shed i dump a cup of water into the substrate right aboce the UTH. They have perfect sheds every time and the water dries in a couple days.

This is the set up that I have found works the best for me:

1) My house stays in the 70s year round.
2) I have my hot side with a UTH set to 96 degrees (never raises above 93 at the substrate) and a 40watt heat lamp set on a dimmer which switches on for 2 hours and off for 1 throughout the day (same with a night bulb). I worry about my bedding soaking up too much of the heat so I supplement with the heat lamp to warm the hide.
3) I have a Fluker's mini dripper on my cool side which SLOWLY drips into a tiny serving cup filled with spahgnum moss which I change weekly.
4) I have spahgnum moss also in clumps throughout the cage over my aspen bedding which I spray down 2x daily and change weekly (the moss, not the bedding, which gets changed when needed).
5) I have 5-6 foil covered cardboard panels on the top of my screened tank cover which help to hold in heat and humidity.
6) I mist the edges of the glass 2x daily with a spray bottle making sure to get my fake plant and mopani wood which will hold the water a little while longer than the glass.

It sounds like a lot, but I got all of my supplies cheap and I only futz with the tank when I get home from work (about noon) and before I go to bed (about 8pm). My ambient temp is in the high 70s, low 80s; my hot side is low 90s; my humidity is 50s without extra spraying and higher when I adjust for sheds (more moss, foil, and drips). Hope some of this helps!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bpqueen

This is the set up that I have found works the best for me:

1) My house stays in the 70s year round.
2) I have my hot side with a UTH set to 96 degrees (never raises above 93 at the substrate) and a 40watt heat lamp set on a dimmer which switches on for 2 hours and off for 1 throughout the day (same with a night bulb). I worry about my bedding soaking up too much of the heat so I supplement with the heat lamp to warm the hide.
3) I have a Fluker's mini dripper on my cool side which SLOWLY drips into a tiny serving cup filled with spahgnum moss which I change weekly.
4) I have spahgnum moss also in clumps throughout the cage over my aspen bedding which I spray down 2x daily and change weekly (the moss, not the bedding, which gets changed when needed).
5) I have 5-6 foil covered cardboard panels on the top of my screened tank cover which help to hold in heat and humidity.
6) I mist the edges of the glass 2x daily with a spray bottle making sure to get my fake plant and mopani wood which will hold the water a little while longer than the glass.

It sounds like a lot, but I got all of my supplies cheap and I only futz with the tank when I get home from work (about noon) and before I go to bed (about 8pm). My ambient temp is in the high 70s, low 80s; my hot side is low 90s; my humidity is 50s without extra spraying and higher when I adjust for sheds (more moss, foil, and drips). Hope some of this helps!

---

Wow definitely!! Thanks so much for sharing you're setup. Looks like I'll be busy this weekend messing around with my setup :)

Also, where did you get you're dripper? That sounds like a great idea. The humidity in my house can be super low sometimes with our AC and heat going, that would probably help a lot!

Here's the closest thing to a pic that I have of my 40 G setup now...

http://adventurousguy.com/other/rack.jpg

I'll try and get an up close pic Friday. And since I anticipate comments, her matching hide is in the dishwasher, my ball is in the blacked out 10 G upper right, yes I use non-toxic no-fragrance wipes to spot clean, I need to learn cable management, mealworms/superworm colonies in the drawers........think that covers most of it.

I found the mini dripper at a local pet store, but ReptileSupply.com has it as well for a good price plus shipping. I try to order many things from them at once to offset the shipping. The link would be http://www.reptilesupply.com/product...oducts_id=1283

You also can get a foam core back board at a craft store and cut it to fit 3 sides of the tank to help insulate and make it seem a little more secure and sightly. I live in FL, so I have a cardboard one for now, but may upgrade it in the winter if I need a little better temp regulation. Good luck!