Humidity......its just not that hard

Probably the biggest issue used to discourage housing in tanks, yet it is no trouble to maintain the recommended 50 to 60 percent range, and even raise for shed without misting.
Regular humidity is maintained perfectly with evaporation of water from water bowl and a 2 dollar hand towel covering 90% of the screen lid. Tnen if you want higher, set a second water dish, small but deep directly on the glass floor over the heat mat and it will slowly cook the water to raise to higher level. Its just not hard.
I do believe in covering the sides of glass and back with $1.50 worth of poster board and I do believe in tne right size tank. A twenty long is fine for most small adult males......I am not against plastic cages, but why spend 3 times the money when the tank is fine. I know others will disagree, yet what I have reported works. I am doing it right now..........just my opinion......not sure why there is so much stress over humidity.

Maintaining humidity is way more annoying in a tank than a plastic tub. I haven't seen anyone on here tell people to avoid using a tank, just that tubs are easier to maintain. I have my two tropical frogs in glass tanks with mesh lids, and my python in a plastic tub. The tanks aren't what I'd call 'hard' to maintain, but the tub is a lot more constant with less work.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by robeyeshua

Probably the biggest issue used to discourage housing in tanks, yet it is no trouble to maintain the recommended 50 to 60 percent range, and even raise for shed without misting.
Regular humidity is maintained perfectly with evaporation of water from water bowl and a 2 dollar hand towel covering 90% of the screen lid. Tnen if you want higher, set a second water dish, small but deep directly on the glass floor over the heat mat and it will slowly cook the water to raise to higher level. Its just not hard.
I do believe in covering the sides of glass and back with $1.50 worth of poster board and I do believe in tne right size tank. A twenty long is fine for most small adult males......I am not against plastic cages, but why spend 3 times the money when the tank is fine. I know others will disagree, yet what I have reported works. I am doing it right now..........just my opinion......not sure why there is so much stress over humidity.

---

I agree, although for peeps who have lots of snakes a rack system probably saves a lot of money. Tanks are more appealing to the eye as well.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Good posting and spot on robeyeshua

Just to add some specifics:

Sometimes it depends on what area you live in and what's in the room though. Some people living in Arizona have problems with humidity in general. I'm in eastern Pennsylvania with a 125 gallon and a 75 gallon turtle tanks so glass enclosures aren't typically hard for me to keep humid when my apartment stays around 50% constantly.

I have seen people suggest placing the water bowl over the hot spot...excuse my ignorance but doesn't doing so make the water too warm for the snake to drink? Also, if you put the bowl over the hot spot doesn't it cover up much of what is available for the snake to use? I guess these issues could be solved by using 2 water bowls and a large hot spot or small water bowl.

Water does not get too hot to drink. Water evaporates much quicker than people think. I have a seven inch water bowl 2 inches deep not even on the heat pad and am maintaining 55%. My uth extends beyond the warm side hide and helps heat the tank to recommended ambient, and gives me room for that extra water bowl if I choose to raise humidity. Tonight, when I was working with tank, in taking the towel off, the humidity in tank on hygrometer dropped to 35 % within seconds. After putting the towel back on it was at 55% within 2 hours. It works.......try it. Happy New Year from Kentucky!

Do you have to mist in the winter time?

You must live in a pretty humid place then, I battle humidity everyday here in Alberta Canada, specially right now, winter time. In my room the ambient humidity is at 20-30 %at the moment, terrible.
For my tank I have to cover the top with tin foil and towel, I also have tons of Sphagnum moss within the enclosure and still have to mist in the morning and before bed to keep 55% humidity, If I dont it drops to 40% easy. Its a very dry province I live in, people get nosebleeds all the time from it and every part of your body feels dry and crusty without lotion, chapsticks are a big hit because of lips being too dry as well.

But Yeah its not that "easy". It all depends on where you live really in my opinion.

I have 2 water bowls, about the size of a PB&J sandwich. Had to mist 3 or 4 times a day, I would change his water every 12 hours with warm, and drench the nylon plants with warm water. But some pretty smart guys on here gave me a really good tip to add water to my substrate. Now no more misting and never gets over 65%.

Borg, it's been dry here too. What kind of substrate are you using?

I use eco earth coconut substrate to aid humidity. People have said to mix it in with bark as well or cypress mulch to better air humidity. I also have a giant water ball near on the warm side for the same purpose. But yeah its still been hard to control humidity for me. Dont really know what else to do other than result to an actual timed misting device.

I pour a little water in at a time and stir it around with my finger. When you clean his tank, if you have an old pot or container, you can put your substrate in and pour boiling water over it to sterilize and recharge the moisture. You want to obviously drain all the excess off. If it produces water when you squeeze a clump of it, it's still too wet and should continue to squeeze and drain. If you blow on the substrate and it makes a dust tornado it's too dry.

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...1/sam_2576.jpg

Thanks for the info. But I'm a bit confused on who to believe here. Some people say its not good to keep the substrate damp like that because it could cause belly rot, any truth to this?

I can't say first hand as I've never experienced belly rot, but the 2 guys who recommended to add some water have been around awhile.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Darkbird

I never understand people having issues with coconut husk drying out too much. If it drys out that fast you have too much airflow. I actually had to cut it with cypress to bring the humidity back down in a couple tubs I had setup. I think people are just surprised at how much water it really takes to moisten it back up once you let it get dry, and misting just won't cut it at that point. I regularly pour water directly into my substrate, which is currently a mix of cypress and husk, and within a half hour or lessit has soaked in and my humidity is back. To give an example, i just yesterday dumped nearly a half gallon of water into one of my GTP cages, which is an exo-terra 18"×18"×24". Most of the screen top is covered, and now that cage will maintian humidity another week or so, even with hkw dry my house is right now.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Snakeballs

Not much at all, just enough to make it slightly crumbly. I would say about a 1/4 to < 1/2 cup of water, to about an inch deep layer in an exoterra 20 gal long tank.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PitonThePrawl

Not adding enough. I buy the bricks and it takes a gallon to a gallon and a half to blow it up.
Even if you are buying the bag stuff it will hold a lot of water. Try adding a full cup or two and make sure you mix it very well

---

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ubstrate/page3

Could also try some moss. I managed to get some in before my guys shed last night. He was rubbing his head on it to get the shed started I assume. Some moss sprayed with your water bottle will add some percentage too.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...damp+substrate

More on humidity

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...damp+substrate

I might have a different definition of damp but I wouldn't even really call my substrate damp. Moist feels like the right word lol.

Edit:

Another thing to consider. Look at the manufacturers picture. Looks about like mine does.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/images...8I-reptile.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Borgpython

You must live in a pretty humid place then, I battle humidity everyday here in Alberta Canada, specially right now, winter time. In my room the ambient humidity is at 20-30 %at the moment, terrible.
For my tank I have to cover the top with tin foil and towel, I also have tons of Sphagnum moss within the enclosure and still have to mist in the morning and before bed to keep 55% humidity, If I dont it drops to 40% easy. Its a very dry province I live in, people get nosebleeds all the time from it and every part of your body feels dry and crusty without lotion, chapsticks are a big hit because of lips being too dry as well.

But Yeah its not that "easy". It all depends on where you live really in my opinion.

---

True that!! I feel your pain. Struggling with the same issues in Niagara Canada. It's prob not a craz dry as Alberta but our winters still pack a pretty punch

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by robeyeshua

I am not against plastic cages, but why spend 3 times the money when the tank is fine.

---

I personally think that different terrariums are like cars. Some people love driving their Honda while other prefer a Porsche. It sounds snobby, but it's the truth. I have 3 PVC display tanks and I love them because not only do they look great, I don't have to check up on them every day and be worried whether the humidity and temperature is right. There's nothing wrong with glass terrariums but if you don't have a wet rag hanging on it, you won't be able to keep up the proper humidity. Also, heat escapes very easily in glass terrariums so you're using more energy just to keep up the temps. Just my 2 cents...

This will be my last post on this subject. I love plastic cages, yet I was trying to address this humidity issue that eats up much space on the board. I live in Kentucky....average weather. I get it if you live in low humidity areas. In most of the country, humidity can be maintained at the common recommended 50 to 60 percent in a glass tank with a screen lid covered partially by a hand towel and a nice water dish in the tank to create humidity. I have no dripping rags. It is winter here. Yesterday the humidity outside was in the thirties. I was maintaining 55 percent with the above setup. Today it rained outside. I am maintaining 65 percent with the same setup. Simple science says that water will evaporate period. That evaporation will be enhanced if the water bowl has heat applied to it. In closing, I drive a Kia Rio, I am a small keeper, less than ten animals, I like to see the animals. I am not a beginner. It will work for some, not for others. It is working perfectly for me and it will work perfectly for some others. Enough time spent on this subject. I have heard the saying, fish tanks are for fish. It is just not completely true. Thousands of small hobbyist keep small collections in tanks. I appreciate everyones input, but yet wish I would have never posted to begin with. Rants and smart alec big shot keepers are the reason I left this forum many months ago and will leave again. It is also the reason most very large professional keepers never post which would be fun as this is the premiere forum for balls. Happy New Year and Sionora.....adios....good day....later gater....and please remove this post from the forum moderators. Thanks.....respectfully, Robert