Humidity problems

Okay. To get the temp up I have two options, considering the UTH (ZooMed) isn't getting the hot side quite hot enough (the temp gun comes on Tuesday to be absolutely sure, but basically I am almost positive the temps work on my in tank thermometers due to something else I own).

1. Shine my lamp over the tub. Downfall: her cage is in my room so it makes my room very bright. But this keeps humidity nearly perfect also.

2. Set my heat fan on the dresser close to the tub and set the temp on it. Keeps the temps
Right, but zaps the humidity out of the enclosure.

Is there any way I can add humidity aside from adding water? I assume not but her dish is already kinda full. Would adding another tiny water dish even do that much good? Right now the humidity is below 40 in there.

When I get up for the day I'll turn the lamp back on but I'd love to have option B work somehow so how can I increase the humidity?

She's in a tub with Aspen substrate.


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You could make a humid hide very easy with a Tupperware container with moss inside or switch to cypress mulch or eco earth. That will holf moisture alot better and bump the humidity... the uth is to provide a hot spot right around 90 and thats about all they do. They unfortunately wont raise the ambiant temp more than a degree or two..also is your uth regulated?

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Originally Posted by frostysBP

You could make a humid hide very easy with a Tupperware container with moss inside or switch to cypress mulch or eco earth. That will holf moisture alot better and bump the humidity... the uth is to provide a hot spot right around 90 and thats about all they do. They unfortunately wont raise the ambiant temp more than a degree or two..also is your uth regulated?

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What about buying a humidifier that lets out a "warm mist"?

The humidity right now is around 37%. It was like 60% with the lamp on it. Do you think Eco earth or mulch will improve the humidity enough?

How do you regulate a UTH? I mean, I think it is.


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A uth must be plugged in and regulated by a thermostat. ..uth unregulated can get well over 110 and can burn snakes.I highly recommend any herpstat brand thermostat....there are cheaper routes like hydrofarm. You could also use a lamp dimmer in the mean time... I switch a few of my species to cypress come winter here in Minnesota. . You can mist it and it doesn't mold....if you are located in the Minneapolis area there are a few really good reptile shop that have everything you need there...one is twin citys reptiles...they have ve thermostats in stock (very good models to) and all your substrates...there are some very knowledgeable keepers and breeders there. Are you gauges analog or digital?

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It's plugged in and it's on; it seems like there's nothing I could do to manipulate it. It doesn't feel very warm to the touch, I think it's alright. A temp gun is coming Tuesday though, I ordered it from Amazon. And okay, I'll go buy Cypress today. Would it be cheaper at a place like Twin Cities Reptiles vs. Petsmart? My therms are one of each but like I said I have other things temp controlled in my house I can use as baselines so I know my therms are pretty accurate but I bought the temp gun to be absolutely sure. PS I live in St. Paul.


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I would highly suggest you unplug the uth until it is regulated they can do serious damage very quick. Look up snake burns on here and you will see way im saying this....I would highly suggest going to twin city's reptiles....it in snt paul on university ave...great place with great people and 1000s of different reptiles..you name it they probably have it...the owner breeds alot of his own anmals and is a great guy and most of his employees are hobbist breeders...I believe they carry thebhoobystat thatbis pretty affordable.

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I know my UTH isn't too hot. I do know it's temp. It's the humidity that's the main concern right now being too dry. When I add the lamp heat vs. the heat fan the humidity is perfect. But then I can't sleep bc it's just a regular bulb. I'll go to TCR and see what they suggest- light or mulch. Can't wait to check this place out, thanks!


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The Hydrofarm "Jump Start" T-Stats work fine for UTH's, are relatively cheap, and ship quickly from Amazon. You can also use them to regulate heat tape. Herpstats and VEs are probably a better choice, but are really only a necessity if you need a proportional thermostat, e.g. to regulate radiant heat panels. I also use humid hides in the dryer months...and your snake WILL use them when it needs them.

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Originally Posted by scalrtn

The Hydrofarm "Jump Start" T-Stats work fine for UTH's, are relatively cheap, and ship quickly from Amazon. You can also use them to regulate heat tape. Herpstats and VEs are probably a better choice, but are really only a necessity if you need a proportional thermostat, e.g. to regulate radiant heat panels. I also use humid hides in the dryer months...and your snake WILL use them when it needs them.

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When I go to this specialty reptile store when it opens, will they have humid hides or is it just a hide with some moss inside?


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It might not feel to warm not but they can really quick. ..if the light is bothering you you canbget a ceramic heat emitter (che) it only puts out heat not light ...pricy but they last for years.http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10...2f2f35e288.jpg

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I get your point. I promise it's set up correctly and she won't get burned. Like I said this thread was about my humidity problem but thanks for your concern about her UTH.


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http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10...b8e935c457.jpgHumidity hides can be made easy by adding moss to a hide or using a Tupperware container like this...if you change to cypress or eco earth type substrate you wont need the extra humid hide...im not preaching it to be mean or anything I just don't want to see you learn the hard way thats all.I have had one melt and pop my house breaker before and lucky didnt hurt my snake or burn my parents house down at the time.....to lighten the mode walking dead tomorrow! !!
Ps thats store is addicting....

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Originally Posted by frostysBP

Humidity hides can be made easy by adding moss to a hide or using a Tupperware container like this...if you change to cypress or eco earth type substrate you wont need the extra humid hide...im not preaching it to be mean or anything I just don't want to see you learn the hard way thats all.I have had one melt and pop my house breaker before and lucky didnt hurt my snake or burn my parents house down at the time.....to lighten the mode walking dead tomorrow! !!
Ps thats store is addicting....

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Okay I have a dumb question - can I use my soldering gun to cut a hole in the top? The tupperware I bought to use as her water dish has kind of a thick plastic green lid, not a nice thin clear one like the one you showed me. I didn't take offense to your info re: UTH, I was just saying I know that part is okay I just need to perfect the humidity. Are you sure using cypress/eco earth as the substrate would fix it and raise it by that many degrees? I guess that's the kind of question I'll ask at the store when it opens!

Yes, Walking Dead tomorrow. The Fan Premiere in NYC looked epic from the pictures I saw. :yes:

Yes cypress holds moisture great and you can mist it without it molding. ..I use a soldering iron to do mine.

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Originally Posted by frostysBP

Yes cypress holds moisture great and you can mist it without it molding. ..I use a soldering iron to do mine.

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Do you think I would need to mist it? I used the soldering iron to do the holes but I was wondering if it'd get way too smoky if I tried to do an entire hole.

I do it in my garage it gets a little smokey. Probably once a week on misting time will tell for that. Depending on how many holes you put in the tub you could plug some up as well...if your on face book stop by my page J&M Up North Exotics

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Originally Posted by frostysBP

I do it in my garage it gets a little smokey. Probably once a week on misting time will tell for that. Depending on how many holes you put in the tub you could plug some up as well...if your on face book stop by my page J&M Up North Exotics

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http://i.imgur.com/n34QJa3.png
Don't worry, I put another hide in there; its a lot more cluttered. This was before I got my snake and was still setting up. But you can see the holes. There aren't any on the top or sides.

In order for a tub or rack setup to work with just a uth, you have to keep the room ambient temp up, 75 or higher. UTH will make a hot spot but isn't going to do much for warming the tub air up. Right now work on temps and don't worry about humidity, bps do not need super high humidity, if your snake goes into shed you can mist the tub daily and he will be just fine. I run a small room humidifier in my reptile room and have no problems.

If raising temps isn't an option you need to think about getting a plastic cage you can add a radiant heat panel to or a tank with some lamps to get your warm side up. Thermostats are needed to control any source of heat, I use herpstats. If your uth is not on one please unplug it, warm to the touch means it's quite hot since it must be over your body temp. They can spike in temp and run unevenly, burns are not worth risking.

I have a heat fan right next to her cage and I can set it high enough. I also close my bedroom door when I'm not at home to trap the heat a bit (and not let my curious feline in). The humidity only reads 34% though; I'm definitely changing the substrate as I don't want to use a lamp/prefer the fan plus darkness. :)


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UPDATE: Went and bought Cypress Mulch and the humidity went up to over seventy. Wow. So I punched a few holes in the top and now it seems perfect! Thanks for the suggestion guys!


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You have to get a thermostat no matter what.

TCR has some Vivarium Electronics models, and Spyder Robotics makes Herpstat.

EVERY heat source you use needs to be regulated.

Your cypress will eventually dry out and you'll be misting and using humid hides. Lights burn humidity out fast.

Also keep and eye on your snake's belly. Cypress is great but our royal would start getting pink on the belly if she was constantly on damp substrate.

I'll bet Frosty could build you a really nice and affordable setup if needed.

Get the thermostat though!

You will find out fast that experienced members of this board will drill that into you from day one.

I bought my kid a royal a few years ago, asked a few questions here and within a day I had a Herpstat II ordered and on the way.

It's a learning curve and completely understandable, but not if the LEARNING part is ignored.

You'll get dialed in soon, I have faith.

I bought a temp gun. It's coming on Tuesday. Thanks for the heads up about Cypress. Once it dries out I don't mind misting. :)


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Originally Posted by reptilecatlady

I bought a temp gun. It's coming on Tuesday. Thanks for the heads up about Cypress. Once it dries out I don't mind misting. :)


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Temp guns are great, but they are not any type of replacement for a thermostat.

Reptile Basics makes under tank heat pads that are superior to Zoo-Med.

Get your thermostat probe placed on the outside of the enclosure between the bottom of it and the UTH. That is your hot spot.

As for the light if you are going that route, buy an infrared flood bulb. It is not as bright and disturbing to the snake, and it will be much easier for you to sleep in a room with it on.

The bulb needs to be hooked to a quality stat and that probe should go in the cage just an inch or so off the floor on the cool side or at least closer to it.

A good stat will dim that bulb to almost nothing when temps are right.

I'll make it easy.

Pick one:
http://www.spyderrobotics.com

Okay. I'll invest in a therm from that site. Question though. So I put the probe between the UTH and the enclosure. If it's too hot, then what? I mean how do you technically "regulate" it? I am appreciating all of your tips, trust me. I know I'm new at this.


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Oh, and no, I'm not using a light. I'm using a heat fan. Her enclosure is in my bedroom so a light is out of the question for now.


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Originally Posted by reptilecatlady

Okay. I'll invest in a therm from that site. Question though. So I put the probe between the UTH and the enclosure. If it's too hot, then what? I mean how do you technically "regulate" it? I am appreciating all of your tips, trust me. I know I'm new at this.


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The probe is NOT in the enclosure, correct. It is between the heat pad and the bottom of the enclosure on the outside.

You set the T-stat to your desired hot spot temp, and usually a degree or 2 higher. The temp gun you get will tell you what the temp is inside of the cage.

A quality T-stat like the ones shown will be spot on to what you set it at.

So, if you set your Heprstat to say, 92 degrees. The device will control the power going to the heat pad and keep it there constantly. Herpstats don't click on and off but rather use slight increases and decreases in power to the heat source to keep it where it needs to be. It should never fall off temp and need to be heated up beyond the temp switch off and cool and click on and heat back up.

Your question about "what if it is too hot?" should not arise because you are setting the temp with the T-stat. Heprstats have a safety feature where you can have an alarm sound when things are too hot or too cold, and IF they fail they fail OFF and not wide open.

Your temp gun will give you the temp of the hot spot and if it is a little warmer than you want adjust the T-STAT down a degree or 2.

That help??

I'm not familiar with a "heat fan" but it sounds like something that blows warm dry air.

Eventually you will want everything controlled within the micro environment verses blowing air from the outside onto your cage.

I'm running out of time right now but start there.

I'll be thrilled if you buy the Herpstat for starters!!

Okay, how much does the Herpstat cost?


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I'm out and not at my computer, so I'm reading these quickly, but yes, it helps. Thank you. :)


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Originally Posted by reptilecatlady

Okay, how much does the Herpstat cost?


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Depends on how many devices it controls.
http://www.spyderrobotics.com/store/...7321ffbbd796ef

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Originally Posted by GoingPostal

Depends on how many devices it controls.
http://www.spyderrobotics.com/store/...7321ffbbd796ef

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Wouldn't it only control... One? My UTH?


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by reptilecatlady

Wouldn't it only control... One? My UTH?


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No, depending on the model you can control more than 1.

Look closely at the page we linked and read up on the models and what they do.

Run a humidifier at 40% setting to clip low humidity and keep your substrate dry. That works for us.

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