I'm losing my mind over the humidity, please help.

A few weeks ago I bought a 2 month old ball python. She's been doing great in general, never misses a meal or anything. It took me awhile but I finally got the temps right (I was using an analog thermometer which was 10 degrees off, so she was cold for a bit until I started using a digital one. Don't even get me started on that damn analog thermometer) but otherwise everything's been fine, except I absolutely cannot get her humidity up.
I'm using a ceramic heat lamp, 100 watts, which is keeping the temps perfect. However, it's sucking the moisture out of the air like crazy. I know the humidity in my room is fairly high (about 50% usually) since I live in the south, but her humidity is almost always below 40%. I've switched to EcoEarth substrate, scattered sphagnum moss everywhere, misted a thousand times a day, put a wet towel over the top of the tank, but no matter what I do within an hour the humidity drops down to 37% again. She's going into shed right now so I've made her a humid hide in the meantime, but I'm really afraid of her getting sick from the low humidity in general.
I think I've found a possible solution though and I really wanted some opinions, since all of you seem to know a lot more than I do. She's in a 20 gallon tank and I know UTHs aren't great for keeping up ambient temps, but what if on the warm side I had one under the tank and one or two more on the sides. Would this be enough to keep the ambient temps right? And if so, does anyone have any suggestions on what brand of UTH is best, and where I can find a thermometer for them? If this isn't a good idea, I'd really love some other suggestions. Thank you in advance. I'm getting pretty desperate at this point.

UTH's do nothing for the ambient temperature. I would keep the one you have on the warm side, put one under the floor on the cool side set to 80-82*F, ditch the CHE, and completely cover the top of the tank with Glad Press n Seal.

When the time comes to move your snake to a bigger home get a tub or proper reptile enclosure.

I'm new and unexperienced to say the very least, but what about getting a humidifier to use next to the enclosure? It helped me get my humidity spot on.

Just to be clear, your heat source and temps should be regulated by a thermostat and your temps can be measured with a thermometer. It's an important distinction so make sure you have the proper equipment. I live in GA and it's pretty humid here but the humidity in my enclosures is only about 45-55%. I believe humidity is something we tend to over think a bit. I've had all perfect sheds and no RIs or other illnesses with humidity ranging anywhere from 30-60%. As long as your snake is well hydrated ambient humidity should be fine. If you want to add a moist hide or mist your enclosures during shed periods that's ok but I don't even do that anymore.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

UTH's do nothing for the ambient temperature. I would keep the one you have on the warm side, put one under the floor on the cool side set to 80-82*F, ditch the CHE, and completely cover the top of the tank with Glad Press n Seal.

When the time comes to move your snake to a bigger home get a tub or proper reptile enclosure.

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This sounds like good advice but everything I've read says BPs need good ventilation. Wouldn't plastic wrap prevent that?

I HATE tanks. Humidity was the worst. I had a very similar if not exact set up once before I switched. In order to keep humidity where I was, I would lay a folded towel over the screen top ( where the ceramic light wasn't lol) and when my humidity started to drop I'd spray the towel down. I normally had to do this twice a day, sometimes three if he was going into shed. But it worked, kept my humidity 50/60 instead of 20. Good luck!

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I had issues to. Cover the top with a piece of plexiglass like 70% covered this kept my humidity in

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Im having more or less the same issue, also in a tank, with a 150 watt red light heat bulb hooked to a rheostat. I have a thermostat for the heat pad, with probe between pad and glass, a thermometer probe inside the hot hide another in the cool hide and an accurite thermometer/hygrometer sitting on the cool side of the tank to measure ambient air. My hot hide fluctuates from 88-92 with the thermostat kicking it on and off at a setting of 90. the cool hide sits at about 84-86 and my ambient usually reads about the same. My humidity is constantly dropping to about 35% because of the damn heat bulb. Id have to mist a few times a day to keep it around 50% and it has already caused a problem with her first shed. My solution is going to be to hook up a small humidifier with tube pushing the moisture into the tank. Ill likely have to put it on a timer as running it 24/7 would prob keep the humidity way too high. Im also switching to fine shredded coconut husk for a bedding as the word is that holds moisture way better than others and there is not the high mold risk like with aspen. If I were you I would consider those two options. humidifier is pretty cheap($30 or so) and the coconut bedding can be found for the same prices as aspen. I got mine on amazon just havent put it in the tank yet. Also the thermometers I have, Vivarium Electronics, the probes measure humidity and temperature. You may want to consider these so you can get accurate humidity readings in your hides themselves. they were not expensive($12 i think) from reptilebasics.com good luck

I have a repti fogger I use sometimes. It has been hot and humid in Michigan the last couple of weeks so I haven't been running it but it works ok. When I run it I do have it on a timer.

Covering the screen top with Press n Seal or foil will still permit air exchange between the screen top and the top of the tank. You could also leave just two corners uncovered if you are worried about it.

Too low humidity = too much ventilation.

I had the same problem with humidity. Here's what worked for me: go to Home Depot and buy a sheet of plexiglass, and a plexiglass "cutter." It should cost you about $30. Measure out the length and width of your screen top and cut the plexiglass to size. Drill a couple holes on the cool side for ventilation. Replace screen with plexiglass. Boom. Humidity has been holding up great for me.

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Originally Posted by TangieHaze

I had the same problem with humidity. Here's what worked for me: go to Home Depot and buy a sheet of plexiglass, and a plexiglass "cutter." It should cost you about $30. Measure out the length and width of your screen top and cut the plexiglass to size. Drill a couple holes on the cool side for ventilation. Replace screen with plexiglass. Boom. Humidity has been holding up great for me.

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Thank you! I plan on doing this. For a quick fix during her shed (I've been panicking ever since she went in blue a couple of days ago) I cut 2 trash bags to size with a hole for the CHE and duct taped them to the screen. It looks a bit ridiculous but the humidity has been holding up great and I'm so relieved!

I use a exo-terra glass with double front doors and a screen top that is in 4 sections, I use an exo-terra heat mat and a 40 watt red heat lamp for ambient , when my humidity changes due to the seasons, its very dry during a ny winter, i I cover the screen sections with plastic cutouts i had at home depot. I only cover 3 sections, and in the 4th i use a zoomed reptifogger. The nice thing abouy the tank is across the bottom there are a row of holes that help the air flow. I have the fogger on a timer and in dead winter when the humidity is lowest in the house my tanks are all at 45- 60 percent. I have them go off 4 times a day for 30 min. If you only have a baby and need something less, try a humidity rock. They are a smallstone bowl you fill with water, then you lay an egg shaped pourus stone in the dish the water is sucked into the stone and gently released. into the air. For a 20 gal tank this might be all you need. hopethis helped to give you some ideas. You can get the humidity stone on a website called As seen on tv.

I have most of the screen on my glass tanks covered with plastic wrap, and then duck tape over the plastic wrap (mostly for aesthetic purposes). My bedding is 50/50 cocoa fiber/cypress mulch then I place sphagnum moss around the water bowl and along the edges of the hides and in the actual corners of the tank. I'm in southern California where we are usually fairly dry and my tanks have now been staying between 60-70% with a misting every couple of days.

P.S.
When I run my CHE in the winter I up my misting to once or twice a day and it usually stays fairly constant, but I do add more moss when they are in shed.

I have 2 little rock bowls with moss in them. I fill with wet moss then i fill the bowl with water. As it evaporates off the moss it draws more from the water in the bowl

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If you want an idea to tide you over until you can get the plexiglass, I've been using a vinyl place mat over the top of the enclosures. I leave an inch or two uncovered, and using it vinyl side down holds the humidity in nicely. They're in a 10 gallon tanks with wire mesh covers. It's not pretty, but it gets the job done for me.

With the place mats and two whole house humidifiers, I only need to mist their enclosures a few times a week.

Tinfoil over the majority of the tank did the trick for me, but to second someone else it's been freakishly hot and humid the past few weeks.

Lacey, I love that idea of a rock bowl! could you possibly share a picture and what kind of moss you use?

I was actually having the same kind of issue with humidity and it was driving me crazy. I ended up getting a bit crafty and basically making a fogger from a humidifier. Since then her temp and her humidity has been phenomenal. the humid hide is always a super great idea but i was trying to have her whole tank regulated and its worked really well. if you're interested in trying it there are tons of diy videos online.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...f1e88ee80e.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...e1b16ca62f.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...c663cc5257.jpg

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Also id like to say. I asked this question to a exotic vet that lacey seen. He told me the humidity in the tank isnt as important as the humidity in the hide. I let my tank get to 40% with no issues but when i measure in her hide nits 10to15% higher then the rest the tank. Might wanna check inside

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Originally Posted by Lacey

Also id like to say. I asked this question to a exotic vet that lacey seen. He told me the humidity in the tank isnt as important as the humidity in the hide. I let my tank get to 40% with no issues but when i measure in her hide nits 10to15% higher then the rest the tank. Might wanna check inside

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This is why i recommend the thermometer/hygrometer combo by vivarium from reptilebasics.com its the exact same situation in my set up the tank will read lets say 45% but inside the hide, which is measured by the vivarium probe it will be around 55 or 60.

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Originally Posted by OTorresUSMC

This is why i recommend the thermometer/hygrometer combo by vivarium from reptilebasics.com its the exact same situation in my set up the tank will read lets say 45% but inside the hide, which is measured by the vivarium probe it will be around 55 or 60.

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I pm'd u

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The pics of what i did with my moss is on page 2

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