Tips on keeping humidity up?

Heya, Recently ive managed to get My bps' tank temps up to the right temps by getting a CHE. But now im having trouble keeping her humidity up. While her humidity used to sit at a steady 70ish% it now drops seemingly minutes after I mist it to around 42%.

I don't want her to get a RI, so I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to keep humidity up while having an over-tank heating element.

Here's some of her husbandry:

4x2x16in PVC w screen top tank (ZenHabitats)
large water dish
Reptichip substrate, I used to use Ecoearth but that always got really dusty quite quickly so I switched her over to Reptichip.
small fountain in the corner to provide extra humidity.

heating elements: UTH on hot side, set with a thermostat to stay at around 90(F), CHE on colder side to keep her ambient temperatures up, also controlled by a thermostat, usually stays around 84(F). It gets really cold where I am and without it her ambient temps would be in the mid to low 60s.

Thank you for the help! :D

When using a screen top, most find it necessary to cover most of the screen (not where the CHE is, obviously) to reduce the air flow- a CHE does tend to dry out the air. While many prefer the PVC enclosures for maintaining humidity, the reason they work well is because of the limited air flow- the vents are very small. You can use a piece of plexiglass or even foil over much of the screen to reduce the air-flow- anything that air cannot pass thru will work.

Misting isn't as effective for humidity as you might expect. You could also offer a humid hide, in addition to the normal (cool & warm side) hides.

I'd get the cool side down to 80F or lower in addition to fixing the top so that most of it is covered. That should do the trick. Make sure you are adding water to your Reptichip as it dries out. You should be able to tell by the color if it needs more water.

CHE on the cool side doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, I'd have it about 1/3 from the hot side, with the correct amount of the screen covered, you shouldn't have it dip below 75F on the cool side while still having a reasonable temp on the hot side, even if it means your UTH doesn't have to kick on as often.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Niveis Frigoro

4x2x16in PVC w screen top tank (ZenHabitats)
large water dish
Reptichip substrate, I used to use Ecoearth but that always got really dusty quite quickly so I switched her over to Reptichip.
small fountain in the corner to provide extra humidity.

heating elements: UTH on hot side, set with a thermostat to stay at around 90(F), CHE on colder side to keep her ambient temperatures up, also controlled by a thermostat, usually stays around 84(F). It gets really cold where I am and without it her ambient temps would be in the mid to low 60s.

Thank you for the hel:Dp!

---

I can't for the life of me understand why Zen made a PVC enclosure with a full screen top. I have a zen enclosure for my bearded dragon and it's fantastic, but when Zen came out with the PVC version they said it was specifically for higher humidity animals, then put that 4 foot screen top on it lol. Makes no sense to me but that's not what we're here to talk about.

I agree with everyone else, get you some aluminum foil and duct tape, and cover up the bulk of the top. You want to make sure that you have good circulation in there but that huge screen lid isn't doing you any good holding anything in. I get the need to have the CHE on the cool side but I agree with Nikkubus I think you need to move that down closer to the warm side.

Also I don't know if anyone's suggested a proportional thermostat to you yet, but I would look into them. With an on/off I've found that I can maintain temps with the CHE but because it gets so hot and then turns off, and then takes forever to heat back up, and on and on all day it dries my enclosures out. Once I switched to a herpstat (not suggesting you have to buy this brand just what I have) it fixed this issue.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hugsplox

I can't for the life of me understand why Zen made a PVC enclosure with a full screen top.

---

The website says they include an acrylic panel to limit the airflow, but even still, I'd have the top closed entirely and side vents if it were up to me because those make a lot more sense for maintaining temps and humidity :/ though it makes perfect sense for a desert species that needs it nice and dry and really needs those hot basking bulbs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nikkubus

The website says they include an acrylic panel to limit the airflow, but even still, I'd have the top closed entirely and side vents if it were up to me because those make a lot more sense for maintaining temps and humidity :/ though it makes perfect sense for a desert species that needs it nice and dry and really needs those hot basking bulbs.

---

Yea they work great for the dragon that needs that hot basking spot, plus the way the tops are made I can hang UVB tubes in there and it all works great, I just don't get the design of the PVC one. I knew about the acrylic panel, but I'm with you I'd rather have a solid top that I could put a RHP in or something and have the sides vented.

From a heating standpoint a plexiglass top would make more sense than acrylic. IR penetrates through plexi a lot better than acrylic so you can use a CHE or DHP with plexiglass.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bcr229

From a heating standpoint a plexiglass top would make more sense than acrylic. IR penetrates through plexi a lot better than acrylic so you can use a CHE or DHP with plexiglass.

---

Wait a min, I thought plexiglass was acrylic? What is it made of? :O

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nikkubus

Wait a min, I thought plexiglass was acrylic? What is it made of? :O

---

According to "Dr. Google"-
What does plexiglass mean?


Plexiglas is a plastic material made from polymers of methyl methacrylate, an ester of methacrylic acid. ... However, its original and most famous trade name is Plexiglas. As we said, Plexiglas is a great alternative to glass. That's why it's also known as acrylic glass and is one of the most widely used plastic materials.Mar 3, 2018




& Wiki:
Poly(methyl methacrylate)

Chemical compound








Description

Description

Poly(methyl methacrylate), also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, or plexiglass, as well as by the trade names Crylux, Plexiglas, Acrylite, Astariglas, Lucite, Perclax, and Perspex, among several others, is a transparent thermoplastic often used in sheet form as a lightweight or shatter-resistant alternative to glass. Wikipedia

They are close but not identical.
http://www.missouriglass.com/blog/pl...he-difference/

I had the same problem with a fish tank with a screen lid. I covered the whole thing with thick aluminum foil leaving only enough uncovered for the overhead heater , moved the overhead heat near my hot side of the tank and placed the water bowl..which larger the better for humidity under the heat lamp. Also i use coco chip substrate which holds humidity really well. I make sure the coco chip is damp, not wet cause then you run the risk of getting scale rot if they are laying on wet substrate. In extreme cases, which i had to do because my tank was over 60 gallons, i got a reptile warm mist humidifier and that kept humidity around 60% most of the time. Cool mist works well too. Good luck...glass tanks suck but are doable lol :)

With the exception of a very few snakes, like BRBs and maybe GTPs, ambient humidity levels are perfectly fine for most snakes as long as they’re properly hydrated and have access to fresh water. My current humidity is about 35%. Three of my snakes, an olive python, scrub python, and a bullsnake have all had perfect sheds in the last 2 weeks. My humidity typically ranges from 35-65% depending on the season. My snakes have never had RIs or bad sheds. I use Reptichip as well and if I see one of the snakes prepping to shed I might dump a cup or two of water into the substrate and mix it around the enclosure floor. That’ll hold the humidity longer than if you’re just misting the enclosure. Other than that I normally don’t concern myself with humidity at all.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

With the exception of a very few snakes, like BRBs and maybe GTPs, ambient humidity levels are perfectly fine for most snakes as long as they’re properly hydrated and have access to fresh water. My current humidity is about 35%. Three of my snakes, an olive python, scrub python, and a bullsnake have all had perfect sheds in the last 2 weeks. My humidity typically ranges from 35-65% depending on the season. My snakes have never had RIs or bad sheds. I use Reptichip as well and if I see one of the snakes prepping to shed I might dump a cup or two of water into the substrate and mix it around the enclosure floor. That’ll hold the humidity longer than if you’re just misting the enclosure. Other than that I normally don’t concern myself with humidity at all.

---

Don't forget though, your state (GA) is a lot more humid that Nevada. ;) Even assuming that your HVAC system takes a lot out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Don't forget though, your state (GA) is a lot more humid that Nevada. ;) Even assuming that your HVAC system takes a lot out.

---

I agree with making adjustments for climates if necessary. When it comes to humidity though, I just don’t think it’s much of a big deal at all for most snakes. IMO it’s one of the most overblown/misunderstood issues in the hobby. I think a lot of people interchange/confuse humidity with hydration when hydration is far more important. The OP said their ambient humidity was around 40% before misting. I believe most snake species can thrive in those conditions. If folks choose to bump up their humidity from time to time, especially during a shed, that’s perfectly fine but I wouldn’t say it’s necessary. If it gets really dry for an extended time just pour some water in the substrate and keep it moving. My humidity gauges are currently reading 25-45% and for me it’s nothing to worry about. I totally respect if others place more emphasis and importance on the subject though.