humidity problem

Ok I just cant get this right darn it! I have his water bowl right in the middle of the tank. I have the top of the tank 75% cover with aluminm (or however u spell that) with a layer of duct tape. I mist it everyday and then it goes up to maybe 50% but then very fast after that it goes back down to maybe 40%. I use a heating pad on one side and also have a lamp on it the temp is always around 85 to 89. What am I doing wrong???!!!!!!! I dont know what eals to do guys plz help

You can try a cover up more of the top, but you are going to have humidity issues with a heat lamp. (Do you need the lamp to keep your temps up? 82 cool side 92 warm side) I'd move the water bowl over the heating pad, as it will help the water evaporate a little faster. You may also want to consider putting a humid hide into the tank as well.

The only other thing I can think of is adding a humidifier to the room. Good luck. :gj:

i have the same problem, and i cant get rid of my light otherwise the tank gets too cold. what substrate are you using?

You could use a heat pad. Waaay better than any light IMO.

pretty sure he said he uses both, i use both and still have trouble keeping my tank warm enough, thats why im currently moving over to a tub. when i get a turtle ill put him in my bp's old aquarium. tubs are like 5 dollars so i figured id give it a shot, especially since penelope is so secrative anyway..

What kind of heat pad are you using? And also, do you have a dimmer/thermostat/rheostat hooked up to it?

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Originally Posted by bpkid

What kind of heat pad are you using? And also, do you have a dimmer/thermostat/rheostat hooked up to it?

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No I do not. I have one heating pad under one of his hides on the out side of the tank. Should I get a second one to put on the side of the tank so I can get rid of the light?or would that just be to many heating pads? Cuz if I turn off the light the 1 heating pad keeps the "warm" side just at about 85 so I need the light of find another way to heat the tank so I can have some humidity in there

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Originally Posted by Vianky

No I do not. I have one heating pad under one of his hides on the out side of the tank. Should I get a second one to put on the side of the tank so I can get rid of the light?or would that just be to many heating pads? Cuz if I turn off the light the 1 heating pad keeps the "warm" side just at about 85 so I need the light of find another way to heat the tank so I can have some humidity in there

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Just wondering... how are you measuring your temperatures? Is it an analog dial? Where is it placed in the cage? Because if your temperature readings are accurate, there must be something wrong with your heat pad. The "correct" way to measure temperatures is to get one of those indoor/outdoor digital thermometers that you can get at Lowe's/Wal-Mart/etc. with a wire that has a probe attached to it, and place that probe under the substrate at the center of the heat pad. Just put that probe right on the glass. I think you'll find that without some sort of regulation, your heat pad will be well over 85 degrees. More like 110 degrees, which is way too hot... if you feel the heat pad and it's warm (or hot) to the touch, it's probably too hot for your snake.

I do have a digital indoor/outdoor thermometer but it does not have a probr attached to it. I have it right next to the warm side hide. the heating pad is working but I think I have a lill to much bark for it to work at its best. Im going to take some bark off and see what that does. So is there a chance that the thermometer is reading that its not as hot as it really is? cuz ive kept the light on thinking the pad was just not as warm to work alone. Now im worried Im gonna like fry the snake!

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Originally Posted by JasonGranger

Just wondering... how are you measuring your temperatures? Is it an analog dial? Where is it placed in the cage? Because if your temperature readings are accurate, there must be something wrong with your heat pad. The "correct" way to measure temperatures is to get one of those indoor/outdoor digital thermometers that you can get at Lowe's/Wal-Mart/etc. with a wire that has a probe attached to it, and place that probe under the substrate at the center of the heat pad. Just put that probe right on the glass. I think you'll find that without some sort of regulation, your heat pad will be well over 85 degrees. More like 110 degrees, which is way too hot... if you feel the heat pad and it's warm (or hot) to the touch, it's probably too hot for your snake.

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Is mine okay being underneath the hide but just laying on top of the substrate? It stays at around 90* and my snake is ALWAYS under this thing. At night, he does slither around the tank, but during the day he is ALWAYS under the hot hide.

GET THE PAD OUT OF THE TANK!!!!
It's called an under tank heater for a reason.

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Originally Posted by Vianky

I do have a digital indoor/outdoor thermometer but it does not have a probr attached to it. I have it right next to the warm side hide. the heating pad is working but I think I have a lill to much bark for it to work at its best. Im going to take some bark off and see what that does. So is there a chance that the thermometer is reading that its not as hot as it really is? cuz ive kept the light on thinking the pad was just not as warm to work alone. Now im worried Im gonna like fry the snake!

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That's your problem. Your thermometer is taking the temps in the air, not on the floor. Get one with a probe.

Also try taking some substrate out.

I had this same problem when setting up my glass tanks. The first thing I found is that I had too much substrate in the tank which was absorbing the heat. I was measuring top of substrate and getting 82-85. I was surprised when I placed the probe directly under the substrate that it was 105 - 110 there. I removed some of the substrate (Down to about 1 - 1 1/2") and then temperatures rose. Eventually, I changed from the reptibark that I had been using and went to the repticarpet (cut into pieces for easier cleanup) and this helped my temps tremendously. I still run a red heat light though because my tanks are in a cool room and need it to boost a little.

Of course, once I went to the heat light in addition to the UTH, my humidity plummeted. So..... I covered the top of my screen with Saran Wrap leaving a 9"opening on the hot side and a 3" opening on the cool for air flow. With this setting, my humidity has been holding between 50 - 60 in 3 quarters of my tank and dropping to 40 - 45 under the heat lamp. I also do not have my heat lamp sitting directly on the screen, but rather, have it hanging about 2 feet above the screen.... just enought to bump the heat a little.
This has been a trial and error for the past couple weeks but I think it has finally settled in. Sorry for the long response, I am in management and we tend to be long winded! :)

Peace

Your best bet would to go out and get one of these:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...7GT&lpage=none
Also tanks are a bit harder to keep humidity perfect. I think by you using a heating light, that is where your problem is. If need be, get two UTH's, put one on the cool saide-set in the 80's, set the other one on warm side in the low 90's.

Never put a heating pad in the tank with the snake.
I believe there was just something going about here that one guy kept his snake's heating pad in with the snake and the snake ate his food and the heating pad too. Pretty costly vet operation too!

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Originally Posted by Vianky

Ok I just cant get this right darn it! I have his water bowl right in the middle of the tank. I have the top of the tank 75% cover with aluminm (or however u spell that) with a layer of duct tape. I mist it everyday and then it goes up to maybe 50% but then very fast after that it goes back down to maybe 40%. I use a heating pad on one side and also have a lamp on it the temp is always around 85 to 89. What am I doing wrong???!!!!!!! I dont know what eals to do guys plz help

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I'm sorry you are having troubles getting the proper environment setup. Try reading the "Glass Tank setup" sticky and the DIY rubbermaid article. I don't know if you like plastic or not, but it provides a really good environment for your bp to thrive in without one having to tear their hair out. Glass is nice too look at and provides an aesthetically pleasing environment for the owner and hence takes a lot of know how to maintain. Here are the links for you. Good luck.

Glass tank setup

Plastic setup

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Originally Posted by tmlowe5704

Is mine okay being underneath the hide but just laying on top of the substrate? It stays at around 90* and my snake is ALWAYS under this thing. At night, he does slither around the tank, but during the day he is ALWAYS under the hot hide.

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This is just my guess, but maybe he's only in there because that's where he feels safest during the day? I'd definitely move the probe down so it's touching the glass, because you don't want it to be so hot that it could burn your snake if he ever got into contact with it. Better safe than sorry. :confuzd:

ok well my next step will be to go back to lowes and buy a thermometer with a probe then. Thats where I got my digital one but has no probe. Ok so Im also gonna try taking out some bark. But people keep in minde that I have tried my best not to bother him for the last week so it wount be stressed so I can try and feed him this friday again for thoses who dont know it has not wanted to eat since I got him. So is dealing with the bark and taking some out would that stress him and should I just wait till after he eats or is it ok?

Well, if you take the bark out, he's not going to get real stressed, but if the temperature is too hot or cold, he won't eat.

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Originally Posted by bpkid

but if the temperature is too hot or cold, he won't eat.

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Just gotta love our picky perfect guys & gals!

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Originally Posted by bpkid

Well, if you take the bark out, he's not going to get real stressed, but if the temperature is too hot or cold, he won't eat.

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Ok then I will do it right now. thanks guys ill let u know if it helped

Well I took out some bark today and I talked to my hubby overseas and told him about my problem. He told me just to put one our glass tops on it. I didntthink of that and well I did it. The humidity 59% and has stayed that way all day so far. Im still going to get the thermometer when I get a chance. I feel SO happy to see that # not changing!

so from what im reading, a light isnt required to heat a tank? and that you can just use a heating pad? i still need to go out and by a thermometer for teh tank and a hydrometer. workin on it. i tried the mist technique. that didnt work. i had teh lid covered more than 75%. sprayed the inside of the tank with hot water, left the lamp on. nothing changed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tmlowe5704

Is mine okay being underneath the hide but just laying on top of the substrate? It stays at around 90* and my snake is ALWAYS under this thing. At night, he does slither around the tank, but during the day he is ALWAYS under the hot hide.

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If you're supposed to provide a basking area of 90 degrees, how to you provide that without suplimental light?

if you do away with the heat lamp, how are you to creat the gradient temperature?

this is why i get so frustrated ... every suggestion contradicts another.

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Originally Posted by JasonGranger

Just wondering... how are you measuring your temperatures? Is it an analog dial? Where is it placed in the cage? Because if your temperature readings are accurate, there must be something wrong with your heat pad. The "correct" way to measure temperatures is to get one of those indoor/outdoor digital thermometers that you can get at Lowe's/Wal-Mart/etc. with a wire that has a probe attached to it, and place that probe under the substrate at the center of the heat pad. Just put that probe right on the glass. I think you'll find that without some sort of regulation, your heat pad will be well over 85 degrees. More like 110 degrees, which is way too hot... if you feel the heat pad and it's warm (or hot) to the touch, it's probably too hot for your snake.

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I really appreciate information like this. What you have said tells me that I have a problem with my heating pad. It is just barely warm to the touch ... but i'm told by my vet that it shouldn't be very warm that the heat will more or less be absorbed by everything else. Sounded like a crock to me when he said it.

When I'm at the pet shop, i see so many different types of heating pads ... what brand or what type do you use? they sell them for different types of substrate. I got what was appropriate for what i was using and it didn't seem to warm anything. I had it sitting on the table with the feet on the little pads as suggested ... i ended up removing the riser pads (dont know technical name) and placing tank directly on top hoping for better results.

I ended up buying a new pad and followed the package directions for optimal installation which was to stick to outside of tank on one of the ends .... figured the mfg would know something about it. That was the worst idea yet! The people who make them, don't know what to do with their product.