Humidity control in the PNW

I'm curious if there are any other BP owners out there living in the Pacific NW (west of the cascades . . .). Since we tend to be reasonably damp, I was wondering if there are any issues with maintaining humidity levels in a glass tank, and if there are any special steps I should take to keep levels optimal (i.e. substrates, additional covering, moss, etc.). Is our ambient humidity sufficient, with UTH only?

TIA!

Chris

I would think the best way to know would be to just set up a glass tank with a UTH and measure with an accurate hygrometer. AC's and heaters tend to dry out the air of a house, so the ambient humidity inside is often much lower than it is outside. That may have some effect on what it is in the tank. However, if you know the humidity in your home stays relatively high, you might not have nearly as much trouble as someone who lives in say....Tucson. :P

In my house anyways (I live in PNW), the humidity inside is nothing like it is outside. It averages between 46-54 inside, but I still have to mist a lot to keep my BP's humidity between 50-60. Of course, I'm using a tank with a 50 watt infared bulb..

Personally, I'd recommend just using a tub instead of a tank.

Hello, HelloHello! Yaaaaaaay! Another Oregonian :carrot:


I have both tanks AND tubs. Started w/LOTS of tanks, because mine are pets and most on display, but then I started buying babies, and my tanks were too big.

With my tanks, and the heat lamp to help boost the hot temp, I've covered the screen w/the sticking GLAD (saran) press 'n seal wrap, except for directly under/around the heat lamp. If you cut an outline about a .5-1" bigger than your lamp (so there's no melting) that will help keep humidity in, but then when they shed, I mist and use coconut husk in a greater % w/the aspen. In the tank that DOESN'T need the xtra heat lamp, I've covered the entire lid leaving a gap of about 1/2" on either end. When he's tipped his bowl, or the house gets muggy and the tank gets TOO humid, I pull back two opposite corners (LL & UR) about 4" until the humidity comes down.

In the tubs I don't have any heatlamps on them right now. Felix the Stimson's hot side isn't hot enough despite the flexwatt & thermostat, but he's still happy. If the tub is too dry, I've used a little cup of s. moss in the corner over the heat, and/or plugged up small holes w/silicone until I get it balanced.

Too wet? I drill more holes, or pull the silicone out. I've had to do that w/Freddie's 65g acrylic tank. At first I couldn't get it high enough w/the humidifier, so I plugged holes. Now it's a little high, so I've pulled some of the plugs out. She's also had bad sheds in the past, but the past two I've put a humid hide in w/her as soon as I catch her blue. She's LIVED in it for 4-5 days straight, but the two times I've done it, she's had perfect, complete sheds both times.

If U want to discuss it, PM me and we can talk. :)

BTW, where's home if U don't mind my asking?????


RuLyn

Oregon seems so far away....

Yaaaaaay, Oregon! Where the air is still FRESH & you don't gag, the sky is STILL blue, the trees are green and there are places you can still hear crickets and frogs at night! :neener: :neener:


*BIIIIIIIG raspberry* to you too, Jamie! :zerb: :zerb:

Hmmmm (maybe I shouldn't razz you....my grandfather spent his young adulthood growing up in the Bronx). :sheesh:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sweety314

Yaaaaaay, Oregon! Where the air is still FRESH & you don't gag, the sky is STILL blue, the trees are green and there are places you can still hear crickets and frogs at night! :neener: :neener:


*BIIIIIIIG raspberry* to you too, Jamie! :zerb: :zerb:

Hmmmm (maybe I shouldn't razz you....my grandfather spent his young adulthood growing up in the Bronx). :sheesh:

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:pinkele:

I see smog...I hear homeless people ranting...The grass is a weird brownish color...Welcome to NJ! :puke2:

:8: :colbert:


I've always wanted to VISIT Joisey and listen to the funny way ppl talk.....how big an air tank (read SCBA) do I need Jamie?????? :zerb:

Will U teach me how to probe and pop a ball????? LOL :halohorn:

:D

R

I'm in the Portland area, about 30 miles SW. My initial set up is going to be a 20L with a IR lamp and a UTH. I'll be using cypress for the substrate, with a couple of hides, a water dish, etc. I'm actually not feeling too stressed about it right now, just wanting to make sure that the little 'guy' (not sure, but 90% certain it's male) is as comfortable as he can be.

BTW, if anyone is looking, I bought a brand new 20L tank at PetCo yesterday for $20 on sale. That's the cheapest I've seen a new tank, and even with a screen top purchased, its about $20-$30 less than what I was looking at elsewhere. I believe the sale ends today, so if you want one, you'll need to jump on it. I'm assuming this is everywhere, not just the one in McMinnville . . .

DARN!!!! And I'm at work until after they close! *%*%(%()$)#$*$&*

Frick-a-ricka frazzle

Wished they weren't so close-mouthed about their sales. Pooo-ey:mad:

I'm south of you in Lebanon. I was able to do the humidity and temps w/the heat lamp and UTH in MY tank, it just takes a little more work and playing around to see what works. Do U have the digital thermometer & hygrometer or maybe the AcuRite all-in-one???? I've found those are the best...two therms and the humidity in one unit! :sweeet:

And either a dimmer or the thermostat. With Baby's tank, I had the dimmer on the heatlamp and the UTH kept the ambient (cool side) just right @ 85*.

If U have probs, gimme a PM and maybe we can make connections! :)


RuLyn

I'll have the lamp and the UTH, and I just bought a Repti-Temp 500R on eBay, so I should be pretty good. I'll definitely keep an eye on it to start.

Should I put the probe on the warm or cool side?

Too bad about missing the sale. It was definitely worth it . . .

I personally would put the probe for the thermostat on the hot side to prevent burns or cooking of poor snakey pet. But it would also depend on the wattage of your heat lamp.......i.e. if you've got a dinky (say 5x8" UTH on a big 20L tank) UTH but a 200w bulb or CHE that will heat your tank to 115*++....Then I'd put the therm on the heatlamp, not the UTH


Have I forgotten your mentioning how warm the room is where your pet is???? :oops:


RuLyn

I'll be using a 100W red lamp, and the 10-20 gal size UTH. Can't remember which it is off the top of my head.

The problem with any rooms in my house right now is that they suffere a pretty radical temperature shift during the day. Since we've been in the 90's to 100's, they can have a 20 degree shift over the course of the day. I figure it will be a monitoring issue until such time as I can regulate the temperature of my house better (i.e. Winter).

If you've got the thermostat, that should help you keep them stable, no matter what the room is, but I know what you're talking about. It's like that in the valley here, too----cooler nights now, but the days are still 80 (which is nice) or 95+ :zerb: hotter 'en Hades! Ick!

Well, I've got it set up now with just a 100W lamp, and the temps are just about dead on (90/80), with Ekans moving back and forth between the sides as he sees fit. I'm having trouble with the humidity, though. According to my new Acu-Rite, it's hovering right around 35%. Not sure what to do, there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by benhamtroll

Well, I've got it set up now with just a 100W lamp, and the temps are just about dead on (90/80), with Ekans moving back and forth between the sides as he sees fit. I'm having trouble with the humidity, though. According to my new Acu-Rite, it's hovering right around 35%. Not sure what to do, there.

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Do you have anything covering the tank to keep humidity in? If you do, and it's still at 35%... you might want to try ditching the lamps and just adding another UTH and put it on the cool side (set to the low eighties, of course..). UTHs don't suck the humidity out like lamps do. You could also try putting your water bowl over your UTH.

I just covered most of the top with tinfoil and black duct tape this morning (leaving the area around the light open), and with a light misting the humidity went up to around 55% and is holding there. He has a mildly stuck shed, so I put him in a damp pillow case, which should get the last bit taken care of. I think I've got the last of the kinks out, so we'll see if he eats on Sunday and how his next shed goes.

Thanks everybody!

Chris

regarding humidity and bedding:
reptibark bedding raises my humidity TOO high, even when I only replace half the tank...should I be drying/baking it first? remoist as needed???
I have a UTH under half, and a totally open screen lid
it takes days after even a partial change for it to come back down to 50-60 (which is why I do partials...I'm concerned it may cause belly rot!)