best substrate for humidity?

i have used coconut mulch, reptibark, cypress mulch, paper towels, and now aspen under heat lamps but i will be changing to flexwatt as soon as it arives.

what type of substrate is best (in your opinion, of course...) for maintaining proper humidity for bps?? under heat lamps or used with heat tape??

thanks for your responses!!!

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Originally Posted by bigballs

i have used coconut mulch, reptibark, cypress mulch, paper towels, and now aspen under heat lamps but i will be changing to flexwatt as soon as it arives.

what type of substrate is best (in your opinion, of course...) for maintaining proper humidity for bps?? under heat lamps or used with heat tape??

thanks for your responses!!!

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I forget the name, but that stuff that comes in a brick and you add water to expand it. I hear that stuff is awesome for humidity. Also, have you taped off the lid of your tank?

I like aspen because it is cheap and it has always worked for me.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bigballs

i have used coconut mulch, reptibark, cypress mulch, paper towels, and now aspen under heat lamps but i will be changing to flexwatt as soon as it arives.

what type of substrate is best (in your opinion, of course...) for maintaining proper humidity for bps?? under heat lamps or used with heat tape??

thanks for your responses!!!

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Your problem isn't your substrate, it's your heat lamps, and quite possibly even the enclosure itself (screen top aquarium).

I used newspaper in a tub set up with only flexwatt and a water bowl, and I keep 55% humidity all the time.

I have problems keeping my 4' by 2' with a heat lamp even at 30% humidity which is why I'm switching to flexwatt soon

aspen seemed to work for me

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tmlowe5704

I forget the name, but that stuff that comes in a brick and you add water to expand it. I hear that stuff is awesome for humidity. Also, have you taped off the lid of your tank?

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That's coconut coir.

k guys maybe i was unclear here....:rolleyes:

i dont have a humidity problem. im asking your opinion or experience with a particular substrate that may help with maintaining proper humidity levels.

most of my enclosures are custom built and hold humidity well and all of my glass aquariums have screen tops that are plastic wrapped up to the heat lamp. i mist each enclosure when needed. im just trying to figure out what would be the most efficient substrate i can use humidity wise.

thanks again!

I don't understand, if you aren't having a humidity problem, then why should you change?

there are many reasons why one would change substrate: husbandry problems, animal safety, visual appeal, cleanliness.... etc.

im moving all of my bps that are presently housed in glass aquariums to a new wooden custom built display rack and i dont want to use cypress mulch as a substrate anymore so i want to hear other bp owner's opinion on a substrate that they may feel is "humidity efficient".

nothing too complicated i would think... but thanks!

If you're having trouble keeping humidity up, I'd try Bed-A-Beast (that's the coconut stuff that comes in a brick). When the air dried up around here (winter), lizard liner or newspaper wouldn't keep the humidity high enough, especially with the heat lamp I needed to keep the temp right (and yes, I tried with UTH alone and couldn't keep it hot enough). Now, I mist once or twice a day and everything is peachy.

sounds good. i used to use that stuff aswell and i think it keeps humidity better than the aspen im using now but i felt that the bedabeast stuff is too messy...

From my experience I believe the shredded coconut husk (the brick) is the best for maintaining and holding humidity (atleast for screentop glass viv's). I have screen top glass aquariums for my ball pythons and that alone poses the real problem for keeping humidity where it needs to be. I've wrapped the top halfs of the screen tops and I use the eco earth (coconut husk) and haven't had a problem with humidity. IMO it also looks the best and if accidentially swallowed it isn't harmful.

I've used newspaper, the eco earth stuff, mulch and aspen and out of them all...the eco earth might be alittle more $$$ but for the looks and way it holds moisture you can't beat it.

**I wouldn't use it in tubs though...It would probably keep in too much humidity...but I don't use tubs, atleast not yet so I can't speak from direct experience.

rubbermaid tubs are the best for holding humidity! i only use paper towel in mine and they hold perfect temps and humidity. i will never buy a glass aquarium again!!!

but i have decided that aspen mulch really sucks for holding humidity and i think in my new display rack i'm probably going to use that brick stuff...