Questions about humidity and floor temps

[Kevin8998]

Hey guys,

So I've had my BP now about 2 weeks and everything is great, I'm already handling him (Yeah I know, oops) and he's eaten twice with absolutely no issues at all.

All the temps are regulated and always in range for the most part (Sometimes I have to adjust the dimmer on the CHE), but I did have one question about the tank floor temps.

So I know it's 78-82 on the cold side ambient temp and that's what my accurite thermometer that is sitting on the substrate against the back says, but I have an IR temp gun, and so my question is, what is the temp supposed to be on the substrate floor on the cold side and hot side??

As for the hotside, I have the UTH and then a thin layer of forest floor and then his (Cave style) hide is right on top of the UTH where obviously the probe is for the other thermometer. But since that side is supposed to be 88-92, I have the thermostat controlling the UTH set at 96, which gives me a reading on the inside probe on the UTH 91-92 so I leave it at that. But when I use the temp gun on the substrate right there it always reads about 85 and no more (sometimes less). Is that normal or is that substrate on the hotside supposed to be the 88-92 range?

Also, my main issue is keeping up humidity. I did everything exactly as in that glass tank sticky so I have the top mostly foiled up, and I have forest floor, but everyday once I raise the humidity to ~70 in a few hours it's always down to ~35-45. I usually have to spray it about 3 times a day. Is this normal? The temps in my house are 80 during the day and at night the AC goes all night so it gets 70-73 usually and I know AC dries out the air so that doesn't help. Plus I'm in California so it's dry out here.

Thanks everyone.

[Aerries]

Hey guys,

So I've had my BP now about 2 weeks and everything is great, I'm already handling him (Yeah I know, oops) and he's eaten twice with absolutely no issues at all.

All the temps are regulated and always in range for the most part (Sometimes I have to adjust the dimmer on the CHE), but I did have one question about the tank floor temps.

So I know it's 78-82 on the cold side ambient temp and that's what my accurite thermometer that is sitting on the substrate against the back says, but I have an IR temp gun, and so my question is, what is the temp supposed to be on the substrate floor on the cold side and hot side??

As for the hotside, I have the UTH and then a thin layer of forest floor and then his (Cave style) hide is right on top of the UTH where obviously the probe is for the other thermometer. But since that side is supposed to be 88-92, I have the thermostat controlling the UTH set at 96, which gives me a reading on the inside probe on the UTH 91-92 so I leave it at that. But when I use the temp gun on the substrate right there it always reads about 85 and no more (sometimes less). Is that normal or is that substrate on the hotside supposed to be the 88-92 range?

Also, my main issue is keeping up humidity. I did everything exactly as in that glass tank sticky so I have the top mostly foiled up, and I have forest floor, but everyday once I raise the humidity to ~70 in a few hours it's always down to ~35-45. I usually have to spray it about 3 times a day. Is this normal? The temps in my house are 80 during the day and at night the AC goes all night so it gets 70-73 usually and I know AC dries out the air so that doesn't help. Plus I'm in California so it's dry out here.

Thanks everyone.

The BEST trick that I use is utilizing wet towels it maintains 50-60% at all times, once a day wet it in the morning. I have 5 enclosures in a 12x12 room, 8feet is desert the surrounding tanks are tropical...so I have to do it once in the morning and once at night. Damn dragons lol.....Also heat lamps (if your using) sucks the humidity out of the air in the tanks. I'm in Florida and I was still having problems with humidity cause of the two dragon cages and using the heat lamps.


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[Kevin8998]

Anyone have any suggestions about the substrate surface temps?

[JodanOrNoDan]

The temp of the substrate itself is irrelevant. You only measure the floor temp. The snake will move the substrate.

[Kevin8998]

The temp of the substrate itself is irrelevant. You only measure the floor temp. The snake will move the substrate.

Hmm that's interesting.

I've never seen my snake doing that. He's either moving around the cage or sleeping in a hide so I don't know if that's good or bad, but I'm assuming good.

[SDA]

I know that once my snake gets the heat he needs from his warm hide and he migrates over the the cool side it will raise the temps there almost 5 degrees F

I have a digital probe on the coldest part of the substrate in the far back of the enclosure and it fluctuates around 75-78 when he is not there and in the early morning. When he does hang out in his cool hide it rises to 80-81. I think then that the cool side is less critical to maintain warmth so long as you don't drop below the widely held range of 75 degrees. You snake goes to the cold side to thermo regulate and so long as it is not so cold that it could promote health issues, I think it isn't as much of a concern as keeping the belly heat on the warm side stable.

For humidity in low humid houses, I have heard of people keeping moist sphagnum moss in small containers around the enclosure to prevent having to over spray the substrate. Not sure if that would work or not but if you are having trouble, maybe give that a try?