Reptichip vs. Reptile Prime for HUMIDITY

[Charles8088]

I'll clue you in on why I have low humidity with it. (I don't know why people are so ignorant on this site...) I live in the South Dakota. It is December. The air gets very dry in the house. This is due to the cold, dry air outside (though at times it can be up to 60% humidity outside). But the outside temps and humidity isn't the problem. Its the inside. And when it is cold outside you run your furnace. That warm, dry air lowers the inside humidity considerably.

When my T8s get cleaned and fresh substrate put in, they maintain good humidity for a while (about 2 weeks in the winter and 4-6 weeks in the summer). But the stuff will start to dry. Combining the RHP in the T8 with the ambient air quality you will end up with dry substrate.

Not everyone uses heat tape. For me that stuff sucked. Did nothing for me. So consider that if someone uses a heat lamp or RHP, that heat will start to dry out your air and substrate. Not everyone lives in fracking Florida. Our homes aren't a constant 80+ degrees at 75% humidity. How anyone lives like that is beyond me. But because I don't I have to do different things to keep my snakes environment optimal.

My environment closely resembles yours... dry air, cold, furnace for heat, in the basement. I know the stuff eventually dries out, but it just seemed like it was drying out too quick for me.

[SDA]

You could have the world's best substrate in the world's worst enclosure and it would not matter one bit how well it holds humidity. I have reptile prime in my rosy boa cage and that thing hovers in the low to mid 30%. I need it that way. I have reptile prime in my BPs PVC enclosure and it sits at the upper 60s without trying and I like it that way for his health. His head scales are absolutely stunning and he has no longer has shed issues or dry scales. I do not have mold or bacterial or fungal growth as I keep it from being damp (one of the factors in growing organisms that are bad).

The enclosure, where you live, what you use to heat, and your snake's needs are more influential in the humidity levels than substrate. The only advantage of some substrates over others is how well they handle humid conditions and how little they will mold.

If you environment is dry and cold in the winter or dry and hot in the summer or just plain dry they the enclosure and the air flow you provide is far more important.

I love reptile prime because of how it holds up under conditions and how I do not have to worry about it.


edit: Heating plays a roll as well if you have it too warm, its going to dry things out. Explain how you have your T8 setup and be as detailed as you can. Also provide the humidity and temp of the room you have it in.

[Sauzo]

I'll clue you in on why I have low humidity with it. (I don't know why people are so ignorant on this site...) I live in the South Dakota. It is December. The air gets very dry in the house. This is due to the cold, dry air outside (though at times it can be up to 60% humidity outside). But the outside temps and humidity isn't the problem. Its the inside. And when it is cold outside you run your furnace. That warm, dry air lowers the inside humidity considerably.

When my T8s get cleaned and fresh substrate put in, they maintain good humidity for a while (about 2 weeks in the winter and 4-6 weeks in the summer). But the stuff will start to dry. Combining the RHP in the T8 with the ambient air quality you will end up with dry substrate.

Not everyone uses heat tape. For me that stuff sucked. Did nothing for me. So consider that if someone uses a heat lamp or RHP, that heat will start to dry out your air and substrate. Not everyone lives in fracking Florida. Our homes aren't a constant 80+ degrees at 75% humidity. How anyone lives like that is beyond me. But because I don't I have to do different things to keep my snakes environment optimal.

If you are calling me ignorant, get off your high horse. You have no idea how long ive kept reptiles and amphibians.

The OPs question was why is his stuff not holding humidity for long. I was giving him tips on how to mix it to get the best saturation. You shouldnt have to mist the stuff and misting will do pretty much nothing for it. You have to remix it with a few glasses of water. Even in the winter with heaters running a lot etc, the stuff should hold humidity in a limited airflow cage for at least a week a two.

And i dont remember anyone saying the stuff wouldnt dry out. Thats pretty obvious.

Also an RHP isnt the only thing that will dry it out, heat tapes will too. Pretty much any kind of heat applied to it will via evaporation.

Bottom line is i feel the 'people on this site are ignorant' comment was uncalled for and portrays you on some high horse reptile know it all. Now you might know a lot, you might know jack squat. i am not going to make that call as i dont know you but i will say, i am far from ignorant when it comes to reptiles and amphibians. i have kept them since i was a 12 year old kid almost 35 years ago. There was no t-stats and pvc cages and all the modern stuff now when i was growing up. You kept large constrictors in 2x2 frames with sheets of plywood nailed to them and heat lamps on rheostats. It was like the old west or MacGuyver ingenuity back then lol.

[SDA]

TIL Sauzo is actually older than I am but not by much.

[Sauzo]

TIL Sauzo is actually older than I am but not by much.

Lol, yeah im an old coot.

[SDA]

Lol, yeah im an old coot.

Yeah well I am no spring chicken. I think I am only a year younger than you

[Godzilla78]

i'll clue you in on why i have low humidity with it. (i don't know why people are so ignorant on this site...) i live in the south dakota. It is december. The air gets very dry in the house. This is due to the cold, dry air outside (though at times it can be up to 60% humidity outside). But the outside temps and humidity isn't the problem. Its the inside. And when it is cold outside you run your furnace. That warm, dry air lowers the inside humidity considerably.

When my t8s get cleaned and fresh substrate put in, they maintain good humidity for a while (about 2 weeks in the winter and 4-6 weeks in the summer). But the stuff will start to dry. Combining the rhp in the t8 with the ambient air quality you will end up with dry substrate.

Not everyone uses heat tape. For me that stuff sucked. Did nothing for me. So consider that if someone uses a heat lamp or rhp, that heat will start to dry out your air and substrate. Not everyone lives in fracking florida. Our homes aren't a constant 80+ degrees at 75% humidity. How anyone lives like that is beyond me. But because i don't i have to do different things to keep my snakes environment optimal.

dingdingdingdingding!!!! We have a winner!
This.
You can use the best substrate in the world, but if the ambient air is dry, and you are constantly heating it, you will still need constant humidity additions. I use a humidifier in the dry winter, in the summer it gets humid, so I just mist the tubs once in awhile.

[Charles8088]

Heating plays a roll as well if you have it too warm, its going to dry things out. Explain how you have your T8 setup and be as detailed as you can. Also provide the humidity and temp of the room you have it in.

T8 split into 2 via divider. MBK on one side, BP on the other... effectively making each side 24"x24" floor space. Pro Panel RHP for heat, controlled by a Herpstat 2. On the BP side, temps are 80 on the cool side, 90 on the warm side. Two hides, one on the cool side one on the warm side, and one water bowl (I believe a 5-inch bowl). The enclosure is in my basement, where temps currently average about 71. Humidity in the basement itself is very low... probably low 30's, if not lower.

[Sauzo]

T8 split into 2 via divider. MBK on one side, BP on the other... effectively making each side 24"x24" floor space. Pro Panel RHP for heat, controlled by a Herpstat 2. On the BP side, temps are 80 on the cool side, 90 on the warm side. Two hides, one on the cool side one on the warm side, and one water bowl (I believe a 5-inch bowl). The enclosure is in my basement, where temps currently average about 71. Humidity in the basement itself is very low... probably low 30's, if not lower.

Well AP cages are pretty low airflow so even a low outside humidity wouldn't drain the Reptichips in a few days or anything. I personally still believe its the just the way you mixed it. Like I said the stuff will soak up an incredible amount of water. Watch the video by Justin Kobylka about how he does his ReptiChips. You will see how much water one block soaks up that he leaves in a big sink. He gives pretty much the same way I do mine except I don't have a huge sink to soak mine in so I use a big tote and just pour a bunch of glasses of water on it.

You pretty much have the same temps as I keep all my snakes at and my basement humidity is probably around 45% or less and as long as I mixed the stuff up right, I was good for weeks on end. I just didn't like the stuff because after a week or so, it started to smell like a swamp in my cages. Especially the retic who pisses all over anyways haha.

[SDA]

I can't believe that it is drying that much. I have mid 30% humidity right now and my pvc is keeping 65% humidity so either you are not preparing the reptichip right or there is something else at play drying it. RHPs simply do not dry out substrate like CHEs do.

Unless you have direct airflow across the T8, there is no reason a RHP should dry substrate at the temps you describe. You could always try another substrate like reptile prime and see how it works for you.