Humidity too high?

[ChasingSunraee]

Hey you guys, this is my first time posting so bare with me lol!

i have my ball python in a 20 gallon glass tank. The temperature is 77 on the cold side and 88 on the warm side, heated by a CHE on a thermostat. I am using 60% cypress mulch, 35% eco earth, and 5% sphagnus moss

the humidity on the cool side is 93% and 85% on the warm side. It is damp but not wet and has no standing water, and it there is no condensation on the tank walls. Is this a problem and should I be trying harder to get it lower? I tried lowering it by removing a part of my aluminum foil taped top off but this caused a huge temperature drop and I didn’t like it

if high humidity is a really big deal I guess I can just take some of the bedding out and change out the big water bowl for a smaller one but I wanted to see if it’s really a big deal before I do all of that

thanks in advance for the help!

[Meghenebk]

That would definitely be high long term. Personally, I would aim closer to 60%

How are you measuring the humidity? Digital hygrometer, stick on dial, humidity probe? Dials especially tend to be inaccurate. Here's how you can test it to see if it's accurate https://www.neptunecigar.com/tips/ho...our-hygrometer

The CHE should dry out the bedding reasonably quickly. If it were me I'd remove maybe a quarter of the bedding and Mix in dry mulch/eco/sphagnum and see where that takes the humidity?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Definitely an issue.

I am using 60% cypress mulch, 35% eco earth, and 5% sphagnum moss

Do you let your substrate dry before putting it in your enclosure? If not, do so next time, when using such bedding you want to air them out and let them dry for a few days.

[ChasingSunraee]

That would definitely be high long term. Personally, I would aim closer to 60%

How are you measuring the humidity? Digital hygrometer, stick on dial, humidity probe? Dials especially tend to be inaccurate. Here's how you can test it to see if it's accurate https://www.neptunecigar.com/tips/ho...our-hygrometer

The CHE should dry out the bedding reasonably quickly. If it were me I'd remove maybe a quarter of the bedding and Mix in dry mulch/eco/sphagnum and see where that takes the humidity?

I am measuring using accurites on each end of the enclosure. At first the CHE was drying out the substrate and I couldn’t keep it up pass 50% but then I mixed in a bit of water and hasn’t been drying it out as much as it usually does. I thought as the days passed it would dry out but nope, it’s been steady at those humidity levels with no signs of dropping anytime soon

[ChasingSunraee]

Definitely an issue.

Do you let your substrate dry before putting it in your enclosure? If not, do so next time, when using such bedding you want to air them out and let them dry for a few days.

no, I didn’t. I put the forest floor in as and I let the eco earth sit in water for about an hour and then squeezed all excess water out and put in the tank, same with the moss

[CALM Pythons]

Yes its good you asked. Especially using that kind of substrate thats asking for a world of problems. Bacteria will settle in like nothing, health problems would not be far in the future.
55-60% is a goal, 65-70% for the week prior to shedding.


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[Stewart_Reptiles]

no, I didn’t. I put the forest floor in as and I let the eco earth sit in water for about an hour and then squeezed all excess water out and put in the tank, same with the moss

Squizzing the excess water is not enough it needs to dry out bit, otherwise it is to wet making your humidity spike which can lead to respiratory issue but something damp can also lead to scale rot issue.

[ChasingSunraee]

Thanks for the help you guys! I’m gonna handle it today!!