How do I raise the humidity in my rack?

[AK4900PA]

I recently purchased an AP 18 slot 1860 rack and the humidity is hovering right around 44% according to my accurite. Any tips on getting the humidity up another 10% or so? I currently only have 7 of the 18 spaces occupied, would it be worthwile to put water dishes in the 11 empty slots or would that not be enough to do anything? I don't have any holes in the tubs. I was told by the woman at AP (can't remember her name of the top of my head) not to bother with the air holes unless the humidity got too high. My largest female's eyes just started clouding over last night so I'd like to get this taken care of in the next day or so so she has a good shed.

[AK4900PA]

Also, I'm using Aspen currently, but I will probably be switching to kraft paper in the next month or so.

[Uncle Festae]

do you have the water dishes sitting on top of the heat? if not, thats the first thing I'd do

[Aric]

you could cover up some of the air holes with tape. Works very well for me

[AK4900PA]

do you have the water dishes sitting on top of the heat? if not, thats the first thing I'd do

The water dishes are on the cool end. Should I move them closer to the warm end?

[AK4900PA]

you could cover up some of the air holes with tape. Works very well for me

I don't have any holes in the tubs.

[Uncle Festae]

The water dishes are on the cool end. Should I move them closer to the warm end?

I would, thats what I had to do to get the humidity up, I have mine sitting right over the heat, I also found that if I used anything but newspaper, it made it less humid, for example... when I tried to use paper towel, it just got soggy while the air stayed dry (it was too absorbent, it sucked the moisture right out of the air) I have never used kraft paper, if sitting right on the heat makes it too humid, move it further away, the warmer the water is, the more its going to condense into the air, also.. the lower the water level is in the water dish, the warmer the water will be, there fore more humidity is created

[AK4900PA]

Thanks, I'm going to go move them all a few inches towards the warm end and see if it helps. Do you think it would do anything if I put water dishes in the 11 empty containers or would it only affect those empty containers?

[kavmon]

i would put a small humidifier right next to the rack. one for 15-20 bucks, should do the trick.


vaughn

[frankykeno]

I'm thinking here that Vaughn's idea is likely the way to go. Do you have a reading on the room the rack is in because no matter what you do you have to consider that part of the equation. I have an old Acu-Rite that accidentally lost it's probe stuck up on the wall of our BP room. It's really helpful to know what the room temps and humidity are as I figure you can only fight the ambient room temps/humidity so much till you have to start thinking about adjusting that first.