help with humidity

[alexis]

hi all in need of help or suggestions on keeping humidity at its appropriate level.....i currently am using paper towels for substrate and have an OTH if i mist i can get humidity where it should be i also place a wet cloth over the top of the tank which seems to help but in between misting and towel drying out my humidity runs in the 40's is there anything else i can do or recommendations ....all suggestions are greatly appreciated would appreciate it thanx......ALEXIS

[Kaorte]

Have you tried covering part of the screen with anything other than a damp cloth? That is good for a temporary bump in humidity but won't keep it where you want unless you put a new towel on the screen every few days.

A lot of people here cover most of their screen tops with acrylic, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil. Anything that acts as a vapor barrier will help to trap the humidity. I like to use 1/8" thick acrylic that I cut out to fit over my screens.

Alternatively, you could try switching substrates. Cypress mulch holds humidity a little better than paper towel.

Shoot for your humidity to be around 50-60% normally and 70% during shed cycles. You just need a little bump in the humidity, shouldn't be too hard if you cover up some of the screen top.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...tment-Tutorial Here is one method.

[alexis]

What about the worry of having stagnant air?? I hear that a lot if I use foil an cover up a portion to bump humidity is thr a time frame I should remove it to allow for air to circulate ?

[kitedemon]

Personally I don't like reducing ventilation for the sake of humidity. I also would suggest that hot only is paper towel a poor choice for humidity (hygroscopic) it is also one of the most potentially dangerous accidental ingestion of paper towel is often fatal. I would suggest something else. Personally I would look at coco coir (eco earth) it holds more water than any other.

The method I employed with an open top system was to bury a plant tray under the substrate on the cool side (very thick layer on cool and thin on warm) the tray can be filled with water just by poking a finger down to it and adding some water. This water mass humidifies the enclosure.

Personally I target 50-60% with upper 50s-60% for a shed there is no need to have higher than 60% (accurate) as most bp shed fine at 60%.

[Kaorte]

Personally I don't like reducing ventilation for the sake of humidity. I also would suggest that hot only is paper towel a poor choice for humidity (hygroscopic) it is also one of the most potentially dangerous accidental ingestion of paper towel is often fatal. I would suggest something else. Personally I would look at coco coir (eco earth) it holds more water than any other.

Using paper towels is not a death sentence. There are very few cases of snakes ingesting paper towels resulting in death. I don't even think I have heard of a ball python injecting paper towels? Maybe I am wrong.

As far as loose substrates go, I prefer a mulch like substrate instead of the dirt just because it is easier to spot messes and do a full clean.

[KMG]

Changing your substrate would probably have the best results for you. I use cypress mulch for my bp. I also keep moss in the hides that can be misted or made damp during a shed. Placing the moss in the hide creates a micro climate in the hide so your humidity gauge will not show a high number but in the hide it will be. Using this trick my tank stays between 40 and 50 but because of the moss I have great sheds and a very healthy bp.

I Also made a cardboard cutout that I covered with foil to cover the screen lid. It has a fairly large opening for the lamps so ventilation is not a problem.

Eco-earth does hold moisture well but it can take forever to dry out. I Mixed it with reptibark for my gtp to help with humidity. Being that she is mostly in her branches I don't have to worry about her laying around in to damp of a substrate. Cypress is just easier to regulate. IMO. Maybe mixing cypress mulch with eco-earth would be a good solution. I have wanted to try this combo but haven't since the moss gives me all I need.

[BillinIndiana]

I've also wondered how much of the screen can actually be covered? To me, it looks like these enclosures only have a couple of 2 1/2" or so vents on the ends...? I could be wrong tough, I've never seen them in person, just pics.

Like this.

[alexis]

Thank u all so much for your input has really given me options to explore .... I was wondering have any of you tried any of the misters they sell some by zoomed like the repti -fogger just to name one..?? I don't think my enclosure currently is big enough for one but once I advance her enclosure I was just curious on those products all the YouTube videos seems interesting

[KMG]

I have the ZooMed Habbamist on my tree python and the rainbow boa I just got came with the ZooMed Reptifogger. Both work fine but very differently.

The Habbamist is not a very fine mist but being that i am trying to recreate rainforest conditions I don't mind. It holds a good amount of water. And since it sprays water that collects on the wall and branches my tree python gets enough to drink without having to go down to the pool. The only bad thing about this is the pump is pretty loud.

The Retifogger put off a very fine vapor that looks like cigar smoke. This also came with the ZooMed HygroTherm controller. Which I really like. When the humidity drops below the set number it kicks the fogger on. It will also cut the lamps off and on where you set it. The boa is in a tall tank and the fogger keeps the numbers right but I have to fill the little bottle every two days. My fix to this problem is going to be a two litter bottle. It has a adapter that fits a regular bottle top. Other than the small bottle the product works very well but I'm sure in a regular tank it would not run as much and last longer.

Both products work for me but i do not rely on them completely. I still mist the cages but it's nice to not have to worry about them when I'm away.

I would suggest trying some of the other tips first. They are much easier and cheaper. If I can get great sheds with cypress and some moss in a glass tank I know you can too.

[kitedemon]

Using paper towels is not a death sentence. There are very few cases of snakes ingesting paper towels resulting in death. I don't even think I have heard of a ball python injecting paper towels? Maybe I am wrong.

As far as loose substrates go, I prefer a mulch like substrate instead of the dirt just because it is easier to spot messes and do a full clean.

Point is has resulted in death. My vet has had two BP ingest paper towel one survived surgery one was DOA. It is the only substrate I know of where accidental ingestion has killed. It is a unnecessary risk why take it? There is no gain as there are tons of sheet paper products that have no risk associated with them.