Too big for moss in hide?

[jack jones]

My boy has gotten quite big. I suspect next year I'll upgrade his tank and/or his hides, but right now I don't think there is room in his cave to add moss without it possibly becoming an issue if it is dampened. I don't want him leaning and staying against wet moss for long.

Do you think this will affect his ability to shed if there isn't any damp moss in his warm hide?

[Reinz]

If the damp moss has been working for you and you can't use it now, and you are unable to upgrade the tank, then it sounds to me that you need to take appropriate steps to your tank for proper humidity control:

Foil or plexiglass on top
Eco- Earth/coconut substrate or Cypress, or a combination of the two.

I have three tanks tanks set up this way and have no problem hitting 70% humidity during shed.

Hope this helps

[SiXandSeven8ths]

What's the humidity like for the rest of your home? See, where I live, it gets super dry in the winter. A set up like that doesn't work for me. I tried to live with it. In fact, for me no setup will work without me misting regularly.

[Sonny1318]

If you have been relying on it to get good sheds, then yes it probably will. You never mentioned the humidtiy levels in his enclosure? I run several tanks and rely on the moss not only for sheds, but also in the winter. I just use it less aggressively when not in shed. As long as there's not an over abundance of water, the damp moss should be fine for a couple of days. Just let it dry a bit, maybe check how damp it is once a day. And re wet as needed. I usally soak it, then squeeze it out to a nice dampness. Not sure that was any help, good luck.

[Nellasaur]

If you're only adding moss to his hide when he's in shed, I imagine it wouldn't be a problem? When my boy was was big enough to fill up his starter hides, he would just smash all the moss down against the sides. He would be a little damp during his shed, but not soaking wet. And the humidity always meant he shed quickly and easily, which minimized the amount of time he spent in contact with the damp moss.

You always have the option as well to use less moss, a little goes a long way especially in close quarters.

Another thing you can do if you're using a loose substrate (anything other than newspaper or paper towels) is "enlarge" his hide with substrate. Basically dig out a sort of 'bowl' where his hot hide is, build up the sides, and set the hide on top of those sides. That way there's more room than if the hide was just sitting on an even surface. That might give you a little more room to feel comfortable using the moss.