Humidity in 40 gallon breeder

[Beantowngators]

Hey i got a ball python, and first of all i think i got sold on the wrong tank size for now, but i have a 2 or so foot female python in a 40 gallon breeder tank with screen top. i cannot keep the damn humidity up past 30-35%. I have a UTH but also a 100w red infrared heat lamp on top along with a 60w ceramic heating element blub. the warm side stays 88-92 with glass heat on the bottom at 94-95. and the cool side is 79-83 .I use that eco earth stuff for substrate also. I have the water bowl under the lamp. I have a town over the cage screen top, but it just will not stay above 30-35% humidity. I got sphagnum moss and soaked some of that and put it in one end of her half hollow log. still about 35% If i spray down the towel a on top and mist a little in the tank it will shoot up too 70-85% but for a couple hours then drops drastically back to 35%ish. Could i replace the red infrared with another 60w ceramic heating element? is the red light drying the towel out to fast? its driving me up a wall. please help!

[Sunnieskys]

94-95 is too hot. Lower that to 90. How are your heat elements regulated? Dimmers, thermostats? I use a piece of cardboard cut to the size of the screen top. I then place my lamps (unplugged) on the cardboard to trace around them. Cut out the holes. The. Cover the entire thing with foil. Place on the screen, put the lights into the holes and that should help. I mist once a day and mine stays fairly even at 50-55 before misting. You will need to mist more because you have a bigger tank. And also another reason I'm switching to an AP cage lol. Humidity will be the constant battle with tanks.

[Phillydubs]

You just got some great advice.

Any reason why you are using 2 heat sources ?

make sure any heat sources are regulated and bring that high temp down.

Are you wetting the bedding?

misting alone won’t do much for long as you see. I was down this road a few weeks ago. Wet the heck out of that bedding so it is damp and it should hold for a while.

I use repchip chip and I literally pour water all over it and mix it a bit and let some water sit on the bottom it holds the humidity well and I have a similar setup although not as big. I also have tin foil up too over most of the screen.

I just got got an ap cage for my new snake. We’ll see the experiment

[Sunnieskys]

Key word is damp bedding. Never wet. Your snake can get scale rot if the bedding is too damp.

[Beantowngators]

i live in an older house and shes upstairs in my room. with the uth set at 94ish (thats direct on the glass, i have hollow cork bark ontop of it) and the red light and cermaic heating element on 24/7 thats the only way i can keep the warm side 88-92 . i put the probe of the thermometer ontop of the substrate, above the uth and under the heat lamps and thats where im getting the 88-92. i use a thermostat on the uth but i just keep the two lamps on 24/7 with no dimmers or anything. she spends 50/50 on cool side and warm side. is that eco poweder brick stuff good substrate? could i just a big ass wad of sphagnum moss and soak it and set it in the corner of the hot side?

[Sunnieskys]

The brick sucks. Buy it in the bag. If you have any sort of tape or sticky things in your enclosure take them out.
Where is the probe for the thermostat? Thermometer and thermostat are completely different.

[Beantowngators]

94-95 is too hot. Lower that to 90. How are your heat elements regulated? Dimmers, thermostats? I use a piece of cardboard cut to the size of the screen top. I then place my lamps (unplugged) on the cardboard to trace around them. Cut out the holes. The. Cover the entire thing with foil. Place on the screen, put the lights into the holes and that should help. I mist once a day and mine stays fairly even at 50-55 before misting. You will need to mist more because you have a bigger tank. And also another reason I'm switching to an AP cage lol. Humidity will be the constant battle with tanks.

wouldn't you keep you need to cut holes in it for oxygen circulation?

- - - Updated - - -

the probe for the thermostat is under the substrate directly on the glass and covered up with the substrate

[Beantowngators]

The brick sucks. Buy it in the bag. If you have any sort of tape or sticky things in your enclosure take them out.
Where is the probe for the thermostat? Thermometer and thermostat are completely different.

the probe for the thermostat is under the substrate directly on the glass and covered up with the substrate

[Sunnieskys]

wouldn't you keep you need to cut holes in it for oxygen circulation?

- - - Updated - - -

the probe for the thermostat is under the substrate directly on the glass and covered up with the substrate

No because it will never be completely flush but enough to keep the humidity in.

The he probe needs to be between the glass and the uth outside of the cage not inside. The snake could move it, poop or pee on it and your reading will then be off.

Imwould also get an infrared temp gun.

[dadofsix]

Lots of good advice in the preceding posts. I have learned much since I became a member here.

I, too, use 40 gallons breeders for my two snakes. And your right, sometimes it is a pain getting temps or humidity balanced where they should be. I, also, live in an ancient, drafty house and use two heat lamps on each vivarium, both with CHEs (100w and 60w) on the warm side, during the winter months. I also use a large UTH (with a thermostat) under each tank. With this setup I am able to maintain reasonable (though not perfect) ambient temps for my snakes when the weather gets really cold outside.

As to humidity, I have a "split-screen" on the top of each vivarium that opens on the right or left side of the screen hinge. That way I can get into the vivarium for clean-up purposes, misting, changing the water, and feeding, without having to upset or move anything on the heating side. On the screen, I have a linen towel covering up about three-quarters of the screen (and away from the heat lamps) that I soak in water roughly every 24-36 hours. I use large cardboard slats, covered in aluminum foil, to cover the linen towel and minimize heat and humidity loss. With daily misting, I am able to to keep my snakes' humidity requirements met (though I'm going to have to start misting the larger snake's vivarium twice a day, now, inasmuch as she's going into shed and I want to keep her humidity a wee bit higher). I also cover the wrapped cardboard slats with more linen towels to keep the temps under control.

Is it a pain? Sometimes.

Do visitors to my home's living room find these vivariums to be fascinating? By and large, yes. Most find themselves wanting to know more about snakes and I am more than happy to oblige. :-)

<><Marc