Humidity Headache

[TanyaL]

I finally got my temps to where they need to be after buying two dimmer switches at Lowes. They were a bit expensive (just over $10 each) but they work GREAT! All I had to do was plug my UTH and heat lamp into them and adjust the controls. Thank God I don't have that headache anymore.

BUT....I am having a heck of a time getting the humidity up to where it should be during shed. I've tried misting, wet paper towels, covering the top with foil, towels, everything! What else can I do? The tub option is out of the question.

Right now my temps are 83 and 91 with 50 - 55% humidity at best. She is in a glass aquarium with repti-bark as a substrate.

How much misting is too much? I've read about scale rot so maybe I'm just being too cautious and not misting enough.

Oh, I also used some humidity moss (or whatever it's called) but that only seems to make it worse so I took it out.

Help before I pull all of my hair out! I'm sure there is something that I can do.

[Sparky1]

Well calm down, your 50-55 humidity is just fine. What i do is when i notice they are going into shed, blue/grey eyed twice a day i grab my lil spray bottle. I mist the cage a lil and i spray the snake. I do this everyday until they shed. Never had a problem. Scale rot can come from it being a soaking wet enviroment not just a lil misting, it is also a form of bacteria i heard. So a clean cage and some misting works just fine for me.

[bsd13]

By no means am I an expert but I found I can get the humidity to around 75% if I put a ziplock plastic quart bowl full of damp sphagnum moss in there and place a t-shirt over the screen. If I remove the t-shirt it drops to about 55 to 60% and if I take the moss out (but leave the tshirt) it hovers around 50%. Whatever it is the moss seems to have the biggest impact on things. At least for me.

[TanyaL]

Well calm down, your 50-55 humidity is just fine.

REALLY?? I thought during the shed phase the humidity should be higher for better chances of a full shed. But, if 50 - 55% is enough then THANK GOD!

...I found I can get the humidity to around 75% if I put a ziplock plastic quart bowl full of damp sphagnum moss in there and place a t-shirt over the screen.

I just looked sphagnum moss up and the picture looks exactly like what I have. I had it in a plastic container, sitting next to the water with the red lamp directly above both and it only seems to get worse. The moss was pretty wet, too.

This tshirt that you use, is it damp? After original post, I noticed that somebody else is using what looks like wet paper towels. I would imagine that the tshirt wouldn't dry out as fast as paper towel.

Like I said, I can get it to 50 - 55% at best, but that is only with much effort. Usually it is in the mid to low 40's, without constant attention. If 50 - 55% is close enough for a shed then I guess I'll have to continue what I'm doing.

[bsd13]

REALLY?? I thought during the shed phase the humidity should be higher for better chances of a full shed. But, if 50 - 55% is enough then THANK GOD!


I just looked sphagnum moss up and the picture looks exactly like what I have. I had it in a plastic container, sitting next to the water with the red lamp directly above both and it only seems to get worse. The moss was pretty wet, too.

This tshirt that you use, is it damp? After original post, I noticed that somebody else is using what looks like wet paper towels. I would imagine that the tshirt wouldn't dry out as fast as paper towel.

Like I said, I can get it to 50 - 55% at best, but that is only with much effort. Usually it is in the mid to low 40's, without constant attention. If 50 - 55% is close enough for a shed then I guess I'll have to continue what I'm doing.

Tshirt is dry. I don't put the moss under the lamp, or over any heat source.

[TanyaL]

THANKS! I'll give that a try and see how it works.

You guys are all great! I can't thank you enough!

[bsd13]

THANKS! I'll give that a try and see how it works.

You guys are all great! I can't thank you enough!

Good luck hope it works for you. Was also thinking you could get a cheapo humidifier from walmart (or similar store) for about $20.00 and get the ambient room humidity up. That might help a little in the battle.

[dr del]

Hi,

We also have an improvised humidifier in the D.I.Y. section if your intrested.


dr del

[Brimstone111888]

I wouldn't think 50-55% humidity is good enough for them to shed in. It is good enough for them to LIVE in though. I've only had one bad shed and that was in a glass tank with 60% humidity.

Since moving to a tub and keeping the humidity around 70-80% for sheds has yielded me the best sheds.

In my opinion I would try to get you humidity up to around 70% minimum for shed.

[juddb]

BUT....I am having a heck of a time getting the humidity up to where it should be during shed. I've tried misting, wet paper towels, covering the top with foil, towels, everything! What else can I do? The tub option is out of the question.

Right now my temps are 83 and 91 with 50 - 55% humidity at best. She is in a glass aquarium with repti-bark as a substrate.

How much misting is too much? I've read about scale rot so maybe I'm just being too cautious and not misting enough.

Oh, I also used some humidity moss (or whatever it's called) but that only seems to make it worse so I took it out.

Help before I pull all of my hair out! I'm sure there is something that I can do.

I would switch to aspen or cypress mulch first off. Also instead of misting the substrate i would mist the sides of the enclosure to keep the substrate from getting so damp. Also it should keep the humidity up longer that way. Have you thought about a tub setup???