Humidity question

[OsirisRa32]

Sorry I know this whole humidity thing is kind of a dead horse around here....BUT I have a quick question anyways and in my browsing I havent found this particular question dealt with yet.

So I have 2 cheap little analog dials (1 on either side of my tank about half way up) AND I have the 12$ walmart thermometer/hygrometer everyone seems to use around here...Those probes are at substrate level on either end of my 10 gal tank. I have a single heat lamp on a dimmer switch for my hotspot. And my UTH is on a thermostat.

I have aluminum foiled 2/3rds of the mesh top.

My question is this: the cheap analog dials read on average about 40-60 % through out the day ( i spray bottle the tank about 2-4 times a day as needed) However the substrate level probes read between 32-45% humidity....any suggestions?...(as neither of these humidity level are ideal as I understand it) (i am looking into a mister/fogger system).

Thanks for the help

[KMG]

Most units like the Accurite read humidity from the unit not the probe. If the probe is just a thin enclosed piece of rubberized plastic then it is a good bet that the unit gauges your humidity and not your probes.

[KMG]

Another note: Misting several times a day I'm sure your humidity is fine. Anything above 40% is good as long as you keep it a bit higher during shed. I Mist my bp once a day but the humidity is still low. To remedy this I keep moist moss available is some hides that keeps the hide at a higher humidity level. Doing this I have great sheds and a happy bp. Using the moss I really don't have to mist but I like to for my live plants. My humidity will usually stay in the low to mid forties.

[TheSnakeGuy]

I go through the same thing. I big clump of wet sphagnum moss in the corner works well because it slowly releases humidity better than the water bowl. I've even considered finding a Wiffle ball, cutting almost all the way around it, squeezing it open and filling that with moss so I could just dunk it in water and put it in the cage as needed. A Wiffle ball by itself is hard to find though.

[KMG]

Snake Guy,

You could make the same thing with a small tupperware style container. Drill holes in it. Fill with moss or a sponge and add water.

[kitedemon]

Humid hides work super well just add one at the first shed sign and problem solved.


Hygrometers are odd beasts the analogue units from pet stores are not well constructed, the issue is the face card it is cardboard which when damp swells and distorts and often will jam the indicator needle impeding its movement. Digital probes work on the very tiny electrical changes of carbon when dry and wet. Electrical resistance. Anything that effects resistance will alter the probe dust dirt damaged cable poor connection on and on. They often have very poor accuracy to begin with and usually become worse as time passes. I use better made analogue ones they are resistant to debris and humidity and tend to take a lickin and keep on... you know. They only have one issue the magnet sucks and the steel disk falls off I usually replace (magnet) and glue better disks on.

http://www.amazon.ca/Brass-Analog-Hy...2986774&sr=8-8

This unit has a calibration screw to adjust the unit. A simple 'salt test' will check the accuracy to 1%RH although I have a number of these (14+) they all arrived less than 5%RH in error better than every digital unit I have ever checked.