Humidity Question

[lucy101]

So I took Lucy, my ball python to the vet and he basically said that she was dehydrated, and asked how my set up was, and what I do to keep the humidity up in my tank. I told him I only mist a couple times a day and she has a 75w night and day lamp. He told me how that I needed to get the humidity up in the tank and give her a under the tank heat source. I just need recommendations on what fogg/humidifier or how you guys keep the humidity up in your guys tanks, and what brand of under the tank heater you guys use. Since I live in a small town, my vet does not see snakes that often, and wasn't too up to date on what brands and trick people use these days. So I thought I would come on her and get your guy's opinion. He told me that once I fix that problem she should eat just fine.

Devin

[xStatic]

Bedding plays a huge part in the humidity of an enclosure! What type of bedding are you using?

For my snakes that need a very dry environment I have them on aspen, with just a small half filled water dish, and I never mist. My corns are on aspen but I mist once a day and they have large bowls for soaking in. My garter snake is kept on cypress mulch and I give her a humid hide filled with sphagnum moss.

I'm new to ball pythons but I've had my tank up and running for a few days now and the humidity is at a good level with me using a couple inches of cypress mulch (holds humidity very well) and a good amount of slightly damn sphagnum moss scattered around the tank. I live in Montana and ambient humidity here is really low, but this keeps it up quite well. If you are using a screen lid I suggest covering about 50% of the lid with some plastic wrap or a damp towel. This will also help trap humidity in the tank.

I do agree though that you should get a under tank heater (UTH). And if you get a UTH you absolutely HAVE to get a thermostat. The thermostat regulates the electricity flow to the heat pad to make sure it stays warm enough for your snake, without getting super hot and burning or killing your ball python.

These are the heat pads I use:

http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiT...s=zoo+med+heat

and this is the thermostat I use:

http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR...arm+thermostat

It also helps to have a large water bowl in the enclosure and to mist the enclosure once in a while.

If you follow the above directions I can guarantee you will have a great level of humidity in your tanks

[Physician&Snakes]

The above poster has given accurate information, I do have one thing to add though. Humidity sinks in proportion to heat, which rises . Therefore, a damp towel at the top of the screen is going to be slowly distributing humidity that is almost immediately pushed back into the towel or through it to the outside, meaning most of the outputted humidity is not getting to the cage floor, where your snake is most likely to be. For this reason, I saturate my substrates on a weekly basis and allow them to dry throughout the weekly so that humidity is highest at the floor and lowest near the top. So, a towel may work, but it is largely inefficient compared to a well saturated substrate.

[xStatic]

The above poster has given accurate information, I do have one thing to add though. Humidity sinks in proportion to heat, which rises . Therefore, a damp towel at the top of the screen is going to be slowly distributing humidity that is almost immediately pushed back into the towel or through it to the outside, meaning most of the outputted humidity is not getting to the cage floor, where your snake is most likely to be. For this reason, I saturate my substrates on a weekly basis and allow them to dry throughout the weekly so that humidity is highest at the floor and lowest near the top. So, a towel may work, but it is largely inefficient compared to a well saturated substrate.

Agree! If you only need a slight humidity raise (such as when my corns are going through a shed cycle) a damp towel usually does the trick for a couple of days, but for long term use plastic wrap or plexiglass to cover 50-70% of the screen to prevent humidity from escaping. You can damped the substrate, but also make sure you don't keep *too* wet or else you risk your snake developing scale rot on their stomach.

Good luck!

[DixieLonestar20x]

What is your humidity at right now?

Sphagnum moss works wonders and is super easy. As above posters wrote, if you have a screen top you can cover it also to help trap humidity.

You should post what you are measuring your humidity at right now though, if you don't mind. I hope that you are measuring it.

[Physician&Snakes]

What is your humidity at right now?

Sphagnum moss works wonders and is super easy. As above posters wrote, if you have a screen top you can cover it also to help trap humidity.

You should post what you are measuring your humidity at right now though, if you don't mind. I hope that you are measuring it.

A hygrometer has never set foot in any of my cages. Your nose and sense of touch will tell you all you need to know when it comes to humidity in my experience...going on 9 years...to each is own though.

[anatess]

Ceramic heat lamps are notorious for drying out the air. So to combat this, you can put an extra large water bowl under the lamp.

Cypress mulch is also great at holding moisture. Also a moist hide in addition to the regular hides will give the snake humid options. Basically just put damp (not dripping wet) spaghnum moss in a lidded Tupperware and cut an entrance hole making sure to file the sharp edges.

[xStatic]

Another thing to add! There's a sticky here in the caging forum about covering your screen lid with aluminum foil to help trap humidity and heat in the cage better. I just did it to my screen and the humidity is already gone up a bit. It only takes about 20 minutes, so give it a try!

Here are some pictures of my screen lid.

[lucy101]

Hi everbody thanks for responding!Sorry it took so long for me to respond. Any how, I did not know that I needed to measure the humidity. I am new at this, so that is another thing I will be correcting. Correct me if I am wrong, but does the humidity have to between 50%-60% or is more or less. I just want to get it right, so I know that I am doing what is best for her. I am going to be purchansing a UTH for her.I think that will help termendously. Althoght I am not sure how to set it up. Could someone explain that to me? I will be following your adivse as to the covering up of of her lid. I will also purchase some moss to put in her cage as well. Did I miss anything?

Thanks,
Devin

[Naom9Anne]

UTH covering around a third of the enclosure, connected to a thermostat. Humidity at 50-60% sounds fine although some people have it more at 50% and up to around 70% for sheds