Finally Got my T8 Set Up

[Nodnarb3do]

Testing it out to make sure all my temps and humidity are good before moving him over later this week.

Hilariously, the biggest struggle I've since getting him (and keeping him in a glass tank) was humidity. I could not get it to stay above 30% for more than 15 minutes? Now? It's stuck around the high 80s with nothing but one water dish in the enclosure. Humidity, why will you always plague me? I've considering drilling some additional ventilation holes, but was curious if others have had similar issues.

For reference, the substrate is a mixture of Repti Bark fir, and Eco Earth coconut fiber. Heat is an 80watt RHP centered in the enclosure, and a Flexwatt under the hot side.

[Eric Alan]

Hilariously, the biggest struggle I've since getting him (and keeping him in a glass tank) was humidity. I could not get it to stay above 30% for more than 15 minutes? Now? It's stuck around the high 80s with nothing but one water dish in the enclosure. Humidity, why will you always plague me? I've considering drilling some additional ventilation holes, but was curious if others have had similar issues.

How are you measuring humidity? Also, you just mixed your substrate - it's going to be naturally higher right away. Humidity in the 80s is nothing to be worried about as long as you don't have standing moisture anywhere or a ton of condensation build-up for an extended period of time. Before you go and drill into your nice, new T8, give it a few weeks and see where it's at then.

[Nodnarb3do]

I currently have an Accurite temp/humidity gauge on each side of the enclosure.

[Eric Alan]

I currently have an Accurite temp/humidity gauge on each side of the enclosure.

Good deal - much better than the cheap stick-on dial ones. I'd recommend just watching it for a few weeks and see how it does. Humidity takes a bit to settle in.

[kitedemon]

The question is what is your ambient air temps?

RH is very poorly understood.

Relative humidity is relative to temperature, and it is % of what you currently have against what you could have. Most of the issues people have with humidity is linked to ambient temp issues.

Have you checked the accurite? What are the current model specs? The old ones were not spec'd very accurate.

[Nodnarb3do]

Good deal - much better than the cheap stick-on dial ones. I'd recommend just watching it for a few weeks and see how it does. Humidity takes a bit to settle in.

Oh I know that much. I've had him for about two months now and been on the board since then.

The question is what is your ambient air temps?

RH is very poorly understood.

Relative humidity is relative to temperature, and it is % of what you currently have against what you could have. Most of the issues people have with humidity is linked to ambient temp issues.

Have you checked the accurite? What are the current model specs? The old ones were not spec'd very accurate.

With the doors closed, each side was in the high seventies (still getting the RHP dialed in). As to the Acurites,

http://www.acurite.com/thermometer-w...red-probe.html

Not sure what qualifies as an 'old one.'

[kitedemon]

You are using a RHP for the hot spot?

nice to know it is far far better than the old units +/-2ºF and 5%RH is reasonable. (twice as accurate across the board)

Is your ambient air temp taken from a place out from under the RHP and away from the any other heaters? Is the ambient air possible effected by the RHP? (in line of sight?)

That is a crazy high amount of humidity! 21gm/m3 (I used 78/88)

What is the room temp?

[kitedemon]

Question, if you turn off the RHP does the RH increase dramatically?

[Nodnarb3do]

You are using a RHP for the hot spot?

nice to know it is far far better than the old units +/-2ºF and 5%RH is reasonable. (twice as accurate across the board)

Is your ambient air temp taken from a place out from under the RHP and away from the any other heaters? Is the ambient air possible effected by the RHP? (in line of sight?)

That is a crazy high amount of humidity! 21gm/m3 (I used 78/88)

What is the room temp?

The RHP is centered for ambient temps throughout the enclosure, the hot spot is provided by a flexwatt on the hot side. One ambient temp (cool side) is out from under the RHP and away from anything else, the other is out from under the RHP, but near the Flexwatt. Not sure I understand the question about line of sight, everything in the enclosure is within line of sight of the RHP. Room temp is approximately 69 degrees.

In answer to the question in your other comment, I haven't tested that. Currently everything is off with the doors open. I was planning to let the substrate dry a bit more, and considering taking the roof off to reposition the RHP. It's putting a lot of heat down in the center to the point neither end of the enclosure are the hot side. With everything off and the doors open, the Acurites are STILL reading 54% inside the enclosure. The room the enclosure is in is 16% RH, also taking from the Acurite.

[kitedemon]

The RHP is likely heating the accurite and artificially changing the 'ambient' air temp by heating the accurite. The only way to take a air temp is to measure the temperature of the air not being influenced by a heater, especially a radiant heater. I am guessing you have not taken an ambient air reading at all. The accurite should be placed where you could not tie a sting to it and touch the face of the RHP. This is line of sight.

RHPs are radiant heat panels, the emit IR radiation, this extends like light heating any solid it touches. Think of the sun or a camp fire, on a cool night sitting facing the camp fire your front gets really warm but you back is still cold. If the IR light from a RHP hits the accurite it heats the body of it up and you end up measuring the surface of the housing rather than the enclosure air. Follow?

Wikipedia, "Radiant heating, It is the method of intentionally using the principles of radiant heat to transfer radiant energy from an emitting heat source to an object. Designs with radiant heating are seen as replacements for conventional convection heating as well as a way of supplying confined outdoor heating." This is the exact same it is why radiant heaters are sold for out door patios it heats the people under it.

The ambient air temp determines how much humidity you could have, the RH is a % of how much close you are to the saturation. The numbers you have are very high too high really, if your ambient air temp is lower it starts to make more sense because the cooler air can hold less humidity and 80% of a smaller number is smaller. It varies it is actually a proper % if you pay sales tax on a car it is the same % but a different dollar amount than on a pop.

This means that if your RHP is doing what you want it to if you keep everything sealed off with it on the RH will decrease and when it is off it will increase. RHPs in my experience make little change to Humidity.

Relative Humidity:The amount of water vapor in the air at any given time is usually less than that required to saturate the air. The relative humidity is the percent of saturation humidity, generally calculated in relation to saturated vapor density.