Humidity Help!

[KMG]

Like mentioned above the levels in the hide are higher than your gauge is showing. The hide is where it matters. I don't even monitor the humidity in my tanks anymore. Its in the 20-30s but the hides are good and that gives me great sheds. Worry less and enjoy more.

You can also use a thicker layer of substrate in the tank. All of my substrate levels range from three inches to a 1/4 inch. In my BP tank it is built up and thicker on the cool side and tapers off to the uth on the warm side. In my Hoggy tank it is all thick and allows her plenty of material to tunnel through and create her own caves and caverns. Then in my GTP cage the substrate is about two inches thick all over. Doing this allows the substrate to hold more moisture and gives the snakes something to root around in if they desire.

At one time in my BP tank I created an underground cave from super thick substrate, logs, and a hide. The BP loved it but I NEVER saw her again and it was to hard to get her out. It looked cool though.

[Nathaniel1989]

Is that a probeless thermostat?????????????? are you checking the hotspot also? Humidity drops with heat. The moss in the hide will lift the humidity in the Hide, Get a damp moss box. Also put a towel over your mesh - Warm water? no. Warm water in the bowl wont help unless you have a cermic heat lamp directed onto it. You NEED a thermostat... I dont believe your hot spot is less then 98f with out a stat, could be in the100's - I have a 4WAT mat in my current tank, and we removed the thermostat to restick the mat, when we put it back in 3minutes later, the hot spot was 98... so if it is constant unregulated, it could be in the 100s/...

[RiA MaU]

I know I need a thermostat but my UTH isn't on right now and so far, she isn't needing it. My lamp is keeping the temps good.

[Nathaniel1989]

yeah, but if your lamp is unregulated, and your using a probless thermometer, you never know the actual temp of the basking spot.

If i have missed something im sorry, but running and enclosure without a stat is not a great start. Also, how big is the snake? Could be stressed if small in a big tank.

[Skeletor]

Don't put the digital hygrometer near the heat source...I'm pretty sure I get inaccurate readings when I do that. I experimented with 2 of those things and a gauge. The gauge would read 50% near my RHP (radiant heat panel) or any place in the cage. So then I put the gauge in the cool side corner and I'm reading 50%. I put the digital near the heat...reading 44, move it to the cool corner, reads 50%. I take a brand new digital....reads low near the heat, reads 50% in the cool corner. Take all 3 out of the cage...they all read the same, 35% or so. I think the radiant heat screws with stuff a little bit. RHP or CHE's send out radiant heat. It can screw with temp guns and some other devices.

With glass cages...everything you need for the snake floats out of the top. Keep most of it covered with plastic wrap. You should be able to get to 50% pretty easy.

[Skeletor]

A few other things...If you have a heat lamp bulb...it will burn off humidity real fast, try a ceramic bulb. Also,put your digital device in the cool side corner and run the temp probe to the hot side. These cages are the hardest to get working for a BP but can be done. Some people turn them on the side and make a door for what was the top. Just some fuel for thought. However....you should be able to get that glass running fine but it will be a little harder with an open top.

[EL-Ziggy]

I believe humidity is one of those things we tend to overthink when keeping snakes. I think hydration is far more important and most snakes get the hydration they need from their food and drinking water. I've had perfect sheds and no RI issues with my ambient humidity ranging anywhere from 30-65%. I have misted my enclosures or added a humid hide on occasion when the humidity drops into the low 30's but sometimes the snakes don't even use the humid hides.

[Skeletor]

Relative humidity is very hard to measure properly.....Relative humidity is relative to the temperature of the cage. If you are getting good sheds....you had temp and humidity correct. Good sheds are a sign of a good setup. you were doing something correct.

[Skeletor]

If your ambient air temps are not hot enough....the air can't hold the humidity that is needed. If the snake is getting good sheds....the snake is getting what it needs. I get good sheds that are dry if my humidity is lower...if I jack it up...the sheds are not crunchy for a while and I can open the shed all they way up without ripping it.

[Skeletor]

Testing hygrometer accuracy.

You can test an hygrometer's accuracy in two common ways:
1. Wrap a damp cloth on the back of the hygrometer for 6 hours. The indicator should then read approx. 95%. If it reads lower or is off scale completely, merely adjust the indicator to read 95% using one of the methods described above.
2. Another way to check calibration uses table salt, a see-through container such as a Ziplock baggie, and a small shallow open container, like a bottle cap.
Place a teaspoon or so of salt in the shallow container and add a few drops of water - just enough to get it wet. Remember, you don't want a salt water solution, just damp salt. Place the shallow container in the baggie along with the hygrometer. (Make sure the salt does not get on the hygrometer, this may damage it).
Seal the baggie with some air trapped inside and let it sit for 6 to 8 hours. Check the hygrometer reading without opening up the baggie. It should read 75%. If not, remove the instrument from the baggie and adjust the reading to 75% with a small screwdriver.
To maintain accuracy of the instrument, it is advisable to recalibrate every six months.

You can do this with digital also but no screw driver is needed.