Humidity problem, help!

[Sbier]

I'm having a huge problem with the humidity in my bp's tank. For some reason I can get it up to 40/45 (which I know is still too low) then it shoots back down to 20/30. Any advice on how to regulate along with increase the humidity? Thank you!

[Coluber42]

Reduce the amount of ventilation. If you have a screen top, cover it over completely with foil, saran wrap, plexiglass, wood, etc, and then make whatever small air holes you need to get the humidity to stabilize. If you're using a heat lamp of any sort, obviously leave an opening in the covering for the lamp (then you will not need any additional holes).

You can use a larger water bowl or multiple bowls, or damp sphagnum moss, or a shallow dish of water with a sponge or washcloth sitting in it to help increase evaporation. Some substrates also retain moisture better than others. But the first thing to do is to limit the amount of air that is lost to the outside.

Also, make sure you have a digital hygrometer (a household indoor/outdoor thermometer that you can buy anywhere) , not a cheap dial one, or you'll never know for sure.

[Meech]

i am having the same problem, a damp towel over the top works but is not attractive, i currently am trying plexi on half of the cage to see if that helps, i have a 20 long glass.

[usaf21stsf]

I was having a similar issue even with the foil on top. I stated putting a wet sponge in the tank that I resoak every 4-8 hours and my humidity is hovering around 53% now

[LittleTreeGuy]

Cover as much as the top as possible. Using foil or plastic is good because you can press it firmly into place so it allows minimal amount of airflow around it. Be cautious with plastics or towels though if you have a Heat lamp or CHE. You don't want any fires. Seal as much of the top as possible. I got a small flower pot (4") and filled it with sphagnum moss and wet it really well. That helped mine a good bit. Sometimes adding a 2nd water bowl will help. As noted above, sponges are another great source. The more surface area you can have wet, the more evaporation and humidity you will likely get in return.

[Coluber42]

If you're running out of space or your snake tends to knock stuff over, you can also put water and sponges in a tupperware container with the lid closed and then poke a whole bunch of holes in it. Depending on where you make the holes, you can then hang it on the side of the cage instead of having to be on the bottom. That will let the water evaporate out over a longer period of time so you won't have to keep soaking stuff every few hours.

[Rickys_Reptiles]

Here you go: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...63#post2129963

[O'Mathghamhna]

I addressed this in the husbandry forum, but I finally gave up on glass enclosures because I got so tired of having to re-mist/re-soak every day or two. Too much disruption for my snakes. And no matter what I couldn't get anything to work, even with a Humidifier hose feeding mist into the tank 3x a day. I switched to weather-proof locking tupperware bins, which allow enough space for a warm and cool hide, and water, and plenty of fake vegetation for the snakes to hide in. If anything the humidity is a little high, so I had to drill extra holes. But I don't have to do anything except keep the water fresh and the humidity is always right where I want it. Glass is pretty, but it's also a pretty big pain in the butt.

[Crowfingers]

I use damp strips of towels - so you don't have a whole heavy towel on the lid, and so that it is nowhere near the heat lamp. Put this under the aluminum foil and make sure the foil is smoothed or even taped to the edge of the lid. Re-dampen the towels with hot water (just make sure it does not drip onto the snake). This will bump the humidity to 80-90% for a little bit then drop to the 50-60% range. I only have to re-dampen it every 24 hours or so. I also keep a moist hide in the tank at all times, just in case the humidity drops when I'm not home / at night or if he just wants a very humid place to go.

[Rickys_Reptiles]

Here you go: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...63#post2129963

oops: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...63#post2129963