Gigantic tank

[Diaspora]

Hi !

I recently built a new (gigantic, 170 gallons more or less) tank for my girl and i'm a bit concerned about the husbandry.
The temps are not yet in the required range: 75F ambient temp, basking spot with a heat mat at 86-90F (depending on the hours of the day)
I have ordered a ceramic heat lamp of 250W to help raise the ambient temperature so I think that will get better.
My main concern is the humidity. It doesn't get passed the 50%. When recently in shed I sprayed water a few times a day to avoid issues with her shed but she still shed in a lot of pieces and I ended up soaking her and helping her out with a damp cloth. Anyways, that turned out fine.
I put also a sort of fountain/cascade thinking it would raise the humidity but it just helps it keep it around 49%. Doesn't get lower anymore.
My snake has a humid hide and a water bowl but still, with the new ceramic lamp arriving, I'm afraid the humidity will go down.
I thought of buying a mister to cope with the humidity issues. Or do you think it's not necessary and she will be just fine?

Thanks for the help!

[BPGator]

How is it enclosed? Is there a way to reduce the ventilation? I think you need to describe this tank or post a picture of it to get some advice.

[Diaspora]

the spaces between the glass and the tank itself are about 3mm each
and it opens up from the center, like doors (not sliding)
[IMG][/IMG]

[sneakysnake611]

160 gallons? to get gallons take your...Length(inches) X Width(inches) X Height(inches) and / by 231.

to up your humidity you could mist once a day or so. 50% really isn't extremely low. it is on the lower end however. you can always plumb in some kind of fogger on a timer.


awesome job on the enclosure btw! I love it

[GitaBooks]

Awesome enclosure by the way!! : )

[Diaspora]

160 gallons? to get gallons take your...Length(inches) X Width(inches) X Height(inches) and / by 231.

137 gallons
sorry I have to convert from the belgian metric system to gallons (the tank is 1,46 m x 0,39 m x 0,91 m)

I will continue misting until i find a permanent solution

Thanks for the appreciation!

[Coluber42]

Are the plants in there live or fake? Live plants are great for humidity, partly because plants lose some water through their leaves, and partly because the soil holds a lot of water and lets it evaporate slowly. Anyway, if you don't have live plants there now, it looks like you do have plenty of room to add them if you want.

[Diaspora]

Are the plants in there live or fake? Live plants are great for humidity, partly because plants lose some water through their leaves, and partly because the soil holds a lot of water and lets it evaporate slowly. Anyway, if you don't have live plants there now, it looks like you do have plenty of room to add them if you want.

I have both of them
on the bottom left i have one and in the standing little cork on the right i have two live ones
the rest is fake
but the plants don't require a lot of water, I was actually afraid to keep a plant that requires a lot of care to attract insects and rotten..
What plants do you recommend ? I do have quite a lot of space left

[Coluber42]

I've only recently added plants to my enclosure, but I'm planning on a couple more. I put them in wide, shallow pots so that there's lots of exposed soil (actually I used organic potting soil and then eco earth on top of it), which I think is what really makes the most difference for the humidity. But it also means that there are places for the snake to go around and under the leaves. The plants I have in there now are a peace lily and a bird's nest fern. A pothos vine and a spider plant will go in there soon; they're sprouting now and aren't ready yet.
Basically, I went for plants that can survive a certain amount of abuse and being climbed or sat on, won't get too top heavy, provide cover/foliage, and are on at least a couple of lists as being safe for (non-herbivorous) reptiles.
For what it's worth, my snake has shown more interest in the fern than the peace lily. The fern spreads and makes a nice overhang, and I put it in a wide enough container that he can sit around/under its canopy. He often comes out and hangs out there in the evenings.