Terracotta for humidity?

[Moshimaru]

I have an unusual question inspired by desperately trying to find a humidity source for my BP that will last for more than a few hours. This winter has been cold, and very dry. I'm replacing Ghost's glass enclosure with a mesh top with an AP cage, but it takes 10-12 weeks to get here after ordering, so I'm looking for a temporary solution for the winter. I already keep a wet towel on top of half of the mesh, mist when it needs, and have sphagnum moss sprinkled throughout. The humidity usually falls very low during the night.

My coworker gave me a terracotta disk called a brown sugar disk.

Here's an example: https://www.surlatable.com/product/P...wn+Sugar+Saver

If you soak it for 15 minutes in water, it is supposed to keep sealed food moist for months. I'm not sure if this would, in any noticeable way, translate to his enclosure. Has anyone happened to try something like this? Is terracotta safe to put into a BP tank? I don't imagine it would break easily, but I know they are sensitive to certain materials (though I'm thinking of wood oils, terracotta is a natural source as well, so I'm not sure if it contains anything inappropriate for snakes.

[Craiga 01453]

Never heard of it. However, have seen many people use terracotta as hides.
Not sure how soaking it would play out, I'm curious to see what other members say

[tttaylorrr]

no idea on whether it would help the enclosure but i would assume terra cotta is safe; it's just ceramic. breaking would be my only concern.

i hope you try the disk out and let us know how it goes! good luck!

[Crowfingers]

I actually use a terra cotta pot in the winter to keep my humitity and add another choice for a hide. I use the 9 inch pots, cut out all but the lip of the bottom and set it upside down in the drip pan. Then I add some damp sphagnum moss too. About every 3-4 days I take out the pot and soak it for an hour or so in warm (80-85*F) water. Then I put it back.

The sphagnum moss moisture also wicks into the pot and helps keep it humid. I used my regular dremel 300 and a round grinder bit to cut it out, then smoothed the edges with a hand file. Soaking the pot for a week or so prior to cutting softens the clay a tad and it's not as dusty. I'd still work it outside and wear ear plugs

The clay at the center is black, so it looks jagged, but it is just were the red clay flaked off

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[Crowfingers]

Also, I have to soak mine in boiling water (in a bucket) every 2-3 months, just to make sure no mildew and stuff takes hold. As long as you warm it slowly and allow it to cool naturally it shouldn't shatter like glass would. at least none of mine have. I also keep three on hand, just to switch out as the others are being cleaned. The only other thing to remember is that it is fairly porous and will absorb chemicals like soap which is why I boil it to clean it

[bcr229]

I've done something similar but just with a large damp synthetic sponge that I put in a shallow zip-lock plastic container to keep it from leaking water all over the enclosure floor. The sponge gives a lot of surface area for evaporation, and you can add a bit of water to the plastic container as needed when the sponge gets too dry. I just boiled the sponge before use to help ensure it didn't mold right away from being damp all the time.