With a screen lid the light is contributing to drying out the air. THis is manageable however. My wife still keeps her Male fuscus in a glass tank and uses both a heat (red) lamp sitting directly on the lid as well as UTH and successfully maintains the (relatively) elevated humidity these pythons like.
First cover the screen. Do NOT use a wet towel etc (mold/mildew haven). There are a lot of options but by far the EASIEST we've run across is clear Con-Tac "paper" (usually used to line shelves). Cover the screen lid and cut out 3" triangles at the corners. If you plan on placing the lamp directly on the lid (not reccomended unless there is enough clearance between bulb and screen) you'll want to cut out a matching circle so you are not laying the lamp directly on the contac "paper". She has a bigger tank. In many cases directing the light at an angle from above/side is more than adequate. Get the water bowl on the side with the UTH/light.
Make SURE you monitor temps closely in the beginning - covering the lid may make the light unnecessary since heat rises and you've sealed off a good bit of the lid anyway - you dont want to cook your hunnies. Monitor the evaporation rate of the water bowl too - you may need to replenish more often - maybe less depending on how things stabilize.
I kept smakes like this for a good bit simply unwilling to let go of the glass transparency. I've since moved to bins exclusively if for no other reason thatn they are much easier to maintain.
Give that a shot - if you have questions or encounter difficulties post or PM away!
Smulkin's advice is dead on. I kept my Ozzy like that for a year w/ no problems at all.
It will take a little work and a watchful eye at first but once you have it tweaked it will run like a top. Whe you change from a/c to heat or vice versa in your home/room just keep a eye on the temps/humidity for a few days.
Good Luck!
~ Johanna ~ aka Jody
"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be measured by the way it's animals are treated"
~ Mahatma Gandhi~
If you can get it cypress mulch helps a lot. Also are you sure you need a heat pad and a lamp? Most heat pads heat to over 130 degrees. I've found one brand that when directly under the cage (its stuck to the cardboard box first) the bottom of the aquarium cage gets to 98ish (that is me with my room temps at 75-80).
Temp?
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Originally Posted by Smulkin
