Keeping up with humidity question...

[sweetsavage]

I've been having a hard time maintaining an adequate level of humidity. I live in the Canadian praries and this time of year the air gets really cold and dry, so, in order to keep it warm for her, i have an under tank heating pad and a red heat lamp.... i've insulated the entire encloser with that black on black core foam board ( as well ive used the foam board to section of my tank as it is way too big for her now) i sealed it with black electrical tape and duct tape. i also did the whole 3 layer of tinfoil over the lid. i dont have the heat lamp completely over the encloser as it gets too hot and sucks every bit of humidity out, i leave the lamp about 1/4 to 1/2 way directed into the tank the rest is over the tinfoil..... at the moment the humidity is 37, when i mist it shoots up to 80, then after 5 minutes or so, its back down to 45-ish and keeps on dropping..... i dont want to mist all the time to keep it up, as ive read all the bad stuff that could cause.... i was in the proccess of making her a little humid hide for when she goes into shed, when i thought of something.

You know that floral foam stuff you use to keep flower arrangements in place, and it REALLY holds moisture... well, what if i placed that in a plastice dish with moist or kinda damp paper towls on top? would this be a good idea, or foolish? i dont think there's anything harmfull about it, but im not sure...

As i've pretty much learned all that i have from this site, and trust that many here are very informative and honest....i figured id better get the go-ahead from people who know what they're talking about.

Any help here would be greatly appreciated!

[Jenn]

How big is the enclosure? How big is the water dish? What wattage is the bulb? Sounds like the bulb is too hot, or the dish is too small. I have great luck with a ten gallon tank, a heat pad, and a 40 watt bulb. Always between 50 and 60%. Also do you have a thermostat? If not, move the substrate and place your hand directly on the bottom of the tank right over the heat pad. If you can't hold your hand there you have a dangerous situation for your snake.

[sweetsavage]

The tank is like 3 by 1.5 feet, i knew that was too big so the breeder told me to section it off with cardboard, but i used the foam core board instead. Her area is now about 1.5 by 1.5 feet, the water dish is about 1/4 the size of her area (she can easily fit into it, with room to spare) The bulb is 75 watts, but not entirely over her, so she doesnt get the full effect from it.... The temps are perfectin my opinion, i can lay my hand on the warmest area long enough to catch her attention and give her time to come check me out, even the lid doesnt get unbearably hot.... ill be getting a thermostat and an inrared temp. gun at the reptile show on the 27.
She seems perfectly happy, i've had her for two and a half weeks....she's eaten for me and generally seems to like coming out for a bit... shes even mustered up the courage to approach my cat ( never without me being right there) and even let the cat come nose to nose with her....

do you think the floral foam is a bad idea?

[chz]

How much of your lid is covered with the foil? It might do you some good to take a couple pictures if you have a camera.

[Jenn]

Well, first you should know that I am brand new to this too. I have only had my BP for a month and I made every single mistake in the book. The folks on these forums set me on the right track. If I were you I wouldn't mess with an enclosure that's too big. I did the same thing and couldn't maintain temprature or humidity. Not to mention driving the poor snake crazy. Tubs are the easiest way to maintain humidity. But the right sized aquarium will work just fine once you have it set up right.

There are tons of caresheets here and they are all just great. Don't try to reinvent the wheel. These folks know what they are talking about. Another advantage to having the right sized enclosure without all that junk taped to it is that it is easy to clean which you should be doing regularly. Sounds like you have a 20 or 29 gallon tank there. How big is your snake? And How high is the tank? If your baby will fit in a ten gallon tank (see care sheets) they only cost ten dollars!

[NickP]

Here's what I've learned from this site:

Move the water bowl closer to the light bulb and fill it up with more water. Cover the top with a plastic covering, but leave a but uncovered. Get a substrate that can hold moisture and damp it with a mister. That will keep humidity up. If it gets too high you can adjust the water bowl's distance from the light and/or uncover the top.

{edit} Sorry, after re reading your post, you've done most of the above. Do you have moisture holding substrate? Coconut bark or Bag of spagnum moss holds moisture too.

[chz]

I don't think the foam is a bad idea as long as you're keeping the cage clean. Sounds like you're working hard to make things right for your bp, which is always nice to see. I think that some wet paper towels would do the trick, as they are more expendable. The foam might be prone to carrying bacteria after long term use. Is it easy to clean this foam you're talking about? If so, i'd give it a shot. Let us know how it works

[chz]

Yea i used spaghum moss in one of Thor's hides when i was having humidity problems. I keep my water dish halfway on the UTH and halfway on the cool side, and it seems to work well.

Now that I've thought about it, I think your problem lies in the foam board. Your area is so small now, that the lamp is probably drying up ALL humidity very fast. You really don't need the enclosure to be 1.5' x 1.5' as that is kinda overkill. Provide enough hides/driftwood/plants that it makes the snake feel secure in the full size of the tank. This will allow the humidity to build throughout the tank without it drying up under that 75watt lamp you have (which is way too much for a 1.5x1.5 area).

Edit: I'd take that foam board and fasten it to the outside of the tank on 3 sides (leaving the front side open for viewing). Theres a guide on these forums on how to do it I think. I know I saw it somewhere.

[Swingline0.0.1]

The tank is like 3 by 1.5 feet, i knew that was too big so the breeder told me to section it off with cardboard, but i used the foam core board instead. Her area is now about 1.5 by 1.5 feet, the water dish is about 1/4 the size of her area (she can easily fit into it, with room to spare) The bulb is 75 watts, but not entirely over her, so she doesnt get the full effect from it.... The temps are perfectin my opinion, i can lay my hand on the warmest area long enough to catch her attention and give her time to come check me out, even the lid doesnt get unbearably hot.... ill be getting a thermostat and an inrared temp. gun at the reptile show on the 27.
She seems perfectly happy, i've had her for two and a half weeks....she's eaten for me and generally seems to like coming out for a bit... shes even mustered up the courage to approach my cat ( never without me being right there) and even let the cat come nose to nose with her....

do you think the floral foam is a bad idea?

It sounds like you're heading in the right direction by getting a thermostat- temps are one of the most important things for BPs. The first and cheapest step is to get a digital thermometer- Wal-Mart carries a brand called Accu-Rite that runs about $12. They are usually in hardware or lawn and garden, and have a probe, so you can measure both sides of the enclosure.
I've heard great things about temp guns as well, but they are more expensive.

On the humidity front, the easiest thing to do is switch to a tub! It looks like you have tried a few things. The quickest one (and one i use if he'd in shed during a dry time) is a damp towel- put it over about 3/4 of the screen, and it will raise humidity by 10-15% easily. Also, you could try suspending your heat lamp above the tank- my house is about 76 or so, but when I put a 40 watt bulb right on the screen it raised the temp too much and dried out the tank. I hung it about a foot above the screen on the cool side, and it's perfect- I get that 5 degree bump and it doesn't dry it out nearly as much.

A side note about cats- I would not let the cat roam free in the same room as your ball. It can stress your poor little BP out!

Hope this helps

[sweetsavage]

Sweet, okay.
Pictures are a good idea, camera's charging.....but a vast majority of the lid is covered, without comprimising air flow too much.
I acctually think its closer to a 40 or 50 gallon tank, its almost a foot and half tall. She's 3-4 months old and close to 2 feet long, and about as wide as a quarter is... The breeder told me not to bother with a new tank as she'll only outgrow it. Its sealed safely though, and cleaning hasnt been an issue yet...
I use aspen shavings, because when i got her, thats what she came in....and i got enough to last me a year....at least. I've thought about that spagnum moss, but the floral foam is WAY cheaper...i wouldnt bother cleaning it, just replace it when i disinfect everything.
I'll try a lower wattage bulb, besides it couldnt hurt the power bill
Yeah, i already insulated all three sides with the foam board....and on the unused side i keep a rather large tupperware container full of warm water, for extra measure.
I already have a digital thermometer and hygrometer, not the accu-rite one though, i couldnt find it...and couldn't wait...the temp. gun is only gonna be $20 at the reptile show, so thats no biggy.
I am also gonna try that damp towel trick if it gets too dry. and a stand for the lamp, couldnt hurt.

So, i think i will try the foam idea, see how it works...
Thanks everyone for the great input!

Oh, and no worries about the cat... she basically sits there and watches the snake, she's getting old and pretty much just lays around and sleeps all day.... but im always holding Isis (the snake), so if either one of them get too interested, i can pull Isis back and blow at the cat, always gets her attention....