humididty too high

[eternalfrost]

the humidity in my 10 gal glass aquarium its always reading 'hi' i.. off the scale. there is currently no snake in there, just about half an inch of shredded coco which is completly dry (baked out in oven)

there is no condensation or anything on the glass. i thought the thermometer might be broke so i took it out the tank and it read like 30% wtf?

[MelissaFlipski]

You should get a hydrometer that tells the exact % of humidity. That might help. They come with a thermometer, too, so you get both measurements. Put one on each side of the tank to ensure proper temperature gradient as well as humidity. I'm glad you setting up the tank and getting it right before it is inhabited. Good luck.

[Royalherper]

Thats pretty weird. Do yo have it right over the water bowl? High humidity in a tank is odd. Usually you are fighting to get the humidity to an optimal level. IMO a digital gage is more accurate and easier to read. Try one, you will love it.

[eternalfrost]

yea i have the ubiquitous accurite digital indoor/outdoor/hygrometer

left the heat lamp blasting all night long and now its down to 87% hah, least its on the scale now. there isnt even a water dish inside

[lord jackel]

yea i have the ubiquitous accurite digital indoor/outdoor/hygrometer

left the heat lamp blasting all night long and now its down to 87% hah, least its on the scale now. there isnt even a water dish inside

If there is no water dish and the outside humidity is 30% then the only way it is getting that high is via the substrate. You said you baked it...how hot and how long? My guess would be it is still wet...it will dry out overtime but will take a few days.

Anything else in the tank? Is the mesh top covered?

[Argentra]

Not surprising, really. I have my current corn snake in a 10gal with aspen bedding and a really shallow water dish. Nothing in there ever gets sprayed and the hides and branch are always dried before being replaced...and yet my humidity in there is almost constantly around 60%. He doesn't seem to mind one bit as he is quite shiny and healthy and his two sheds with me have been spot on perfect.

It is my idea that the small confinements of the tank and the depth of substrate are what have the humidity levels so high. Add warmth from the UTH and nearby lamps and there you have it. Sift and mix your substrate with your hands and make sure there are no wet spots underneath and just let the tank air out a bit, then replace the thermometer/hygrometer near but not on the substrate and see what you get. That be my suggestion.

[Ladydragon]

okay to revive this thread (I'm getting good at that lately ). how long and at what temp would you bake the substrate to dry it out a bit. I use eco-earth so it holds moisture and thus humidity quite well. thanx.

and where can you get the cork to put around the tank? all Im finding are cork boards already framed.

[Sunny1]

Wal-mart may still have the rolls of corkboard. Unless they have stopped selling them (it has been awhile since I left working there...). I would also maybe try at a craft store or maybe even a teacher supply or office supply store. Other than that I am not sure. Hope this helps you out some!

[Ladydragon]

thanx Pamela. I think I did see some at Walmart, I'll have to check it out.