Lowering Humidity

[TanyaL]

Are you sure that your Accurite didn't get water spilled on it or get peed on or something? If you have the UTH hooked to a dimmer, you shouldn't have to worry about the UTH getting too hot. Just turn it down! I would recommend dumping the substrate and switching to plain white paper towels and see what effect that has. If you switch out to paper towels and the humidity still reads that high, I'd say either it suddenly got ultra-humid in your home or that the accurite is malfunctioning... I don't think that your bp will suffer for it, unless the high humidity gets mixed with low temps, then you could be at risk for RI.

I'm positive that the accurite didn't get wet in any way because it's about an inch or so above the substrate.

You would think that I shouldn't have to worry about the UTH getting too hot being on the dimmer but I'm constantly checking temps and from time to time I have to make adjustments. I just don't want to take any chances because the dimmers are not as reliable as I would like them to be. I wish I could afford a more reliable method but for the time being, this is all that I have.

I'll give the aspen some time and if that doesn't work then we will consider the newspaper. Right now my temps are 82.6 and 90.7.

[starmom]

Naw- if the Acurite got wet it wouldn't display; I have a shelf full of 'got wet' Acurites lol!!!!!
I'm sure this is just a different substrate.....
Anyone know of a better hygrometer for tubs and cages????

[missi182]

I have had my bp creep over my hygrometer and let a pee go - that could be it. Really, you should run out and grap another accurite or digital hygometer and check - even if you are pretty sure it is working...

[TanyaL]

Naw- if the Acurite got wet it wouldn't display; I have a shelf full of 'got wet' Acurites lol!!!!!
I'm sure this is just a different substrate.....
Anyone know of a better hygrometer for tubs and cages????

For the fact that there were sweat spots where the water dish and where Foster was laying leads me to believe that it is indeed high humidity.

Now that I think about these sweat spots, do you think there would be any concern for scale rot? I can't get a new bag of substrate until tomorrow. How soon can scale rot happen? The humidity looks to be leveling out at 80% right now. Could it be that the substrate had gotten wet before I bought it? I didn't pay that much attention to it before bringing it home but I can guarantee you that the next time I buy a bag of substrate I'll inspect it closer.

[missi182]

I also have digital hygrometers in my room to see the difference between the room humidity and the tank, my bps humidity will rocket to 75% if he pees and I don't notice it right away, or crawls through his water bowl and soaks his substrate. I bake my substrate to dry it out and kill anything in it when I bring it home - you may want to try that.

[TanyaL]

I have had my bp creep over my hygrometer and let a pee go - that could be it. Really, you should run out and grap another accurite or digital hygometer and check - even if you are pretty sure it is working...

I don't think that is the problem because like I said before, I have it up about an inch or so above the substrate. I guess it could be possible but I doubt it. Also, it seems to be reading the temps right so if it got wet, I would think that the temps would be wrong as well. But, I'll try to pick another one up tomorrow to check to see if it's correct and I guess it also wouldn't hurt to have another one hand incase it does go bad.

If it wasn't for the help that I receive on this board, I don't know what would have happened to Foster in the time that we've had her. I owe it all to the members here on this board! THANK YOU!

[starmom]

Regarding humidity and scale rot- I would play it safe and put the snake on paper until you get the substrate figured out since risking rot and/or an RI isn't worth it when the fix is so easy!

[missi182]

Regarding humidity and scale rot- I would play it safe and put the snake on paper until you get the substrate figured out since risking rot and/or an RI isn't worth it when the fix is so easy!

Agreed! Newspaper works too.

*Happy 2000 post Mckinsey!*

[TanyaL]

Regarding humidity and scale rot- I would play it safe and put the snake on paper until you get the substrate figured out since risking rot and/or an RI isn't worth it when the fix is so easy!

I'm concerned about my UTH getting too hot when on paper. At least with the substrate there is a buffer but if she is on paper the heat is more direct. I'll be awake tonight to keep an eye on it but tomorrow during the day I won't be able to. So, I have to weigh my options....move to paper to reduce the risk of RI and/or scale rot or take the chance of the UTH getting too hot. If I get new substrate tomorrow, do you think that there is a chance that she could get scale rot that quick? I do have the dry aspen on top of the bark which should help with that. I'm not doubting your opinion or recommendation, I'm just trying to understand how quick scale rot can happen. Replacing the substrate tomorrow will be no problem. My son has a band concert tomorrow so while we are out I can pick it up and then change everything out once I get home. Can scale rot and/or and RI happen between now and then? If so, I'll take care of the substrate now and hope to God that the UTH doesn't get too hot tomorrow during the day.

[starmom]

I'd be more concerned about an RI cropping up that quickly. Also, you ought to always measure your temps under the substrate since you never know when your snake is going to burrow under!
How bout taking more of the wet substrate out and just doing with less substrate but not all the way to paper? Or, no this is better, doing paper with the aspen on top of it