Humidity control is driving me nuts...

[TheKingInYellow]

I'm not sure that I even need to really worry about humidity being a bit off outside of shedding times, but I need some advice.

These are not BP tanks, these are my JCP and GBK tanks, but this forum gets the most views for husbandry questions, so I hope the mods can forgive my posting here.

Anyhow, I have two identical 29g tanks side by side. The GBK has a UTH on half the tank set at about 85 on a thermostat. It also has a 50w IR bulb in a 5" or so reflector for ambient temp control sitting on a wire mesh top. The IR bulb is on a rheostat and the ambient is about 75-77. I can't get this tank under 50% humidity no matter what I try. GBKs prefer a drier environment, so I would be happier at 40%. This tank used to run 60% humidity so I took the my homemade acrylic shield off of the mesh top. This dropped the humidity to the aforementioned 50%. I've got a small water dish sitting on the cold side of the tank, and Forest Bark substrate on top of paper towel which I have *never* misted.

So here is the confusing part:

The JCP cage has two smaller UTHs covering about 8" square each. The cool side is at 82 on a thermostat, and the warm side is at about 90 also on a thermostat. This one has a 75w bulb in an 8" reflector also on rheostat keeping the ambient at about 80. The bottom is also Forest Bark with a paper towel beneath it. This tank will absolutely not stay above about 34% humidity, even with a full acrylic sheet across the entire top. I cut a hole for the reflector but that's it. I can mist this thing up to 70-80% humidity at night and it will be 40% in the morning, and 30% (or lower) the following night. I have a larger water dish on the hot side of the tank directly on the paper towel instead of the Forest Bark and it makes no difference.

I know my JCP is probably okay at 40% but I have to mist daily to keep this up, and I don't think that can be really healthy for the animal. That and she *hates* it when the enclosure is misted, to the point of falling out of whatever plant or brnach she might be resting on.

They animals look, act and are eating fine, so maybe I'm overreacting but I would really like a hint about what I'm doing wrong. I know the JCP will outgrow this tank in a year or two anyhow, but I wasn't planning on building a new enclosure until that time (at which point it will be a sealed MDF enclosure with a radiant heat panel).

Please help me before I go insane. I love these snakes and I want them to be happy and healthy.

Thanks!

[TheKingInYellow]

I should add that I am switching both tanks over to aspen bedding next weekend. I love the look of bark, but I find it annoying that I can't easily see when/where the snakes have defecated and/or urinated.

I don't know if this will help or hinder the humidity issues.

[kc261]

If you mentioned how you are measuring the humidity, I missed it. The first thing I'd do is make sure the readings are accurate.

Depending on where you live, 50% humidity isn't very surprising during the summer, so it may be the tank with the higher humidity stays that high because the room humidity is that high.

Also, you might misunderstand what "humidity" means. It is NOT a measure of how many water molecules are in the air. Rather, it is a percent of the number of water molecules the air can hold. Warmer air can hold more water molecules. Since the lower humidity enclosure enclosure is also the warmer enclosure, it is possible that they both have exactly the same amount of water molecules in the air.

Also, adding more heat will dry things out faster, and you have a bigger heat lamp on that tank and those are known to suck up the humidity.

[juddb]

have you tried cypress mulch for substrate? Also try and mist the sides of the cage real well. Good luck. As big of a surface area you can get for your water dish also.

[TheKingInYellow]

I have only used the bak substrate so far, as I said I'll try aspen next and then maybe the mulch or moss if that still isn't helping.

Humidity is being checked with a Zilla dual-probe Thermostat/Humidistat in both instances.

I'm sure that I really don't need to worry since eating and behaviour are all fine, but I'm dreading the first shed at this point...