Humidity Issues :/

[andrew123]

Hey everyone.
I am Andrew, and new to this site.
I have a 7 month old female ball that i got about a week ago,
I am supposed to feed her this friday, so I am hoping all goes well.
She hasn't been that active at all, it worries me, but i think she is okay.

MY QUESTION/CONCERN deals with humidity.
My tank is 20 gallon with a hide on each side, and a big water dish in the middle. It is glass, and the top in "holy" and see through. I have tried putting seran wrap etc. over it to see if the humidity would raise, but it hasn't :/

I have this coconut bedding stuff they say works wonders, but I don't want to introduce this until a couple weeks when i change her bedding altogether-I want her to know what she knows now-and that is repti-bark. I also am worried about "spraying or misting" with the concern being mold etc.

can anyone offer help/suggestions?

[JKExotics]

You have to spray with tanks, try covering up the entire top minus the lamp (if any? you didn't mention how you were heating) and if you have no lamp then try replacing the top with a piece of plexiglass andthat should help keep the humidity in.

[West Coast Jungle]

Hi Andrew, I dont use tanks myself but this is a helpful link for setting them up.
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=56846

[Argentra]

Foil treating the screen top or getting a well-fit plexiglass piece are the best ways to keep temps and humidity up in a tank. I have a picture tutorial on how to put on the foil if you'd like me to PM it to you.

Once you foil treat, and add insulation to the back and sides of the tank, the temp and humidity should be fairly stable. You may still have to add a moist hide during shed times, but you shouldn't have to mist much at all.

Reptibark and the coconut fiber stuff aren't the best beddings. The coconut stuff is messy and molds easily, and the reptibark isn't really very soft and can mold as well.
The best bedding, IMHO, is aspen. It keeps humidity but hardly ever molds unless soaked, looks nice, and doesn't cost a lot.

[andrew123]

Thanks for all the help.
It was interesting, because at the convention where I got the coconut stuff,
almost every reptile breeder told me to get it. hmm.. they said it keeps moist and keeps the humidity relatively stable. I will look into aspen though.
I do have a heating pad as well as a ceramic heating lamp on one side (fyi).
So I am kind of still unsure of exactly what to do.
My gut says don't mist right now, but some of you are telling me to.
So I am unsure, any more thoughts?

[trott]

When i was using aspen, i covered 80% of the top with a wet(not dripping) towel. Hunidity went up 15%. You can try this if the foil or saran wrap doesn't help. It didn't help me.(it's hard when the humidity in your house is only 30%). I switched to cypress and i have 60% now. I also put in a humid retreat box as a precaution. She would go in that from time to time.
Hopefully you just need a temporary fix for the winter. In the summer it should get better as the A/C puts humidity in the air. Right now the heater in your house is drying it all up. Heat lamp doesn't help either.

[Texas Dan]

Foil treating the screen top or getting a well-fit plexiglass piece are the best ways to keep temps and humidity up in a tank. I have a picture tutorial on how to put on the foil if you'd like me to PM it to you.

Once you foil treat, and add insulation to the back and sides of the tank, the temp and humidity should be fairly stable. You may still have to add a moist hide during shed times, but you shouldn't have to mist much at all.

Reptibark and the coconut fiber stuff aren't the best beddings. The coconut stuff is messy and molds easily, and the reptibark isn't really very soft and can mold as well.
The best bedding, IMHO, is aspen. It keeps humidity but hardly ever molds unless soaked, looks nice, and doesn't cost a lot.

To add, you can get poster board at walmart or anyother store like that. I don't mean poster paper, but the board. About a 1/4 inch thick, kinda like cardboard. That will keep in some of the heat, and I guess it could possibly help humidty, not really sure how though.

Plus, your snake will feel safer than having the sides of the tank open.

[andrew123]

Thank you very much again.
"Trott"-major help :] I appreciate it.
I never thought about the winter/summer issue.


Also, thanks for the posterboard idea-i will most definetely look into it :]

thank you.

[starmom]

Actually, cork board or rigid insulation will help to hold in the heat...

[Texas Dan]

Actually, cork board or rigid insulation will help to hold in the heat...

Nice! Yeah, i use stuff, I call poster board, it's really like thin styrofoam. Like, you could break it in half.