Low humidity issue and more...

So I have a new corn. I did my homework here and elsewhere before I bought and got a gist of what I needed to do for my new snake before I even got it home. I've had my Anery for over a week now and finally got my temps right. Now I'm dealing with low humidity. I live near Buffalo NY, and the humidity lately has been pretty low. I bought a digital indoor/outdoor therm/hydro from Wal-Mart. I'm reading only about 30% humidity in the terrarium. It's a 40 Gallon. I'm spraying the tank 4 times a day and after I spray the humidity is about 40%. I work 2nd shift and when I get home it's pretty dern low. Anyone have a suggestion on how to keep the humidity up while I'm away?

My setup is the 40 Gal. I mentioned, an UTH regulated with a 500R Thermostat, overhead heat lamp on a 12 hour timer - 12 on/12off. Aspen bedding, 3 hides, a big water dish, fake plant and a climbing branch. The heat light is a 100W. Temps are 83 during the day and 73 at night. I also have a black light on a timer that kicks on when the heat lamp kicks off which is external.

Another question I have is my Corn doesn't seem to spend any time on the warm side at all that I can see. It definitely hangs out on the cool side. While still trying to get my temps right I thought perhaps my hot side was too hot, but everything is reading OK in the 80-85 range as is widely accepted. It likes to burrow and I've been gently pushing the aspen around to see where it is and my corn is always hanging out on the cool side. The hide the pet store gave me is huge like for a full size snake, so I bought 2 more a medium sized rock and a small Wal-Mart planter. It loves that little planter which I put on the cool side as that was where it's been hanging out. I showed it the medium sized rock and it came out and curled up in the fake plant...then moved back to planter. Should I leave it's favorite hide where it is on the cool side or try and move it closer to the heat?

Thanks in advance, I know this was a long post

Having a heat lamp is probably whats causing the low humidity, with a UTH a heat lamp is really unnecessary. I wouldn't worry to much about the fact that he/she is often on the cool side, they pretty much will go where they need to go. Getting rid of the heat lamp could even make it go to the warm side more often, although I have noticed a hide preference with my snake no matter where the hide may be. If you want something as a light I have found that regular fish tank lights work well without effecting humidity much. But you can do some experimenting and see what works with your setup .


---Kenny

Where do you keep the thermostat probe and the thermometer probe? Are they both under the substrate right over the UTH?

Flagg said:

Where do you keep the thermostat probe and the thermometer probe? Are they both under the substrate right over the UTH?

Click to expand...

I was going to ask the same thing, You want to make sure your getting your temps right on the glass where the UTH is, not ontop of the substrate. I'm guessing maybe it is too warm for your baby and that may be why it's hanging out on the cool side. I'd get rid of the light and make sure your getting accurate temps on your warm side.

If you still have humidity problems after getting rid of the light I'd continue misting a couple times a day. Good luck!

The thermometer probe is right on the glass where the UTH is, as has been recommended in other threads. I have read to put the therm probe there, but at what temp to keep? If I only let the UTH get to 85F at the glass, then above the substrate on the warm side, I'm only getting about 75F. To get the 85F I need to get the UTH up to about 110F, which is only warm to my touch, but I don't know how the snake feels about 110F.

I hope this isn’t too far :-offtopic but…

One of the things I have done to ensure that the thermostat probe and thermometer probe are together giving me the same readings from the same spot is to wrap both probe wires in this:



Regards,
Steve

ssmith_1187 said:

I hope this isn’t too far :-offtopic but…

One of the things I have done to ensure that the thermostat probe and thermometer probe are together giving me the same readings from the same spot is to wrap both probe wires in this:

Regards,
Steve

Click to expand...

So what is it and where does one get it? Lowe's/Home DesPot?
Could it melt over time?

Just wondering....

~Ravensfey

After 16 years of tinkering, I'm sure my heating is set up right, yet all of mine still spend the majority of their time at the cool ends of their vivs. They only linger at the warm end when they've just eaten, when they're about to shed or when they feel a bit off-colour.

From what you describe, I wouldn't worry too much about yours doing that as well. Sounds like you have the temps right. I agree that if you can maintain the temps at substrate level without the lamp, then this will probably sort the humidity issue out.

I live in a centrally heated home and I don't worry about humidity, other than to offer them a humid hide when they go blue. Some of them use it, some don't. I think that's probably your best bet, rather than trying to increase humidity in the entire tank all the time.

If the glass is 85 degrees, and the substrate is 75 degrees - the snake will burrow under the substrate and lay on the glass if it needs to.

Do you already have a hide on the warm side too? Make sure he feels secure over there.

I use a clay flowerpot saucer. Chip a notch out of the edge and lay it upside-down on the glass. Put aspen over it and it makes a nice little cave for the snake to crawl in and lay right on the glass. Make sure to sand down the sharp broken clay edges.

I assume your tank has a screened lid. Cover most of it with plastic wrap and it will help hold humidity.

Or you can cut a hole in the side of a tupperware container, put some wet paper towels in, and put the lid on. The snake will go in if it wants humidity. Put it on the cool side so it doesnt dry out right away. It should last a week or two without changing paper towels.

Magnum76 said:

The thermometer probe is right on the glass where the UTH is

Click to expand...

I bought a thermometer with an external probe as well as the built in sensor and hydrometer for about $10. I tied the external sensor to the sensor for the thermostat that controls the under tank heater. It's buried in the substrate above the UTH.

I have a cave above the UTH and the temp stays at about 82. The sensor on the glass reads room temperature which about 76 degrees. That would also be the temp in the unheated cave.

If you try to measure the temp. above the heater using a sensor on the glass, you won't get good readings. The temp above the heater will be much higher.

Eric

So what is it and where does one get it? Lowe's/Home DesPot?

Click to expand...

As soon as I posted, I realized it wasn't very descriptive.

It's cable wrap which you can purchase at any Radio Shack store:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...kw=cable+wrap&kw=cable+wrap&parentPage=search

Regards,
Steve