help with larger tank - lots of questions

What are some good choices of substrate that will help boost humidity and distribute heat evenly?

I have a 55 gal glass tank that I'm trying to stablize (with a screen top).

I currently have it lined with turf and I'm using dry towels to cover most of screen top. I have a Zoo-Med UTH for a 50-60 gal. Hot side is 85 on top of turf and cool side is 70. Humidity flucuates between 42-50%.

(I'm currently waiting for another UTH (for cool side) to arrive. Already have a thermostat to use for cool side UTH.)

If I can maintain the humidity around 50%, would a humid hide provide enough extra moisture during shedding?

Will adding a substrate like aspen or repti-bark help maintain an even temp/humidity or could it cause the temps to drop more (being that snake will be further away from heat source)?

For those of you who use repti-bark, do you put it in the tank dry or after soaking it?

My ideas on some of your questions:

What are some good choices of substrate that will help boost humidity and distribute heat evenly?

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Folks in the US seem to favour aspen. Here in the UK bark chips are more common and they work well. I'm not sure I'd really view it as a way of boosting humidity or distributing heat.

I have a 55 gal glass tank that I'm trying to stablize (with a screen top).
I currently have it lined with turf and I'm using dry towels to cover most of screen top.

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The dry towels might be absorbing moisture and making the humidity problem worse. I'd try something like clingfilm or plastic from e.g. carrier bags or trash bin liners.

If I can maintain the humidity around 50%, would a humid hide provide enough extra moisture during shedding?

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Yes, that sounds fine.

Will adding a substrate like aspen or repti-bark help maintain an even temp/humidity or could it cause the temps to drop more (being that snake will be further away from heat source)?

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Corns like to burrow, so as long as the temp below the aspen or bark is at the safe maximum, then he should be fine. You can mist aspen or bark to help with humidity issues, but I'd go with the humid hide to start with and see if that works.

Sorry I haven't been reading all threads just recently, but has your Corn actually had a problem shedding? If you're getting sheds that come off in one piece, then this is an indicator that the humidity levels are right for that individual already.

Hope that helps.

I have a large viv with repti-bark as a substrate. The bark does hold moisture. When I change it the humidity stays up at around 65% for a while. After it gives up some moisture it stays at about 40-45%. At that humidity I misted when she was ready to shed. I think this time I will try a moist hide.
I have no problem with humidity in this viv and it is ventilated from one small side and the entire top.
Most people recommend aspen substrate. I started with reptibark, I'm used to it's properties, and I like the way it looks. I don't think Cheerio cares one way or the other, she just plows through and over everything in her viv.

I would get rid of the turf. When I got my snake she had an astroturf floor, neither of us cared for it. To get a good temp on top of it you had to have it too hot under it. There is no "digability" for your snake.

I use aspen, Star loves it, but why would you need a UTH for the cool side???? 70 degrees is fine for the cool side

Hot side is 85 on top of turf and cool side is 70. Humidity flucuates between 42-50%.

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Both of these sound right to me. With those temps, you don't need a second heat mat for the sooler end.
My corns tanks read 85*F right on the heat mat and 70*F in the hide at the cool end. The humidity in my tanks also sits between 40 and 45 most days and can increase to 50-55 if I'm drying washing indoors. All my corns shed perfectly every single time without the use of a moist hide.

If your corn has had trouble shedding in the past at these levels then a moist hide would be a good solution.
If he/she hasn't shed with you yet, I would be inclined to wait and see how the first shed turns out before doing any big alterations.

Hope that helps you some,

Thanks everyone! Once again, great advice from the experienced! I haven't experienced a shed with my corn yet so will wait and see. The only reason I'm considering adding a UTH on the cool side is because I'd like to use this tank for my baby ball python and I believe 70 is too cool for them, but if I can't get the temps where they need to be for him, this will definitely be my corn snakes future home.

Hello..I recently just changed over to Repti-bark..I myself just put it in and don't soak it..To much humidity could lead to scale rot or Respitory infections in your snake..I would definitely say either use repti bark or aspen as a bedding as they are great holders for humidity when it comes time to shed and plus it gives your snake something to burrow into for security. For the cool side I would think anywhere from 70 to 75 would be fine..so I'm not sure if you really need a UTH for the cool side as well but that is up to you and depends on how cold your house can get. I usually keep the humidity anywhere between mid 30's to low 40's when my snakes aren't shedding and then raise it by spraying the tank and getting it up into the high 50's during their shed. I hope this has helped..