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Humidity Help

C

CaptainAlgren

New member
I recently boought a new corn snake about a week ago. Its about 13 inches and still pretty shy. He burrows and hides most of the day which from what i have read is normal. I have a 20 gallon plastic tank which is a little big for how young he is but at night he loves exploring it. I have aspen bedding, 2 hides ( one on the cooler side and middle towards the heated side, a fake plant, a vine, a water bowl, and a humid box on the heated side. I use a 75 watt buld (tinted blue) heat lamp for about 13-15 hours a day. It keeps the temp from 80-82 all day. At night it drops slowly to about 73. The only problem I am having is the humidity. It always drops close to thirty unless i constantly spray it. I have to mist it about 5-6 times a day. I have tried putting damp towels over the screen top, plastic wrap, shuting the window, closing bedroom door. Can someone please suggest anything that would maybe help a little?

Thanks
 
It would be nice if the humidity was higher but I wouldn't worry unless your snake has a problem shedding at that amount of humidity. My snake has shed fine at humidities below 35%.
You also have a humid box your snake can go into, does your snake use it?
 
well i just put it in today and so far he has not, i think im gonna take it out though because i was reading on how snakes get accustom to it and can get scale rot. I might just put it in for when he sheds. I Just want the humidity up cause there will be times i am gone for ten hours or more and i want the humidity to at least stay ay 40%
 
What do you use to measure the humidity?
If he does have a problem shedding try the misting when he's blue, mist more after the blue clears before he sheds.
Still, I'd wait and see what happens first.
 
It a dial that measures humidity and temp. Im going to digital next time i get paid. Ya your right. Im just paranoid right now haha. Ill wait for his first shed. But thanks a lot man
 
Hi,

if the snake has other hides to feel save in, it wont stay in the humid box all the time. They know best, when they need moisture and when they don't.
For air humidity you can try to put in a real plant. Just make sure to use potting soil without fertilizer, that can be poisonous for the snake.
 
Yea a could do that, but last night the humidity stayed perfectly at 55 all through the night. I believe its my heat lamp that sucks all the moisture out. Last night I took off the lamp that stays on at night so it would be a little cooler. So i was looking to invest in a heating pad, but im not to pamiliar with how they work and what to do. I know they go on the hot side but do they keep the temperature up as well? or would i need to use both the pad and the lamp. Also i heard of a gauge or something that you need because apparently those things can go up to 100 degrees in an hour and you would never know? Can anyone give me some advice on them and which kind to buy if needed?
 
You are probably correct that the light is reducing the humidity in your viv. Not sure what kind of plastic tank you have, but I know a lot of members use heat tape on a rack or bookshelf with Rubbermaid containers. I would assume you could use the Zoo Med or Exo Terra heat pad as well as long as they are regulated.

A heat pad or heat tape can and should be manually regulated by a combination of a thermometer with a probe (the probe should be placed on the bottom of the viv directly above the heat source - the closest your snake can get to it) and a rheostat (fancy name for a dimmer switch of which there are DIY plans on here somewhere to make your own), or even better, automatically regulated with a thermostat which is basically the above two combined which you set the desired temperature and the device adjusts by either reducing/raising the wattage to the heat tape/pad or turning on/off.

On a side note, I have read that it is not advised to place a humid box directly above or below a heat source, perhaps someone else can provide more info on this.
 
Um,I've put my humid hides on the warm side and never had a problem. However,I only do that when the snake is stuck in shed,not just when they are going to shed. I also have a large enough hole in the lid that the snake can escape whenever they feel like it. I believe there was a story around here about someone that put their snake in a humid hide with only air holes on the warm side and the snake died from the heat. Not sure if it was this forum or another,though.
 
When you cover the screen top does it stay covered? Is there a way that maybe you could put a piece of like plexiglass (or I guess saran wrap or towel) over half of the top, leave it there, and then see how that does for a few days? I am not using lights myself for my corns and I am lucky I have perfect humidity but other creatures I have, "hermit crabs" "tree frogs" and "crested gecko's" they requires lights and higher humdity, I have found that covering half of the screen works.

Kad/Sharlene
 
Great ideas and thank you all for the info. Well i tried plastic wrap, but not plexiglass. It doesnt matter because today i bought i heating pad that is exo terra. It is perfect size for my tank. I bought a thermostat for it and it works perfectly. Stays at around 85 on the hot side and 76-80 on the cool side. I also have a digital ther. watching the hot side just in case. But! the only question i have is do i leave the heat pad on throughout the day and night?? like for a straight month till i clean the tank. Or do i shut it off at night so it get cooler there? i shut it off for tonight but let me know! thanks!
 
Great equipment pick ups !!!
If you are montoring you thermostat with a thermometer next to the thermostat probe, then let the thermostat do all the work at regulating the right temp. Some of the thermostat's you may have to fine tune but once you get them there, I have found they are great.

Kad/Sharlene
 
Thanks, the thermostat with the UTH is perfect. It is so much better then the heat lamps. The humidy ranges from 45-55, and its not getting too hot like it would with the lamp. I just need to know if i can keep in the heat pad throughout the day and night. Last night i didnt and it dropped to about 75 on the cool side which is perfect. Im just wondering for safety reasons. The directions didnt really say anything about it.
 
CaptainAlgren said:
Thanks, the thermostat with the UTH is perfect. It is so much better then the heat lamps. The humidy ranges from 45-55, and its not getting too hot like it would with the lamp. I just need to know if i can keep in the heat pad throughout the day and night. Last night i didnt and it dropped to about 75 on the cool side which is perfect. Im just wondering for safety reasons. The directions didnt really say anything about it.
Click to expand...

I leave mine on 24/7.

It is always a good idea to continually check the temps.
 
Hey Captain! Sorry I left you but there's always someone to help you here.
You can just leave the heat on and let the thermostat keep it the same temp all of the time. Some thermostats do have a "night drop" feature to set a different temp at night, I've never had one myself. Your corn can regulate its temp to what it needs any time just by moving to a different location/hide. He'll be more active at night anyway unless he's just been fed. Make sure he's got good hides that he "likes" to use.
Glad you got your humidity taken care of. I used a light a few times on a spare viv for temporary "guest snakes" but I didn't have a hygrometer in it, probably was about 30% for all I know.
 
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