Some more questions...please help out..

[Maize411]

Since Maize hasn't been shedding or giving signs of any upcoming sheds I'm starting to think maybe it's the humidity..the humidity right now ranges anywhere from 23-25...I bought a spray bottle to spray the tank to raise the humidity but now I have a question...(get ready this may sound very dumb...)

do I spray the outside of the tank or the inside along the walls?? I'm serious..I have no idea..or do I do both??

Also since my new Rheostat has failed to stay at the constant temp I want it at (82 degrees normally and 85 degrees while she is digesting food) I am now on a hunt for a thermostat...I've been looking at the Repti-Temp 500R Thermostat..is this one good and would it work with my UTH (I think it's made by Repti-Therm)...I have a 26 gallon long Vivarium..can someone tell me if this is a good idea for me to buy it or should I look for a different kind?? right now I've found the thermostat at 36.00 cheapest...are there any other ones I could buy that are even cheaper?? Well I hope you all can answer my questions..thanks again and hope to hear responses soon.. :shrugs:

 

[Dave123]

When I spray their tanks, I just give it a few spays through the top. So you can just mist it inside the tank and she will be fine.

If the thermostat has a probe and looks good then I would buy it. I got mine at petsmart for $20 dollars. I'm not sure how accurate it is but is working. Hope this helped.

 

[Pet Corn Snake]

Right, this is what happened with Damien, okay, you need a humid hide, a simple "i hope i get this word right" "tupperwire?" tub with the floor, walls, and lid covered in wet tissue paper, also, i wouldn't really spray, it never really helps, just evaporates... move his water bowl more towards the hot side, "in the middle"


And if you haven't already, get a humid gauge, it should say around 40-50 for a good shed,

After all that it will be about 1-10 days before you could have your shed, limit handling, and the snake probably wont eat,

on another note..

He/she might not be ready to shed, but the humid hide wont hurt him even if hes not ready : )

"i think... someone will have to confirm that"


George.

 

[vegabond]

The humid hide is great for areas with low relative humidity such as colorado (where I am from) A 10 gal. cage with a screen top lets out a lot of humidity if all you do is mist, so either cover a portion of the screen, or give a humid hide. When you mist, spray the inside of the cage, the substrate will probably hold the moisture the most. Your snake will begin the shedding process when he/she is ready. humidity levels will affect how "good" his shed is; one piece, or all little pieces.

I have the 500r thermostat and it is "ok". It keeps the temp + or - 2 degrees, it is not perfect. If you have the cash go for one of the better ones, just search to find out which one.

good luck!

 

[tyflier]

I live in the desert, so humidity is always an issue for me. Here's what you could do:

First, don't leave a humid hide in the viv at all times, because it *could* lead to skin issues, such as scale rot. There are other, safer ways to maintain humidity during non-shed periods. Use a humid hide only during the blue phase/shedding cycle.

Spray/mist inside the viv 1 or 2 times every 2-3 days or so. Just a couple of quick squirts will keep your humidity levels in the 50% range, which is where they should be. With an hygrometer(humidity meter), you will have an easier time keeping your viv at the proper humidity.

I use aspen substrate, with a generous sprinkling of coconut bark chunks on top of the aspen. The coconut bark really absorbs water well, and using a sprinkling of it on top of my aspen helps hold in moisture. I spray/mist in the morning, and the coconut absorbs the dripping water, and allows it to evaporate slowly, maintaining more stable humidity. I also use coconut hides, and make sure that I thoroughly soak the outside of the hides when spraying. Again...coconut bark absorbs water well, and spraying the outside of the shell hides helps to keep water from evaporating too quickly.

I also use LARGE water bowls. Large enough for my snakes to sit in, coiled comfortably, with their entire body submerged. The water bowls are centered between the warm and cool sides of the viv. This keeps the water right around room temperature, but also allows for evaporation, which adds to the humidity.

During a shed cycle, I use a humid hide, on the warm side, spray twice daily throughout the cycle, and drape a towel over 3/4 of the top of the tank. All of this combines to keep my humidity levels in the 80% range for the 10 day(roughly) shedding cycle.

 

[Maize411]

okay you say spraying every 2-3 days would keep it in the 50% area...I spray and the most I've gotten was it went up to 45...then a half hour later it was back down to 31..of course this is coming from the thermometer that's on the warm end of the viv (the thermometer tells me the temp and the humidity) I don't know if that is a reliable source to read humidity..but since it's on the ground level and same level as the snake wouldn't that make it pretty acurate on what the snake must be feeling?? :shrugs: I don't really know where to go to get a humid hide..I tried to make one out of a plastic container but that wasn't working to well becuase the edges became sharp and I don't want my snake getting hurt on the edges..so I'm kind of against the plastic hide idea...I was thinking of maybe putting a wet towl covering half of the viv (not sure if to put it on the cool side or warm side for better results)...is this a good idea?? Is my humidity thermometer giving me an accurate reading?? and also does anyone have any suggestions for a good thermostat at an affordable price?? thanks everyone.. :wavey:

 

[snakemom1961]

If your worried about the edges on a tupperware container you've cut to make a humid hide. You could always just use a commercial hide and add either paper towel or moistened moss in that to make a humid hide. As far as the accurate reading of your hydrometer, I'd think it would be accurate enough. If you question the accuracy of the humidity why don't you question the accuracy of the the temp? Don't take that as being negative, I'm just asking why you would distrust one aspect and not the other. Good luck with your baby.