Where to place Hygrometer?

[howiet4702]

I just purchased a hygrometer today to check my humidity levels in my tank. I did a search on the forums but i really couldn't find anything. Which side should I put it on? I placed it towards the bottom on the side with the water bowel and it reads between 35-40%. I assume I need to get this level raised?

 

[JTGoff69]

I have my hygrometer on the cool side close to the bottom since I figure that's the place with the lowest humidity to give me a place to work from. Mine usually reads between 40-55 %, I think 50% is the norm for corns. It's gotten quite cool here so I've covered about 2/3 of the top of the viv and that seems to hold the humidity right about where it needs to be. It raises when I mist a couple of days before sheds to about 55-60, but quickly drops afterward. I always get complete sheds so it seems to be working fine.

 

[WhiteLips]

I place mine in about the middle of the cage- since it's a measurement of the water content of the air- in theory it should be about the same throughout the cage. The humidity of the environment is relatively dynamic depending on a few variables so... I don't go overboard trying to keep "a certain number" I use the hygrometer to get a "ball park" and base my practices on the snakes overall appearance.
hope this helps
trivia.... did you know the average household puts about 3 gallons of water in the air per day!

:cheers:

 

[Joejr14]

To be perfectly honest, I think even buying a hygrometer for a species like a corn snake is a waste of money.

Is your snake shedding properly? Are the sheds complete?

If the answer to both questions are yes, then you dont need to bother with one.

Corns arent like other snakes (ie pythons and boas) that require a higher relative humidity that needs to be maintained at 60% or so.

There should be plenty of moisture in the air in your home as to where it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[WhiteLips]

Actually joejr14 has a point! I posted the info based on my python cages not my corn cages.
But the point is you should never get so involved with the "stuff" that you forget about how the snake is doing!

 

[howiet4702]

To be perfectly honest, I think even buying a hygrometer for a species like a corn snake is a waste of money.

Is your snake shedding properly? Are the sheds complete?

If the answer to both questions are yes, then you dont need to bother with one.

Corns arent like other snakes (ie pythons and boas) that require a higher relative humidity that needs to be maintained at 60% or so.

There should be plenty of moisture in the air in your home as to where it shouldn't be a problem.

To answer both your questions....

No and No...

That's why I spent a lousy 8.00 to buy one. It's not like it's going to make or break me. SInce I have had him, his sheds have been in two pieces. I want it to make it easier on him so I brought it so I can get a idea on what the humidity levels are in his tank. With winter coming, the humidity levels will most definately go down.

 

[Joejr14]

LOL.

Well then, consider it a good purchase. I wouldn't go drop $4 on a hygrometer but that's only because my snakes are shedding just fine.

Are your snakes shedding in one piece, but the skin tearing after they're out?

Either way, as stated, you can put the hygrometer anywhere. I've got one in my ball python tank and it's in the middle, halfway up. I dont think it matters where it's located, but some things will factor into that.

Example, in my ball python tank I've got a terra-cotta pot as a hide on top of the hot side of the tank and I know because I add water into my tank daily that the humidity insdie the pot is higher than just in the cage in general. What level, I have no idea.

I'd just make sure that your corns are around 50%. That might be hard to do if you're using aspen for bedding though. You might try some repti-bark to see if that helps, or a mixture of both.

 

[howiet4702]

Thanks for the reply Joe. He sheds from his head, halfway down. Then, I have him go thru a wet paper towel and I help him out with the rest.

I thought I would put it in the middle of the tank, but I just wanted some other opinions...

BTW, I do use Aspen...

 

[Joejr14]

No problem at all. It's help some fellow herpers out, or watch JAG or something else boring on TV.

I see you've got another thread on the temps being too much. This might be the actual cause of the problem. I say that because heat tends to drop humidity drastically, especially when the substrate isn't wet at all, and aspen doesn't really hold water like some other substances do.

I've got a few questions for you:
1) Have you had the UTH hooked up since before the shedding problems started?
2) Do you add any water to the tank (ie spray, mist)?
3) What do you have for an enclosure? Sterilite, Glass Aquarium?
4) Do you have your UTH hooked up to a dimmer, or is it un-regulated?

 

[howiet4702]

No problem at all. It's help some fellow herpers out, or watch JAG or something else boring on TV.

I see you've got another thread on the temps being too much. This might be the actual cause of the problem. I say that because heat tends to drop humidity drastically, especially when the substrate isn't wet at all, and aspen doesn't really hold water like some other substances do.

I've got a few questions for you:
1) Have you had the UTH hooked up since before the shedding problems started?
2) Do you add any water to the tank (ie spray, mist)?
3) What do you have for an enclosure? Sterilite, Glass Aquarium?
4) Do you have your UTH hooked up to a dimmer, or is it un-regulated?

1. yes, I have had it up before I even brought the snake.
2. no, i thought it wasn't good to spray the tank with Aspen Bedding. Right?
3. 10 gallon glass aquarium
4. So far it is unregulated.

I changed the red bulb to the other side opposite the UTH and the temps now read about 84-85 under the hide...

 

[Joejr14]

I dont have humidity problems with my corns, so I've never sprayed any of my tanks with water. Some people do it, and I'm sure it would be okay as long as you didnt over-do it.

I'm assuming that you're at work?

Have you set up the hygrometer yet, and if so, what was the reading?

Have you had the infared bulb on since you've had the snake, or is that a recent addition?

If you're at work, when you get home I want you to take a reading of the humidity with the red light on. Set the hygrometer up, and let it sit for about 20minutes and then post that reading.

Turn the infared bulb off, check back about 20mins later and see what it then reads.

I just recently bought an infared bulb for my ball pythons, and they're huge humidity sucks. My tank will literally go from 65% down to 20% when I've got the bulb on, and then back up once I turn it off. If you feel like you need to leave the heater, drape a towel over most of the screen top to keep some of the humidity in.

This isn't a hard thing to fix, and we'll get it squared away by tonight.

 

[howiet4702]

I'm at home already.

The hygrometer was set up since yesterday. Right now with the light on, it reads 35%.

I will check back in around 30 mins with the light off....

 

[Joejr14]

I'm at home already.

The hygrometer was set up since yesterday. Right now with the light on, it reads 35%.

I will check back in around 30 mins with the light off....

Awesome. 35% with the light on isn't too bad. I suspect you'll see with the light off it's around 50% or so.

You might also consider taking a very small rubbermaid or gladware container and setting that directly on the bottom on the cage---put some VERY small holes on the lid and then you can put some bedding over that. The heat from the UTH should generate humidity, but I'd think that with the light off you'll be okay.

 

[howiet4702]

I went back with the light being off and it is only around 40%.

 

[michaele]

no, i thought it wasn't good to spray the tank with Aspen Bedding. Right?

I sprayed my tank with aspen bedding and my snake's shed was perfect. I sprayed twice a day -- lightly, including misting my snake directly if he was out.

Now it may have been perfect without the spraying, but it did not cause problems so I will continue to do it.

 

[howiet4702]

I sprayed my tank with aspen bedding and my snake's shed was perfect. I sprayed twice a day -- lightly, including misting my snake directly if he was out.

Now it may have been perfect without the spraying, but it did not cause problems so I will continue to do it.

Whoa Batman! I just sprayed my tank 5 times lightly and it jumped all the way up to 60% in less than 3 mins!!!

 

[Joejr14]

I went back with the light being off and it is only around 40%.

You can do a variety of things. Either get a small gladware bowl, keep the lid on a put a few small holes in the lid, and put it directly on the bottom of the tank. That will heat the water and create humidity.

You could change the bedding if you wanted. Repti-bark, Eco-Earth, etc, all keep humidity very well. I use Eco-earth with my ball pythons and just drizzle hot water around the outside glass walls and it streams down below and the UTH heats up and creates the humidity.

Repti-bark also holds humidity well. You can either mix it with the aspen, or you can do half-half and mist the rept-bark half very lightly.

With any substrate, you dont want to over-mist. You'd be surprised what a little bit of water can do to humidity levels.

Also, keep a towel over the top of the screen--that will help keeps the levels higher.

 

[Joejr14]

Whoa Batman! I just sprayed my tank 5 times lightly and it jumped all the way up to 60% in less than 3 mins!!!

Just be careful about over-saturating the aspen. Wet substrate is way worse than a dry environment.

A little bit of misting goes a LONG way.

You know, I've never tried it, but it'd be interesting to have a 3-layer substrate setup.

Aspen on top of a thin layer of reptibark, on top of a thin layer of eco-earth. That way you could just pour in a bit of warm water and it would absorb into the eco-earth and the UTH would heat that and create humidity....

Or you could just keep misting, which is probably easier.

Might want to try a bigger water bowl too.

 

[Spirit]

Hmmm... the humidity outside is at 97% right now. I'm just gonna open a window. :laugh:

I leave my tank as is but when he's in shed, I put a small tupperware box (about 1"Dx3"Wx5"L) and fill that with very damp (forest bed) substrate (or use moss) and it seems to work great for adding humidity. I don't bother with a humid hide because he NEVER goes in it, but this adds to the overall humidity in the tank and if he wants to lay on it, he can (sometimes I'll put a hide on top).

For my snake, it seems to work better than the humid hide.