Low Humidity Climate

Sana · Nov 27, 2014

I live in the Northern part of Colorado and it is very dry here all the time. I've heard a lot of folks here say to put a water dish in with your T and that will provide all the humidity necessary. I've also frequently heard it said that care sheets are annoying and humidity requirements listed are often ridiculous. I am always concerned however that a water bowl isn't enough, as humidity in any of my enclosures with water bowl and dry sub hovers around 30%. So... umm... I'm wondering if in my area a water bowl is enough alone?

Feel free to sound the noob alarm...

Poec54 · Nov 27, 2014

I use water bowls for all my spiders, and we get 50-60" of rain a year here in Florida. If I was as dry as you, I'd have a humidifier going in my spider room, as I did when I was in Michigan (furnaces really dry the air). Most tarantulas are tropical and are accustomed to high humidity, for a good part of the year. The biggest concern is molting: that the fluids don't dry prematurely, and the new exoskeleton doesn't start to harden too soon.

Jack III · Nov 27, 2014

It depends on what you are keeping. Care sheets give you a decent idea about what humidity requirements your species needs. Spritzing the substrate will increase the humidity and is a tried and true method of increasing humidity inside an enclosure. I live in a dry climate too, especially in the winter. Slightly moistening a corner or side of an enclosure on a weekly basis does the trick for my Brachy's and Aphonopelma sp. Allowing it to dry out between spraying helps to eliminate any potential mold / bacteria growth.

shawno821 · Nov 28, 2014

I live up north,as well,and I've found that I must use a humidifier in the T room. 30% humidity is too low unless you are keeping an arid species.I keep the T room at 60% and use water bowls for most,and flooded water bowls for my high humidity species(T.stirmi). I have to keep good humidity as I'm trying to breed,so you may not have to have as high humidity as me,but I'd say 30% is really low for the tropical species.

Poec54 · Nov 28, 2014

shawno821 said:
flooded water bowls for my high humidity species(T. stirmi)

Rather than flooding water bowls, which keeps that area perpetually moist, it's better to sprinkle water randomly on the substrate around the cage. That helps keep mite and mold issues down.

Sana · Nov 29, 2014

I'm mixing some sphagnum moss into my sub to try to improve humidity. I've can get humidity up in specific enclosures with a humidifier but getting an entire room to stay at a decent level around here is nearly impossible without having a humidity system installed in the darn house.

cold blood · Nov 29, 2014

All winter its really dry here as well, my methods of controlling it are 1. I have 3 aquariums in the room 2. I keep a bucket of water in the room for my watering needs 3. I heat my slings with a water bath. If all this constant evaporation isn't enough, I also dry my clothes in the room. I've never measured humidity levels and I can't see doing it in the future.

Poec54 · Nov 29, 2014

cold blood said:
I have 3 aquariums in the room... I keep a bucket of water in the room for my watering needs.

Excellent ideas. I addition to a humidifier, I used to have jugs of water set around my spider room in Michigan (plastic milk jugs with the top half cut off). A spider room is certainly a good place for aquariums. Between all that, you should be able to get the room humidity to a reasonable level.

Sana · Nov 29, 2014

Thanks so much for the info guys! I've already got one aquarium running in the room. I recently added sphagnum moss to the enclosure I was most concerned about and I've got to say the initial results are stunning. Had no idea what a little bit of that stuff could do. I may start keeping jugs of water as well. I've also been keeping some of my more particular house plants near the enclosures figuring that the moist soil would add to the levels.

Low Humidity Climate

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Sana

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