- Joined
- Jun 17, 2003
- Messages
- 91
I've been doing some "experimenting" lately with creating humidity in my spider enclosures, and I think I have come up with a way to keep the humidity high without soaking the substrate.
Perhaps it has been discussed before, but I haven't been here long enough to have seen it.
I use the small round Fluker's thermometers and hygrometers. My first try at keeping the humidity high was in a relatively small critter keeper with the green plastic vented lid. This is the enclosure I keep my Pinktoe in. I placed a hygrometer on the substrate, which was dryer than I normally keep it, and the reading was about 30%. Temperature was in the 70 to 75 degree range.
I then covered the enclosure with a wet paper towel, leaving the vents on the angled side uncovered. In about 15 minutes the hygrometer was reading 80% at the substrate. Cool!
For several days I didn't mist the substrate, but kept the paper towel wet, which in the desert here required a morning and an evening soaking. Even though the substrate continued to dry out, the humidity remained at 80%.
My next try was on my 10 gallon aquarium style terrarium where I keep my Curly and my Rosehair. (divided of course) I again placed the hygrometer on the substrate and covered most of the screen lid with several layers of wet paper towel. Soon, the humidity was up at 80%+.
This morning, I noticed my wife's Ball Python 20 gallon cage had a humidity level of 40%, and asked her if I could do my "experiment". I covered about 90% of the screen lid with a wet paper towel, and 1/2 hour later the humidity is at 85%.
Today I am going to the thrift store to pick up some cloth kitchen towels. I have noticed that the more paper towels there are, the longer they retain moisture, which lessens the frequency of wetting them.
With the concern over mold growing in the cage, I think this method will greatly reduce the chance of that happening since wetting the substrate can be greatly reduced while maintaining high humidity.
I'm sure that results will vary with climate and temperature, but it seems to work well here in the desert where humidity levels are, on average, about 25% to 30%.
Being new to this, any input is appreciated.
Dave
Perhaps it has been discussed before, but I haven't been here long enough to have seen it.
I use the small round Fluker's thermometers and hygrometers. My first try at keeping the humidity high was in a relatively small critter keeper with the green plastic vented lid. This is the enclosure I keep my Pinktoe in. I placed a hygrometer on the substrate, which was dryer than I normally keep it, and the reading was about 30%. Temperature was in the 70 to 75 degree range.
I then covered the enclosure with a wet paper towel, leaving the vents on the angled side uncovered. In about 15 minutes the hygrometer was reading 80% at the substrate. Cool!
For several days I didn't mist the substrate, but kept the paper towel wet, which in the desert here required a morning and an evening soaking. Even though the substrate continued to dry out, the humidity remained at 80%.
My next try was on my 10 gallon aquarium style terrarium where I keep my Curly and my Rosehair. (divided of course) I again placed the hygrometer on the substrate and covered most of the screen lid with several layers of wet paper towel. Soon, the humidity was up at 80%+.
This morning, I noticed my wife's Ball Python 20 gallon cage had a humidity level of 40%, and asked her if I could do my "experiment". I covered about 90% of the screen lid with a wet paper towel, and 1/2 hour later the humidity is at 85%.
Today I am going to the thrift store to pick up some cloth kitchen towels. I have noticed that the more paper towels there are, the longer they retain moisture, which lessens the frequency of wetting them.
With the concern over mold growing in the cage, I think this method will greatly reduce the chance of that happening since wetting the substrate can be greatly reduced while maintaining high humidity.
I'm sure that results will vary with climate and temperature, but it seems to work well here in the desert where humidity levels are, on average, about 25% to 30%.
Being new to this, any input is appreciated.
Dave
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