Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I can't seem to get the humidity below 85% lately. I have stopped misting the cage (only small water dish) & leave the doors open when I am home to try to air it out a bit (it's an exo-terra 18x18x24 w/ coco fiber substrate & real plants). due to the winter, the temp remains about 70-72 during the day & 68-70 at night. I'm a little confused why I am having such a hard time with the humidity. the rest of the apartment is SO dry, I'm expecting the humidity to drop some if I leave the doors open... but it's not really happening.
Any suggestions?
~C

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1.0 Crested Gecko (Anton)
1.1 Crazy dogs (Alex & Sadie)
0.2 Vacationing Kitties (Puddy, PeeWee)
0.1 Amazing Wife =o)
Charlie - RIP 9-8-05 (Veiled Cham)

try just turning a fan on anywhere in the room. preferably as high as or slightly higher than the top of the cage.
any type of moving are should greatly increase the cage ventilation and allow it to dry out a bit easier.
i use a 'tower' style fan where it pivots and is tall and thin, not like a box fan but that should work too.
the reason i use the tower fan is because i've got cages in all different heights in my gecko room, so it gives more difference in the levels at which it dries out the cages.

could be your hygrometer is messed up. if it's not one of those glue-on kinds, try taking it to a different part of the house to see if it drops.
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-Mike Martin
North Carolina

those cheaper hygrometers are notorious for having readings that are way off sometimes, that may be your problem. (if it is in fact, a cheap one)
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scaledhabitats.com

hmm, dunno if it is "cheap"... It's the flukers(?) digital therm/hygrometer combo. It's by no means one of the fancy ones... just one i picked up at the store. Any suggestions on a better one (perhaps one that won't break my little bank account?)
I have moved to misting every other day. it's helping, but not much. the humidity still rarely dips below 75% with the doors closed. I am beginning to worry about a mold problem... I leave the front doors open before going to work (about 3-5hrs depending on when I wake up), but once I leave for the day they are closed & the humidity jumps back up. I have to dig my fans out of storage, but that's my next attempt at lowering the humidity.

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1.0 Crested Gecko (Anton)
1.1 Crazy dogs (Alex & Sadie)
0.2 Vacationing Kitties (Puddy, PeeWee)
0.1 Amazing Wife =o)
Charlie - RIP 9-8-05 (Veiled Cham)