Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I set my chondro up in the exo-terra xl glass cage(despite some advice). I use a 60W bulb (black) for heat 24hrs a day. This keeps the warmer area in the upper 80's for the most part. Also, the light is set up so that it is not right over top of the basking branches, that way the heat is a little more indirect. In addition to that I use a very low watt white bulb for day time light, which doesn't really effect the temp much. I put in the waterfall and fogger to help with the humidity, but it didn't seem to really do anything, especially since the fogger can't be run 24 hours per day. I'm just really having a hard time keeping the humidity up and am getting sick of misting so many times a day. I think another large part of the problem is that the heat in my house is abnormally dry, and with it being on so much this time of year, it's also just sucking all the humidity out of the air. Any ideas on how to keep all of the humidity from going right out of the top of the cage? Here's a pic. The basking area is actually about 8-10 inches from the top, but the camera makes it look much closer.
Thanks,
Will

Does the Exo Terra tank have a screen top?

Are you using a humidity gauge?

One recommendation with Chondro's is having muiltiple branches placed horizontally across the cage at various heights. This will allow the animal to better thermo regulate. Also fake vines and plants at various locations will serve as hides and reduce the stress of being out in the open.

To aid in humidity a large water dish at the base of the enclosure will add a lot. Also closing the vents a the top of the enclosure will help keep in the humidity. But remeber you still need airflow.

Greg Maxwell's site is a great source.

Fine Green Tree Pythons

Jeremy

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"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow Red Tailed Boas -Coming Soon-
0.1 Albino Red Tailed Boa -Coming Soon-
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i believe those cages do have screen tops. for a quick humidity fix i have used plastic food wrap to close off some of the screen and to keep some humidity in. not the whole thing, experiment with it. i would not recomend putting plastic wrap under lights though, as it could melt. how is the top set up? is it screen with lights on top? how much of the top is open?
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scaledhabitats.com

Direct from Greg Maxwell;

Humidity

This is an important topic when discussing chondro husbandry, and is one that causes unnecessary confusion. The level of humidity in a given environment will be based on a number of factors such as how much moisture is added to the cage daily, temperature, ventilation, how well the cage substrate holds and releases moisture, etc. You will need to experiment with your own set up and existing factors, adjusting these until you have the correct balance. Use observation as the best guide, which is better than attempting to maintain a specific percentage of relative humidity. Also, remember that just having a wet cage interior is not the same as providing humidity, which is the amount of moisture in the air. For example, an excessively ventilated cage can have standing water on the floor and still not be humid.

Many people have an exaggerated idea of how much humidity these snakes require. They may suffer health problems if kept too wet, including skin infections. The only time to err on the wet side is during the animal’s shed cycle. Chondros are very thin skinned and sheds will dry on them very easily if the relative humidity is too low during the shedding period. The goal should be a gradual drying out period at night and early morning, followed by an increase in humidity in the afternoon and early evening. Condensation on the glass 24 hours a day, or the growth of mildew or mold, indicates excessive humidity. On the other hand, if the cage is dry three hours after spraying, there is not enough humidity. A hand-held mister or pressure sprayer works just fine for daily misting. I have used automatic misting systems and do not care for them. Another important point to remember is that chondros may drink off of themselves after misting, so keep the water and the sprayer clean!

To sum up...provide moderate to heavy humidity, along with an overnight drying out period. Regulate cage humidity by increasing or decreasing the amount of misting and dampness in the cage substrate, along with adjusting the ventilation. And remember, other than at shedding time, humidity is not critical. Getting it right is important to the long term health of your animals, but having it too high or too low for brief periods won't hurt anything.

These are directly from his site, not mine. Hope it helps.
Jeremy

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"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow Red Tailed Boas -Coming Soon-
0.1 Albino Red Tailed Boa -Coming Soon-
1.1 Hypomelenistic Red Tailed Boas
2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino Red Tailed Boas
0.1 Suriname Red Tailed Boa
0.1 Anerthrystic Red Tailed Boa
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse

I had the same problem with a glass tank. Depending on what kind of room its in, I ran a humidifier in that room, and all my cages went way up. I shut the door. You also may want to cover the screen top. I almost bought the same cage for an ETB.
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