Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi Folks.
I currently have my adult ATB in a 36"x12"x36" cage, really great size IMO and she uses all that space. However, it was a
'chameleon cage', I replaced the screen on the sides with plexi but it still has a screen top and I am having a horrible time with keeping humidity up. I heat with a heat lamp over the water, so I believe the heat lamp is drying the air. She spends most of her days on the floor and at night perched up under her heat. I am not sure if I should just switch to a heating pad and replace the screen top with plexi or get her a new cage all together.

My other ATB ('06) is in her old 16"x16"x20" Barrs cage. I *love* the barrs cages. I just didn't think the 20x20x20 would be large enough for an adult. Would it work?

What other options can you think of?

Thanks!
-April

old pic of my '06 ATB

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'There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."' -Rainshadow

You can get a cheap fishtank airpump and run an air stone in the water dish...that will help with humidity, but not as much as a fogger would.

The way you're describing the cage, it sounds like the heat lamp is probably your best option for heating. Just cover the top as much as possible, leaving room for the heat lamp, and mist 2-4 times daily with a good high output spray bottle.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mike Heinrich,
708-428-5616
Mike@amazontreeboa.org
http://www.amazontreeboa.org

I have an air pump but haven't set it up yet (I bought a humidifier but my boyfriend keeps his clothes in the snake room closet and is afraid the humidifier will wreck his wool suits!). I mist once or twice a day (misty-mate ultrafine mister) and soak her when she's going into shed but she still has patchy sheds every other time. I'll have to start misting more and get some plexi to cover the rest of the screen top (good idea! I didn't even think of that!).

I was just checking out your post below with the ExoTera tanks, those are pretty nice!

Thanks for the ideas!
-April
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'There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."' -Rainshadow

>>I was just checking out your post below with the ExoTera tanks, those are pretty nice!
>>

I'm slowly switching over to them. I like them alot, but have to cover the screen tops. Here in Chicago the household humidity is low as we have either the heat or central air running about 9-10 months out of the year. I run a high output humidifier in the snakeroom, it goes through about 5-6 gallons a day during the winter months and that only gets the room humidity up to 40%.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mike Heinrich,
708-428-5616
Mike@amazontreeboa.org
http://www.amazontreeboa.org

i would get a habbamist machine there like $40.00 but well worth the money. may try going with under tank heat pads as well.

good luck with them

I use the BARRS cages for my adult ETBs and Chondros...I would think they're plenty big enough for an adult ATB. They hold humidity like crazy! Even w/no substrate on the bottom and a Helix heat panel one spraying will keep humidity in excess of 70% all day..and thats here in Vegas where a gallon of water poured on the floor of my garage will evaporate in 2 hours!

These are basically 24" cubes.

Bill

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The Menagerie:
3.9 Emerald Tree Boas
2.4 Spilotes Pullatus
1.3 Chondros
2.4 Red Tailed Green Rats - Maylasian Origin
2.2 Scrub Pythons (Kofiau, Bar Neck)
1.1 "Sunburst" Indian Sand Boas (Adults retain juvie coloration)
1.1 Mangrove Snakes
1.1 Pytas Korros
Veileds, Jacksons, and Panther Chams
1.1 American Bulldogs

I was having the same problem(humidity < 50%) with my cage(standard 10 gallon). It had lots of plants, coco bedding, a water bowl AND I misted > twice a day. Now I'm trying something different. Target was having a sale on storage containers. So I bought a few (3- 20 quart and 3 - 18 quart all w/ lock tops). I've been raising my Jackson cham's roaches in these for 2 years now and I realized why not use them for some of my smaller herps. It's really a matter air flow vs moisture retention. So cut 2 or 3 holes in the top of the storage containers and siliconed wire mesh screening. I had to test it out. It held a 90% humidity level for 3 days just by NOT drying it after I washed it. Now it's so humid in the cage, I'm afraid my ATB might get a fungal infection or resp. infection. I'll post a pic (if this site will let me....pics r usually too big). I think the ratio of screen to top surface area is something like !:4. That means for every 4 sq in of top 1 sq in is screen. Hope this helps.