Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've had my first rack set up for nearly 2 weeks now. It holds 32qt tubs and heated by 2 sided radiant heat (2x 11'' flextwatt). Substrate is 2'' of cypress which I added alittle water to till it was all moist and dark. The walls have a constant build up of condensation. Some areas form large drops every now and then that drop to the bottom. I have about a few dozen wholes sodered in the front and front sides. I feel I need to add a few to the back. If I wet the mulch every so often its obvious going to keep the tubs humid but how to know its too much.

Xavier

You wet it too much. I like a lot of ventilation too, but it sounds like you added way too much water.

That was far too much water to add to the substrate. If you can, leave that tub pulled open a few inches until the water gets a chance to evaporate some (that is, if you have an empty tub to put that snake into).

I would also drill or solder more holes into the tubs. It is a lot easier to add humidity if the tubs are too dry than it is to dry them out if you get them too wet.

Generally, you shouldn't have to add water to the substrate. If shedding is an issue then either provide a humid hide for shedding purposes or add a small amount of water at a time to the tub. I generally add water to the warm side of the tubs and underneath the hide - the warmth helps the water evaporate which is better because you are looking to increase the humidity in the air, which means you don't necessarily need damp substrate. Plus having it under their hide allows for the humidity to be trapped in the tub for a little bit longer.

One other thing you could do is start a regular regimen of daily mistings. This is probably the easiest thing to do and allows you to have much more control over how wet everything gets.
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Stay United!

I'm still not sure if it's weird that my best friend is a two year old boa named Ronin. He's quiet, non-judgemental and listens... what more could you want?

The more holes in the tubs and the more air going into the tub the more water you need to keep the humidity up, I just put about 5-12 holes in the front top of the tub and the heat with the water bowl keeps the humidity up just fine and I spray them down about once a week with the spray bottle cause humidity is just hot air caused by cold water really, so I hope that helps you out there.

Nolan