Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So I'm new to snakes and kingsnake, I've had a ball python for about a month. He's 5 months old, CBB.

I'm having trouble keeping the humidity constant in his cage. I'm really trying to get this just right because when I got him he had an upper respiratory infection and I don't want it coming back.

So my setup:

Glass tank: 40 gal, 36"Wx18"Lx18"H, screen top.
Cypress substrate
2 heat lamps, 100W and 75W one on each side for the temp gradient
8"x18" under tank heater on the high temp side.

I've heard that heat lamps are bad for humidity, but I don't see how I'm supposed to keep a large glass cage like this between 80-90 degrees with just an under tank heater.

I have a towel on the top of the cage with holes cut for the heat lamps, and another hanging between the cage and the wall it sits near.

Any help you guys could give would be great, I don't want my snake getting sick again!

Thanks

I forgot to add that I have sphagnum moss that I keep wet in the tank, and I also keep one of the lamps over his water dish to evaporate and help with humidity, but I can't seem to keep it above 30-35% for longer than a few hours.

Cover a large part of your screen with plexi. The towel might be helping but not much. Once you have some of the screen covered you should be able to get rid of some of those heat sources too. It is all rising out the top instead of warming your cage. That's why i quit using aquariums and switched to cages that open from the side made for herps.

Some solutions, alone or in combination:

1. Duct tape a sheet of plexiglass over the screen top with a hole below the CHE.

2. Replace about a third of the cypress with a 50-50 mixture of coconut fiber and sphagnum moss, which you can keep damp. This can keep things very humid, maybe even too humid.

3. Google something called the Tropic Air Humidifier, sold by online specialty pet stores. This is a cheap humidifier that uses an aquarium pump (sold separately) that pumps moist air into the terrarium, and probably helps ventilate it. (These are also easy to make).

Thanks for the suggestions!

I'm on the prowl for some plexiglass now, and I just bought a Zoo Med Repti-Fogger which I've been told works very well for keeping up humidity even with heat lamps.

Thanks again.