Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm having problems keeping the humidity levels about 40-50 in my tank. Any suggestions on what to do?

I have a 20gal setup. She's on paper towels/newspaper substrate. I have an 8x8 water dish on the cool side. And a log hide on the hot side. I put in a humid hide box with moist sphagnum moss, and she won't go in it. I've tried damp washcloths on the top of the cage, but they dry out too fast. Any other suggestions?

Well first we need to know what do you have the little guy in? I will assume an aquarium with a screen top for now. If that is the case all your humidity is going "up" and out of the cage. First use a plastic kitchen garbage bag to cover most of the screen top, leave maybe one inch opposite the warm side of the tank open or uncovered. place your waterdish "half and half" over the heat(assuming you have an under tank heater). This will bring your humidity right up. You can adjust it by either uncovering/covering more of the top or placing more/less of the water dish over the heat. I could make it as humid as I want using this method. Good luck.

Why dont u put her in the humidity hide then place the hide in the tank...Then she would know how it feels in there

Then she should start goin in it..Thats what i do to my male thats 1.5 feet long.
-----
Jae from Jer'z

my reptile collection and their names..
1.0.0 normal ball python [1½ ft.] Jumangi
leopard geckos
1.0.1 tremper albinos [juveniles] Yoshi & Laly
0.2.0 albino [babies] Peatree & Little Foot
1.0.0 hypo [adult] Tigga
0.0.1 normal [seems pregnant] Queens

>>Why dont u put her in the humidity hide then place the hide in the tank...Then she would know how it feels in there
>>
>>Then she should start goin in it..Thats what i do to my male thats 1.5 feet long.
>>-----
>>Jae from Jer'z
>>
>>my reptile collection and their names..
>>1.0.0 normal ball python [1½ ft.] Jumangi
>>leopard geckos
>>1.0.1 tremper albinos [juveniles] Yoshi & Laly
>>0.2.0 albino [babies] Peatree & Little Foot
>>1.0.0 hypo [adult] Tigga
>>0.0.1 normal [seems pregnant] Queens
-----
Sonya

Haven't we warned you about tampering with the structure of a chaotic system?
Mrs. Neutron

Thank you for the suggestions. Yes, she is in a glass cage with screen top. For heat, I'm using 150wt night bulb. The temp on the hot side is about 90. Should her dry hide be in the middle or on the warm side? Thanks again for the responses. I'm new to Ball Pythons!

First, be sure you have at least one hide on each side.

Put the humid hide on the warm side - if your BP will use it. Mine won't.

Some other ideas, put the water dish on the warm side - or add a second dish and put it on the warm side. Cover most of screen top with duct tape leaving holes for the lights, etc. Make sure you put it on such that the snake can't get to the sticky side. You can try misting the back wall of the cage a couple times a day.

For me what I ended up doing (because all the other ideas were too much work and I wanted something easier) is the duct tape idea and I added a Tropic-Aire Humidifier w/ air pump. Problem fixed and all I have to do is refill the Humidifier about once a week.

If you can get your BP to use the humid hide, then that's all you need to do.

Best of luck!
-----
Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python
"Aragorn"

1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa
"Gimli"

0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer
"Kira"

I would recommend getting rid of the lamp and use under tank heat. The lamp is evaporating all your moisture. Simply go to a drugstore (CVS, RiteAid....) and pick up a heating pad. Set it on low and put it under the tank for warm about 1/3 of the floor. But do not put the weight of the tank on the pad. Use small shims (I used wood blocks) to lift the tank about 3/4 of an inch, just enough to have room for the heating pad to slide under the tank. Then using the kitchen garbage bag on top you can adjust your humidity by how much of the top you leave uncovered. I'll post a pick of my setup later. Good luck.

cover 2/3 of the screen top with plastic wrap. use a humidity holdign substrate; lizzard litter, cypress mulch, repti bark,
get better hides! get 2 flower pot BASES that are 4-6 inches in diameter and use a hammer to smash a small hole on the side. Then put the half log hide in the middle so it has at least some security when moving.
-----
0.1 Albino Leopard gecko (Lex)
0.0.1 ball python (felix)
1.1 feral cats (Fuzzy, and Bear; it used to be fuzzy, wuzzy, bear)