Reptile & Amphibian Forums

OK, questions and discussions about temps. and humidity have been brought up on here a million times, I know. Well, consider this a million and one. Anyway, here's my problem:

First with the temps. I have an UTH and a heat lamp on one side of the tank. The heat lamp is on 12 hours a day while the UTH is on contantly and set up with a thermostat. Anyway, during the day the air temperature on that side gets to be about 85 to 90 while I'd say the temp. directly over the UTH on the floor is about 95. Since I've read that things should be cooled down a bit at night, that's why the lamp shuts off and I just have the UTH on. Right over the UTH is still about 88 I'd say. The problem is that the air temp. on that side drops all the way down to about 75. How can I possibly get the air temp up a little more on that side without getting the UTH too hot for him to touch at the same time? Or is that air temp. OK as long as he gets that belly heat on that side. By the way, the heat lamp I use during the day has a 75 watt red bulb and I currently have him in a 20 gallon tank.

OK, the humidity now. The humidity at night does OK for me. I do have to mist in there but I can get it up in the 70s OK. It's the daytime that I really have a problem with having that lamp on. I need the lamp on to get the temps. up combined with the UTH for belly heat but It's absolutely killing my humidity! If I don't use a lamp at all then I have the problem that I metioned in the previous paragraph about it not getting warm enough on that side. I mean, it gets down to as low as 30 to 35% during the day! I mist in there and it dries back up in no time and I can't be home all day constantly misting in there to keep humidity up. Plus, that could develop yet another problem, and that is scale rot and sores! I have the top just about completely covered but I do want to make sure some air gets in there too!

It just seems like with husbandry when you solve one problem it just develops another one you have to mess with! Anyway, some advice and maybe if you guys can tell me exactly what is working for you would be much appreciated! I just want to make sure that if their is something in my BPs environment that is giving him the symptoms I mentioned in a previous post that I do the best I can to rectify them. OK, Thanks for your time!

you should use cypress mulch or another humidity holding substrate for your substrate. Then get a red or blue lamp and use that all the time. On the thermostat set it to 92 in day and 88-90 at night. Also put another waterbowl in the hot side.
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0.1 "Tremper" looking Albino Leopard gecko (Lex)
0.0.1 normal ball python (felix)
1.1 Feral cats that we adopted (Fuzzy, and Bear)

Your temps do not need to drop at night - it's not required. Mine don't. If they do don't go below 75 on the cool side and still make sure there is a temp gradient of 5-10 degrees between the 2 sides. Lights will dry up the humidity. I use a UTH on warm side and I have to use a red heat light 24/7 on the cool side or those temps get too low. If you add a humid hide to the warm side (and your BP uses it) then you don't have to worry about the humidity in the rest of the cage - just keep the humid hide damp. Mine won't use one, so I have to do more work. I covered most of my screen top with duct tape leaving holes for lights (some use pegboard or saran wrap). You can then just mist daily and that may do it. I added a Tropic-Aire humidifier and never have to mist. Or you can go for a humidity loving substrate - cypress mulch.

Warm temps: 90-95 Cool temps: 80-85

Those are belly temps. I don't worry about ambient temps much since they mostly feel the belly temps. And if you don't have shelves, branches,etc where they can even reach the areas where ambient temps are lower then what does it matter?
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1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake
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This is the battle that many keepers face; particularly in the dry arid winters of the Midwest. One of the things you can try, and something that has worked quite well for me, is to create a simple humidity shelter which is nothing more than a sterilite type of plastic storage container with a large hole cut in the lid for access. the box is then filled with several inches of spaghnum moss (I like the long, stringy stuff) that has been dampened. Bp's love the feeling of security and by placing this box so that it is partially on the warm end and partially on the cool end you can create your own little microclimate. This is probably your best solution short of installing an expensive misting system (but if you have the money, Pro Products sells an excellent system).

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
City of Lake Forest Parks & Recreation

my snake wont use the humidtiy shelters she just started using her hides! i was told a wet towel (changed daily )on top of the tank would help alot (over the screened part leaving room for ventalation)and it has done awsome my humidity levels are at 60-70 most of the time also i use cypris mulch and was told not to spray it cause of mold prob etc so why is eveyone telling ppl to use it for humidity ? im lost,do or dont spray the mulch? or does it just help to hold the humidity you already have in the tank?
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Erica
my zoo includes:
1 ball python "chloe"
1 sucata tort "tinkerbell"
1 C.A king "slinky"
1 x mas corn"penny"
2 cats "olivia and v"
4 monster kids Matt,Amber,Zach,Jake
1 on way

I have never had cypress mold. If there are feces laying on it for long periods of time they would mold, but cypress shouldn't. I have used cypress in the past with lots of cobras & kraits & never had a problem with mold even when kept wet.

Chad

i cant tell you how happy that makes me lol ! i have wanted to spray the tank for a few days now it just helps the humidity so much better! are you sure its ok? and also no R.I due to mold or smelly mulch ? how often did you have to change it?
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Erica
my zoo includes:
1 ball python "chloe"
1 sucata tort "tinkerbell"
1 C.A king "slinky"
1 x mas corn"penny"
2 cats "olivia and v"
4 monster kids Matt,Amber,Zach,Jake
1 on way

Guess it depends because I've heard others say they did have problems with it molding and not to keep it wet.
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Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python
"Aragorn"

1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa
"Gimli"

1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake
"Indigo"

0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer
"Kira"

Cypress should be acidic enough to prevent molds from growing, unless it was left dry for long periods of time wich would then give the molds a chance to grow.

Thanks,
Chad

With the cobras, I had to spot clean nearly everyday, and change the mulch completely about every 30 days, but they are much more demanding than Balls in the maint. department.

As long as you have good ventilation and remove feces when you see them you should not have a problem with mold.

Balls love humidity, and as long as they are not forced to live in too wet of conditions you will not have any problems. Let the mulch dry out for a couple days between wetting it.

I have switched back to newspaper (now I have to spray almost daily) so I don't have to worry about an animal swollowing the mulch during feeding, but Balls are much neater about eating than cobras, and will "probably" be ok with eating on it (just keep an eye on them or feed in separate container).

Chad

ok thanks for the info im goin to try spraying the mulch and change every 30 days or so and if i have a prob w mold ill let you all know if i do. I dont feed my ball on the mulch but in a box in her tank the petstore recomended the mulch and the spraying every few days and this is absolutly THE best pet store i have EVER been in and i have been to alot! they treat their animals like gold and i have no prob showing records etc when asked very upscale store! very healthy animals and a long health garentee (sp) also so i totally go for what they tell me will work anyway im rambling lol thanks again
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Erica
my zoo includes:
1 ball python "chloe"
1 sucata tort "tinkerbell"
1 C.A king "slinky"
1 x mas corn"penny"
2 cats "olivia and v"
4 monster kids Matt,Amber,Zach,Jake
1 on way