Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have bought those little gauges before but they dont seem to be accurate, does 9 1/8" holes on each long side and 6 on each short side of a shoebox size sterilite container sound like it would let too much humidity out for a BRB? thanks

...Most of those little stick-on gauges are not very accurate. Some of the little electric combination indoor outdoor temperature and humidity gauges work well. Those size holes in the box should work provided you start with enough moisture in the box and do not apply too much heat to it.
Jeff

>>i have bought those little gauges before but they dont seem to be accurate, does 9 1/8" holes on each long side and 6 on each short side of a shoebox size sterilite container sound like it would let too much humidity out for a BRB? thanks

i'm using the coconut eco earth substrate and i've got it wet to the touch, but it does not drip water if you grab a handfull and squeeze... does that sound right or do i need to add more water? and as for heat, i have the heat tape set to shut off at 90 degrees (the tape itself), it will not get that hot inside the container. everything sound ok?
thanks

Check temperature right down in the substrate where the snake hides. 90 degrees there is way too hot unless you are using a very long storage box container with the cool end down in the low 70s. If the cage is small try to get the tamp down in the low 70s at the coolest location in the cage and the high 70s to very low 80s at the warmest place in the cage.

>>i'm using the coconut eco earth substrate and i've got it wet to the touch, but it does not drip water if you grab a handfull and squeeze... does that sound right or do i need to add more water? and as for heat, i have the heat tape set to shut off at 90 degrees (the tape itself), it will not get that hot inside the container. everything sound ok?
>>thanks

i got the highest spot to 82 degrees and humidity to 80%, but i wasnt getting a good enough temp gradient so i'm setting up 28qt size bins... one of the caresheets i read said to make sure you provide a dry spot for the snake, so i'm going to try and keep half of the eco earth moist and half dry, i also bought sphagnum moss today to wet and put in the hides... if i get the humidity back up to 80% everything should be fine right?
thanks

Ruthless,
....Think in terms of the microclimate where the snake will spend most of it's time. With moist substrate and under tank heating the temperature down in the substrate will be higher than what you measure a couple inches above it. The humidity will also be higher down in damp substrate than it will be a few inches above it. A hiding spot with damp moss will hold the humidity inside the hide to some extent but it will also hold in heat if the heater is under the hiding spot. This will work fine if the snake has a cooler moist place to hide elsewhere in the cage. To get more of a temperature gradient you can experiment with placing the heater under a smaller area at the end of the cage.
Jeff

>>i got the highest spot to 82 degrees and humidity to 80%, but i wasnt getting a good enough temp gradient so i'm setting up 28qt size bins... one of the caresheets i read said to make sure you provide a dry spot for the snake, so i'm going to try and keep half of the eco earth moist and half dry, i also bought sphagnum moss today to wet and put in the hides... if i get the humidity back up to 80% everything should be fine right?
>>thanks