Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys,

I'm hoping you can help me with a humidity problem. I have a young boa that I am keeping in a 20 gallon tank. I'm having a lot of problems to get the humidity up to 60 percent. I've tried a couple of things so far: 1.) switching to bark instead of newspaper, 2.) putting the water bowl under some heat, and 3.) covering the majority of the screen top. Sadly, I'm still a ways away from 60. Any thoughts or ideas? Thanks,

Sid

I'm guessing you have a glass aquarium? Also, I'm not sure how you covered the top. I have a young boa also, in an aquarium. As most know, the tops you purchase are screens for most glass aquarium/terrariums. The best way to cover them is to use foil tape on it and cover it all up (90-95%). This seals in the heat and humidity. Mine holds the humidity pretty darn well, and if I need to adjust it a bit I spray/mist it every couple days or when needed with a normal spray bottle. Cypress mulch holds humidity pretty well too with the addition of moving your water bowl over your heat tape also, this was a great start on your part to highten the humidity. And depending on what humidity gauge you have, some don't work well at all, there are some great digital ones out there now that are pretty reliable though, you should get one of those. Good luck!

UTH (under tank heat) which is the biggest reason with your current set-up.

The setup needs permanent UTH and temporary overhead heat through heatlamp or other. Putting a heat lamp over a bowl won't do much at all.

Another thing is to directly spray/mist the bark/mulch. I would do this often.... even in professional enclosures, bark and dry mulch can dry up after being moist in only a couple days or so..

If you do have UTH, spray the bark, and have a bowl of water over the UTH, that should raise the humidity so high so fast you'll probably have foggy glass inside the tank.

Later - Joe
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Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin

Thanks guys. I appreciate the help. I've set up another undertank heating source for the water bowl, hopefully that would take care of the problem.