HELP...Humidity Problems

[Jinja]

I need a bit of advice as I'm having serious problems keeping the humidity above 55% in my terrarium....

This is my terrarium here: http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/habit...t-one-pic.html

Currently I have 1 Green Anole (though he's getting his own home tomorrow) and 2 Asian Long Tails (picking up 3 more of these tomorrow) in the viv.


Here's what I've done to the vents:





As you can see I've tried covering up much of the rear vents but this hasn't made a lightest bit of difference and I don't want to cover up any more as I'm worried about air flow.

I've also bought an exo-terra waterfall today and installed that (what a PITA that was!) thinking this would help but, again, not a blind bit of difference!



At the advice of some one else on here I've added some foilage higher up, it's fake but the long tails love it.




TBH I'm at my wits end with what to do about the humidity...!!! It needs to be around 70% for long tails and I can't get it above 55% on a regular basis.

It increases immediately after a spray but, it's back down to 55% with in 30 mins! The soil isn't soaking (real plants) but it isn't dry, there's a small bowl of water as well as the waterfall in there, the soil is 5" thick and has a covering of orchid bark to keep the moisture in.

Also the humidity at the hot end never gets above 30%...!!! But the cool end is usually 50-55%...

The temps are 85F at the hot end 77F at the cool end and 90-95F at the basking spot and these are all constant temps - never changes apart from when the lights go out. I have a 40W moon light that goes on for 4 hours after the lights go out and if I spray just before the lights go out the humidity will stay at 70% all night until the lights go back on and then it drops back down to 50-55% with in the hour. Has to be a heat related issue yes?

Should I try covering the whole rear of the vents? Would this be ok for air flow/convection?

Or should I drill holes in to the side of the tank (dodgy, dodgy job) to enable full air flow? If I do this can I cover up more of the vents as there will be proper flow?

Or does any have any other solutions/suggestions/help/any thing....lol?


Really, really need some help on this one before I just go ahead and drill in to my £500 aquarium.....!!!

Thanks in advance......

[elchopchop]

hey,
try hand misting some more and also might be a good idea to add a heat mat to the cooler end of the viv. This will create more humidity from the substrate and i find it is best to do it in the cool end as if put in the hot end any extra moisture will be burned off quickly by the spot bulb. if you do add a heat mat place a shallow dish of water over it to bump up levels some more. also maybe try a layer of damp sphagnum mosson top of the soil as this will stay damp for longer.
good luck

[Jinja]

Cheers for your reply

I hand mist at least 6 times a day already, lol...!!! Which can't be good for the lizzies as the humidity is going up and down like a yo-yo.

As for the heat mat, I have 7" of substrate at the moment 2" gravel and 5" soil. Would the heat mat still work through that amount of substrate? Plus I have earthworms and all manor of critters in the soil, will it harm them?

I bought some spag moss yesterday and put it in my small viv and that has made no difference in there. But I will try some in the big tank.


Any one else?

[arthur cooke]

Live plants will increase humidity quite a lot. Have you thought of an automatic spray system, you need a green house pump and tubing with fine misters and a timer. If you look at how orchid growers do it, there is a system that senses when humidity drops and sprays.
Water falls and ponds will increase humidity. Humidity will rise and fall naturally anyway. It means you have good ventilation.
Do you have a drain in the viv so that excess water can drain away, you will need this if you have to spray more, which I think you may have to do.
cheers arthur.

[Jinja]

Cheers

All the plants in the viv are real except the one on top of the branches. I have a waterfall in there and a water bowl. I don't have a drain (it's an aquarium) but there is 2" of gravel and pebble substrate which acts as a soak away....

As for the automatic misting system, I think it would be a little too much plus the Asians aren't meant to get wet as it affects their shedding...!!

Any one else....?

[elchopchop]

just thought of somethin else!! rather than an automatic sprayer maybe you could invest in a fogging unit? my mate uses one for his chameleon and they are great for increasing humidity without flooding the viv. I know exo terra make one and zoo med do also. The larger ones are quite expensive but the smaller exo terras go for about 25 quid!
if i can get hold of my mate i'll post the make of his unit.

[Jinja]

Ah - Hadn't though about a fogger. I nearly bought one a while back as well....

Cheers

[jaysonc3]

get a towel and soak it in warm water but drain it so it isnt dripping and as said put a heat mat in the cold end and put the towel over the top also when you are misting concentrate mainly on the heat sources.

[arthur cooke]

I've kept long tails and have never seen anything which said you shouldn't wet them, mine would get wet, in fact from their behaviour I felt they liked it. So this is news to me, can I ask where you got that bit of info.
You appear to have got all the humidifying factors right,water dish, waterfall,lots of spraying and the only thing I can think of now is too much ventilation. You need good ventilation as much as good humidity, you may need to compromise a bit.
You could possibly use a fogger, altho I have to say that I gave up using them because they were very unreliable.
A layer of sphagnum moss over the substrate and keep it very damp, remember to go through it for woodlice etc.
A layer of dead leaves, you can store quite a bit of water in leaves. Micro wave them to get rid of unwanted guests.
A layer of clay balls in the substrate, they hold water well.
cheers arthur.

[arthur cooke]

Also Just took a look at the previous discussion, sorry I missed it as I'm very much in favour of mixed vivs and have kept rough greens with my lizards.
I've studied the photos of your viv now and I think that more plants will solve the problem, some little weeping figs, they will cast some shade onto the substrate and help bring about slower evaporation.
cheers arthur