How often do you mist?

[trailblazer295]

I'm still setting up my vine snake tank. Hit a hiccup with how often you can mist. The goal is to maintain 70-85% humidity in the tank. The tank has an exo terra dual canopy with 2 14w T8 plant bulbs and a 35w sun glo halogen and also a 100w zoo med CHE. I have a weather station in the room giving me temp and humidity inside the room and outdoors. So I can adjust things throughout the year as weather changes and know when to open the window. How often/long are people misting to keep the humidity up and keep the live plants alive? I also plan on watering the plants with my aquarium water every week to 2 weeks. As the nitrates are good plant food, not in the misting system of course. Looking for some help as this is my first attempt at setting up a live terrarium and misting system. I have mistking starter system. Everything is hooked up and I have a half filled 5g bucket of RO water.

Yes I have temp/hygro sensor in the cage as well.

[malgus]

I have a different snake but I got told that to get to that humidity I would need to mist it about twice a day once in the morning then again in the arvo but my humidity is spot on without me having to do that.
Would love to have a vine snake, god damn Australian laws.
I mean its protecting our wildlife but still its annoying.
Somehow a boa got loose up in queensland and people freaked thinking it would breed with local snakes and create an everglades situation.
This is dragging on but its too late for me to go back.
Found an instant nacho kit at work today

[trailblazer295]

So I have the misting system setup. Finally got the nozzle pointed in a good direction to mist all the plants. Of course they will get a aquarium water treatment but still wanted to aim it. Problem I'm having is with the canopy, mesh top and a CHE the humidity drops from 100% to the 60s in an hour. Now one side is almost completely covered by the canopy minus a few inches either side and one corner in the back is for the CHE which really only leaves me barely more then a quarter of the top I could cover. With the supplied mistking timer I can only have 8 cycles so either I can increase the length of time it mists or have to buy a new timer to cycle more often. The cage is still empty so I'm free to mess around with this without stressing the snake out. This is the last piece of the puzzle to get dialed in before I can bring the snake home. The CHE seems to be heating the cage to the right temps with a gradient from 90s to low 80s with branches and vines so the snake can pick the spot it wants to maintain temperature.

Any suggestions of increasing misting lengths?

[trailblazer295]

Well my humidity dropped 40% in and hr and 15mintues. My timer on the misting system went on a 5pm and ran for 2 minutes and now it's sitting at 63%. It's a planted tank so has live plants and soil that's wet and it's still dropping like a stone. I don't know how you guys can just mist twice a day by hand and keep the right humidity.

Any suggestions?

[Aaron_S]

I haven't followed this at all so post some pics? Or link me to the pics of the enclosure.

I'd like to see how the substrate looks.

Also, it could be your hygrometer.

[yeloowtang]

as Aaron said, maybe getting a few pictures could help us out, but i'm suspecting the typical problem of having an exo terra.
even with the exo canopies that cover most of the top !! if you have nothing sealing off that screen top all of the humidity you have is being sucked up like a chimeney...
the only way to keep humidity in these cages is by having a plexy glass or a glass that cover the entire top, lights will shine trough the glass.. but you will need to get a radiant heat panel INSIDE the cage. .
you can always cut a circle in the glass to fit the CHE dome, but it will still suck up the humidity..(it will be better than now)
even if you spray 20 times a day, you're just soaking the cage, all the ambiant humidity leaves as your hallogen light and CHE heat up the cage, T5s also put out some heat that dries up the air.

the few exos i have left with arboreal snakes, have the complete top sealed off and i'm running 3 pieces of 12x12 heat tape on the top back\side top back and top back corner
this gives me about 75w of heating in the top corner and works great.. nothing compared to heat panels and sealed cage like pvc but it does a great job.

hope this makes sense :)

[trailblazer295]

I haven't followed this at all so post some pics? Or link me to the pics of the enclosure.

I'd like to see how the substrate looks.

Also, it could be your hygrometer.

I replaced the hygrometer the other day because it got stuck at 70%. Same one I use in the other cage and haven't had an issue before.


as Aaron said, maybe getting a few pictures could help us out, but i'm suspecting the typical problem of having an exo terra.
even with the exo canopies that cover most of the top !! if you have nothing sealing off that screen top all of the humidity you have is being sucked up like a chimeney...
the only way to keep humidity in these cages is by having a plexy glass or a glass that cover the entire top, lights will shine trough the glass.. but you will need to get a radiant heat panel INSIDE the cage. .
you can always cut a circle in the glass to fit the CHE dome, but it will still suck up the humidity..(it will be better than now)
even if you spray 20 times a day, you're just soaking the cage, all the ambiant humidity leaves as your hallogen light and CHE heat up the cage, T5s also put out some heat that dries up the air.

the few exos i have left with arboreal snakes, have the complete top sealed off and i'm running 3 pieces of 12x12 heat tape on the top back\side top back and top back corner
this gives me about 75w of heating in the top corner and works great.. nothing compared to heat panels and sealed cage like pvc but it does a great job.

hope this makes sense :)

Yeah I think I get what you're saying.



The soil is currently soaked because I used an aquarium light timer to try and improve it forgetting that the increment arms were 5minutes not 1 so it misted 2gal of water over a day into the soil. I have the misting off right now and the doors open to let things dry out a bit.

Using the canopy and CHE I finally got the heating right but now have more problems with the humidity. I don't know how others manage to do thing so easily or I just might be to anal lol

[Aaron_S]

Try creating a drainage layer under the substrate. They help with humidity.

[trailblazer295]

Try creating a drainage layer under the substrate. They help with humidity.

I have a thin one but not enough material for the size of the tank. I didn't buy enough material. Right door the doors are opento dryn it out a bit.


How does a drainage layer increase humidity?

[Aaron_S]

I have a thin one but not enough material for the size of the tank. I didn't buy enough material. Right door the doors are opento dryn it out a bit.


How does a drainage layer increase humidity?

I could be wrong but as I understand it the water soaks down to that layer. As the plants need water they'll pull it back up through the soil/roots.

Something like that.

[trailblazer295]

Well that makes sense for the plants but how does that help ambient humidity? I have 3/4 ofbthe soil soaked in water( an accident and trying to dry it out) still have drops even with a CHE and halogen/florescent top. Doesn't evaporate the water.

[Aaron_S]

Well that makes sense for the plants but how does that help ambient humidity? I have 3/4 ofbthe soil soaked in water( an accident and trying to dry it out) still have drops even with a CHE and halogen/florescent top. Doesn't evaporate the water.

wet does not equal humid.

[yeloowtang]

as Aaron said, the false bottom with a good 2" of gravel or the clay balls you get in hydroponic stores is ideal, the excess water builds up as it drains trough the substrate,
your plants will root down there and get the water they need.

now for the humidity issue, as i mentioned before, and seeing the pictures.. you will never get humidity to build up in that set up..all the humid air is sucked from that open screen top..

the cheapest way arround it for now is..

1- get a piece of glass cut that fits the front portion of the screen top where the canopy is located (light will shine trough the galss and even help with heat )

2- if you can get a full piece of glass to cover the entire top and pay the glass guy to cut a hole in the back for the CHE.. if you do this get rid of that wire support and get a Dome style, this will help reduce the sucking up part.
or
use a piece of plywood on the back part with a hole for the CHE but again , get a dome !! that wire thing will let all the humidity escape.
mind you, it will be better because you will have 95% of it covered, but unless you seal that top, there's no way you can keep humidity in that cage.

as Aaron said , wet is not humid, in fact so much wet and soaked substrate is a paradise for bacteria\mold\mushrooms and all kind of badies to appear

if you want to mist only a few seconds or minute at a time, you will need to get a timer like mistking has for their system, another option is to get a herpkeeper or even a used reefkeeper from digital aquatics.
the head piece(control centre) has built in timers that you can adjust individula outputs from the PC4 power bar that comes with it..
this can control your lights too, and even a humidity probe if you want..
BUT from experience on a low voltage pump like the one for a misting unit, only use the sockets #1 and #4 if you go this route.. i can explain in details why if need be, but just trust me on this :)

[trailblazer295]

The soaked soil was accidental. Working on drying it out now. I'll have to remove everything to add a drainage layer tonight.

I bought the wire fixture because the manufacturer said to use that vs the dome due to heat buildup.

I'm using the mistking timer and still playing with intervals and duration. Marty from mistking emailed yesterday. They are working a on hygrometer control with a prob. Should be ready in about 2 months.

[trailblazer295]

Picked up some hydroballs on my way home. With the canopy on only not the CHE the humidity was sitting at 70% with no misting today. Room humidity is sitting at 47% So not to bad I think 8 cycles might work once I get the timing dialed in. Tore the thing apart to put the balls in and replanted everything. Tank looks pretty good, added a few more branches on angles for climbing. Tried to position the fake plant in such a way to create a hiding spot without blocking light from the real plants.

[reptiledude987]

sealing portions of the top can help with keeping it up as well. I have around 80% of the top covered for my vines.

[trailblazer295]

What are you using to seal with?

[reptiledude987]

I cut pieces of cardboard to the size of the squares on the top of the exo terra. Then wrapped it in tin foil and used clear packing tape to keep it in place.