humidity

[macandchz]

i want to increase the humidity in my 40 gal tank. any ideas? i heard you can use orchid bark as a bedding. has anyone ever used this? i spritz twice a day. i have the screen lid covered with towels and a large ceramic pond.

[Arachnaeoccult]

Wrong thread...Delete this response

[SSSSnakes]

Humidity is simple to control. Have a water source being heated by a heat source and you have humidity. Now control ventilation so humidity can't escape the tank and problem is solved.

[prairiepanda]

Sounds like you've got the right idea.

If the towels aren't doing the trick, you can cover part of the screen with plastic wrap or tinfoil. Just be careful not to impede air circulation too much.

Orchid bark is okay but cypress mulch is cheaper and usually better for holding humidity. You can also try mixing in some sphagnum moss if you still need even more humidity.

Also think about your heat source: heat lamps and ceramic heat emitters tend to create a very dry environment. For high-humidity enclosures, heat pads or radiant heat panels are usually the preferred choice. (EDIT: as pointed out already, if you put a heat source under your water dish you'll boost humidity even more)

If all those measures fail, you can consider investing in an automated misting system or fogger. They can be expensive, but give you more consistency and control over humidity levels.


All that aside, if you're having a lot of trouble maintaining humidity you should make sure that your humidity readings are accurate. For humidity-sensitive species you should always use digital hygrometers, and it would be a good idea to have more than one in case one of them is giving a false reading.

[macandchz]

dear prairiepanda, thank you for the suggestions. i will definitely try the moss and the heat under the water dish.