Please read this

[nuno]

Hi everyone,

I asked a local reptile shop about introducing a fogger into my tank to icrease the humidity, the guy told me that it would cause my snake to get breathing problems. Is that true?

I can maintain a 60-80% humidity level if I spray it down everyday twice a day.

I was told to do it once every two days, but my humidity will drop to 50 or so.

I have a 48 x 18 x 24 enclosure that is heated by lights my tank maintains 83-85 degrees in the day and 80-83 degrees at night.

I'll spray at 2:00 in the afternoon and then 1:00 in the morning.

Please let me know if this is o.k, If the fogger and misting will hurt my snake and if what Iam doing is o.k.


Thanks

[Linds]

What kind of snake are you keeping? Foggers won't cause respiratory problems in animals that require the humidity to be quite high. It isn't the fogger itself that could cause an RI, it is the humidity level. Again, we can't help without knowing what species you are housing in this setup.

[nuno]

a columbian redtail

[Linds]

Why are you keeping the humidity so high? 80% is way too high for BCI. No need for a fogger or as much misting as you are doing. They do fine with 60% humidity. Also, if you are constantly misting the enclosure down the, high humdity will lead to such conditions as scale rot, etc.

Also you should have a gradient of 80-90 degrees (80 on the coold side, 90 on the hot spot). This means one side measures 80 degrees, while the other measures 90 degrees. It is important to know the surface temp, not just the ambient, digital thermometers w/ probes or temp guns are useful for this.

This being said, with high humidity and low temps are a recipe for a respiratory infection. Even if your humidity drops to 50% for a few days or every other day then that is fine, just as long as it isn't during a shed. During a shed you can bring it up to 70% or so. Hope this helped :)

[Jeff_Favelle]

I agree with Linds. Why the heck do you want the humidity so high for a Columbian?? They shouldn't be kept that high.

[nuno]

I was told this by the pet store employee and became really concerned when I couldn't maintain a constant 80% but I can maintain a constant 60%.

Please don't think I'm a idiot but I know better now. If anyone has any other suggestions please help.

I just want to say thanks for everything.

[Kurzix]

Like the others have said no need for that species, but lets say you get a high humidty needing snake, I have a Brazilian rainbow, and I have a sheet of acrylic that fits on top of the aquarium, then i have holes drilled into the acrylic. I use an aquarium air pump to pump air into the tank, with an airstone at the end of the line, and the airstone goes into the water dish. This does 2 things.

1) keeps the water moving and from going stagnant

2) forces the air coming in to get pushed thru water, greatly incresing the humidty

Doing that I do not have to mist, and my humidty is around the 90% mark obviously the more holes in the acrylic, the lower the humidty

[Jeff_Favelle]

I have one suggestion that will make a better herper a million times over!


DON'T ask pet store employees for husbandry advice on reptiles (or ANY animal for that matter). You obviously have an internet connection so start researching!! Its easy. Go to Yahoo! and type in "Boa care sheet" or "husbandry". A million hits will come up. Star reading. Easy as mud.

[Bryan Self]

Here is one of the best and most complete care guides on the web.Clay English (http://www.redtailboas.com/general_care/general_care.html)

[Big Mike]

It's a good thing you are getting more info that what they gave you at the pet store...you will find that a lot of pet store employees are ignorant to the proper care of animals...sucks but it's true.

If you want to try and make a difference, get some care sheets for you snake and get them signed by a vet or expert on reptiles and take it back to the shop to rasie some hell.

[Scotty Allen]

Hey Nuno, never think you're "an idiot" for asking a question. The idiots are the ones who stumble on and don't use resources such as this site. Ask away, you already have lots of good advice for your boa.

[nuno]

Thanks for the support everyone. I have never met such awesome people!!!!!!;)

[jameswork1]

The first red tail I bought, the pet store tried convincing me that it would grow up to 30 feet, and eat on large rabbits several times a week. Granted, the examples aren't always to this extreme, but it's a good idea to KNOW if what they're saying is fact or crap. Generally, it's a good idea to nod your head and smile at these 'know alls.'
Jeff is definately right, before you bring your new herp home, check it out on the internet. Study on the species itself, find a few care sheets and if you can, ask questions on message boards. There's plenty of helpful and knowledgeful people out there. Leave the pet store junkies to their dreams of 30'' red tails...

[Damien Aube]

Just my two cents in here if I may.
I hope I'm not being shoved in the catagory of, as Jeff put it, "never ask a pet store employee about husbandry advice for reptiles....."
Just to ease your troubled mind guys.....I know what I'm doing!
To make comments like this, underminds the knowledge I been gaining in the last years on reptiles and their care.
I understand your feelings about certain "chains" and the lack of proper advise being issued, but please have the common sence not to group us all in that catagory.

My advise to anyone buying at the local petstore, is to talk to the employees and find out if any of them are experienced keepers. If not,research more before buying from them, or buy from a store that has the knowledge to answer your Q's!

Damien Aube
AK Exotics

[Scotty Allen]

Well said Damien. There are a number of pet shop employees/owners who are experienced and knowledgeable and are reliable sources. We all know who they are and should give them credit where it is due.

30' redtails HAH, try this horror story. Many years ago we had a pet store here in town where the owner sent his customers home with baby boas, telling them that they ate lettuce. The premise was that the boa would starve and the customer would come back and buy another one.

[lance]

nice buissness scotty hope that place is closed now

[Lisa]

I find the substrate makes a big difference in humidity. with astro turf i have to keep a shallow bowl filled with water over the hot spot to keep the humidity over 50% yet with cypress mulch it stays around the 70% mark on it's own