cleaning and humidity

[rocket]

hi just a few questions. firstly substrates. i have a queensland coastal carpet (as i live in queensland) and it is about 2 foot long. i have just built a new cage (photos soon) and i have placed various sizes of bark chips on the floor. they are untreated to avoid noxious chemicals. what i am enquiring about is how often do i need to completely dismantle the cage and give it a thorough cleaning as so far i have just been spot cleaning. he has been in the cage about 2 weeks now. the cage is plywood and is 5 foot high x 4 foot wide x 2 foot deep. it is sealed with acrylic paint. what are some alternatives to keeping the humidity levels in the cage constant. at the moment it varies from 42 % to 61% . looking for a more automated system rather than just misting everyday. thanks 4 any replies.rod.

[sSNAKESs.com]

You should change the whole substrate every few months, the more often the better. But every 3 - 4 months should still be ok :)

[rocket]

thanks jeff. great site by the way. rodney

[Syst3m]

Well, first if you want to keep the humidity high keep a dish of water over the heat unit, that will incease it, And reduce the amounts of vents that the humidity can escape. In the US there are some automated misting systems that come at a high price,
You could also put an air stone in the water dish with an air pump like the ones for aquariums. But if you have low ventilation that will increase the humidity to dangerous levels for your snake. My Friends keep jungle carpets and I don't think they need very high humidity, 60% should be fine. But dont quote me on that.

Either way, Post some pics of your cage, You might just have to much ventilation for it, all of your problems could be an easy fix.

[rocket]

yes i have been thinking of the airstone as it does work quite well. my cage is in the enclosure section under " sorry try again". i have only just completed building it. rodney

[Syst3m]

Got a good look at the cage, The air stone trick works well. VERY well. it might raise the humidity higher then you want it to I might think. So you might think about putting it on a timer.