Humidity solution?

K1LOS · 02-01-04, 08:00 AM

Hello everybody, i once again am having troubles wiht my humidity. I asked about this about a week ago and i was told to get a leafy plant for the cage. Well my cage is pretty full of plants now with a large ficus, a rubber plant, and a schefflera. I'm not sure this really helped with the humidity at all though. I was also told to hang plastic sheets over the screen sides, but that would reduce the much needed airflow, so i am reluctant. My humidity remains at 30% unless i have recently sprayed, and even after i spray it doesn't take long for the hygrometer to drop.

i had an idea, what if i set up a permanent lay box in the bottom. It would be a perlite/soil mixture that would be a little more moist then it would be if i were actually intending on using it for a lay box. I would then cover that laybox with river rock to avoid anything being eaten out of it. hmmm.... then crickets could hide in it though... would that even help me at all anyways?

thanks ahead of time,

Geoff

tHeGiNo · 02-01-04, 09:41 AM

If your cage is big enough, put a humidifier in there. If not, put the humidifier in the room. Also are you misting twice daily? Make sure the plants are always nice and moist as well. Have drip systems set up which will contribute to the humidity as well.

choriona · 02-01-04, 01:25 PM

Yeah, the battle against the dry weather is a hard one. Increase the spraying, and for longer periods of time. At least then the humidity will be up to where it should be for 1/2 hour each time.
But yeah, a room humidifyer is good - for you and your cham!

Or, if there are lots of people in your house that take showers in the morning - put the cham on a plant on the floor (not near the mirror) and keep it in there for the duration. At one point in my house we had 3 showers in a row going and my cham would be in there for at least an hour and a half. Keeping the door shut with towels by the cracks in the door keeps the humidity in there longer.
Now, three of my chams live in the bathroom. (Its big)

huhet · 02-01-04, 02:22 PM

isn't schefflera toxic?

K1LOS · 02-01-04, 03:56 PM

http://home.att.net/~chameleons/safeplants.html

schefflera is listed as a "safe" plant. thanks for the concern though.

Geoff

oiler17 · 02-01-04, 04:13 PM

not to argue or anything.. but look at umbrella plant on the link, and then see the footnote..

http://groups.msn.com/ChameleonParad...epantlist.msnw

just thought that might be where uhh...huhet saw it..

I'm also having problems with humidity, I'm watiign for half of my ficus to grow back before I get really concerned though

dank7oo · 02-01-04, 09:06 PM

There are two species of schefflera. One toxic and the other not. The one commonly available at planting stores is safe. Just check it out online if you have doubts.

Jason

tHeGiNo · 02-01-04, 09:55 PM

With a combination of misting three times daily, a drip system and a humidifier, you should be in a much better position. Give it a shot, they aren't too expensive at all.

K1LOS · 02-02-04, 12:33 AM

how can i accurately identify my species of schefflera, they both look similar. The guy at the store wasn't specific about the sub-species! ahh, i hate uninformed salesman, if they aren't sure they should say so. Apparently the idiotic pet salesman carry over into the world of gardening.

Geoff

choriona · 02-02-04, 12:54 AM

dank - I'd like to know the two species of schefflera. I have been looking around and only find that this plant is toxic to mammals (dogs and cats, rashes form on humans). I have several of these plants and my chams munch on them often. Each plant looks slightly different. I've never had a problem. Just curious.

Collide · 02-02-04, 01:40 AM

**Do not confuse with other "Umbrella" Plant Schefflera actinophylla(toxic)

Schefflera arboricola AKA dwarf Schefflera is non-toxic.

huhet · 02-02-04, 03:02 AM

so how do we know which is dwarf? i think i've gone done confused us all.

Collide · 02-02-04, 04:01 AM

delete

oiler17 · 02-02-04, 01:35 PM

so I'm misting a lot too, with a humidifier on high all the time next to the enclosure, and a drip system.. and real plants.. I don't think I've seen 50% humidity yet. I think I might try picking up some sphagnum moss and packing it on the bottom, I hear that holds humidity well.. anyone know if this might pose a problem? I.E. crickets hiding in it, cham eating it, etc

Sean Day · 02-02-04, 02:53 PM

Not sure if this would work with your set up or not. I built all my cages with screen bottoms then elevated the cages so I could fit a rubbermaid underneath. I could then have 2 drippers going constantly and all excess water would drain into the rubbermaid. Whenever I had bad humidity issues I would put a uth under the rubbermaid to add a little more humidity.