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Misting tank?

Pinklady

Pinklady

Drake and Odin
Hi

Drake shed really badly a couple of weeks ago. I think humidity was low cos it's been so cold here and I've had the heating on loads more than usual.

Odin is now blue eyed, and I'm trying to raise the humidity for him.
The hygrometer is reading 30% most of the time. I've put his water dish at the warm end, I'm misting twice a day and I've put paper towels over half the top of his tank. After misting the humidity sits around 40% for an hour or so then goes back down to 30%.
I tried a moist hide last time for each of them and they didn't go near it.
I was also concerned cos the moss was mouldy after a day or 2 and I didn't think it was very good for them to have mould in the tank!
Is there anything else I can do?
I think humidity needs to be between 40 and 50 for a good shed(that's what it was last time Odin shed, and he shed perfectly) :cheers:
 
Have you thought about adding a moist hide? Just wet some paper towls, wring them out really good and place in a hide. That way the snake has a choice, and if its best for him, he will use it :D

IMO paper towels are less likely to mold than moss.
 
My viv is the opposite, the hygrometer usually reads around 70 -75% & my small water bowl is at the cool end. Is this a major problem?? :shrugs:
 
I assume you're using an aquarium?

Try covering the top of the tank parially with something other than paper towels. Paper towels absorb water, and I don't know how they're supposed to hold moisture in the cage. I use plastic wrap. My viv is plastic and has holes all around it, including the top. When Clinton is about to shed, I wrap his cage up in Saran wrap except for the top. Misting the cage usually brings it from 35% to 50% for the better part of a day. Don't be afraid to nearly completely cover the top with plastic wrap. The snake doesn't need a big hole to get enough air through. The more you cover, the more humidity will stay in.
 
30% humidity? Wow... my bedroom stays at about 60%-70% humidity... part of the reason is I live in Florida (so we don't run a heater much) and the other part is because I have several aquariums in my room. How do you heat? If you use a radiator type heater, a bowl of water on top would add to the humidity. Or perhaps a couple of aquariums running in the room.... or a bigger water dish... a humidifier might be something to consider (doesn't that low of humidity affect the humans too? dry skin and all?).... or get one of the waterfall decorations I've seen for the cage...covering the top of the cage has been suggestion and is a good one-one of my tanks I use plexiglass with the minimum number of holes drilled in it for air, the humidity in there stays nice and even (it's for a frog)... I've seen on the 'net where people wrap their snake up in a warm damp towel and let them work their way out of it come shed time to help with the shed....
 
Yeah, the low humidity affects people. I get really dry skin all over in the winter. It sucks. But when it gets down below 20 degrees outside, it's near impossible to keep your place above 30 or 40% because all the moisture condenses on the cold windows.
 
Until I had my humunity just right I use to just put some damp sphagnum moss in his hide and he still use it.
 
So far my best results for sheds are moist hides, as mentioned by Preita. I use a margerine container (with damp paper towel inside) with a hole cut in the side, keeping the lid and the container together really helps keep the moisture in and makes for an easy set up/clean up.
 
Thanks everyone!

I have covered part of the lid with plastic film and today humidity is up at 50%.
I have also put a moist hide in with damp paper towels. So far he's not gone near it though.
Last time Odin shed it was perfect. That was before it got really cold, so the heating was only on a couple of times a day. When Drake shed it was colder, so more dry heat was around. I haven't even been putting the lights on in their tanks so as not to dry out the air even more.
Odin's eyes have cleared now, so hopefully I should get another good shed in a couple of days.
Humidity in the winter is a problem. I have water dishes on my radiators to try to help, but it doesn't make a lot of difference.
We all suffer from dry skin in winter too-a combination of a heated house, and double glazed windows means not much air circulating although I do try to open windows most days to let some air in
 
He's shed

Well I got up this morning to find a 2 piece shed which was a huge improvement on Drakes shed. Eyecaps and tail piece off so I'm happy.
Plastic film made a huge difference to the humidity and I'll definately do that again when it's Drakes next shed.
He still didn't use his moist hide though.
 
Preita said:
Have you thought about adding a moist hide? Just wet some paper towls, wring them out really good and place in a hide. That way the snake has a choice, and if its best for him, he will use it :D

IMO paper towels are less likely to mold than moss.
Click to expand...

Actually if you get good REAL spanish moss, the acidic content of it will kill almost all mold. I have been using this for years and keep a moist hide in all of my snake's enclosures. I have never seen mold grow in any of them. I also use this as the egg laying meduim and incubating medium. It is a little pricy though if you get the real stuff.
 
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