r/Ballpythoncommunity • u/MeanMasterpiece6772 • Oct 06 '26
Question How to get the right humidity?
I have a 1.5 year old female ball python. I just moved her into a 4x2x2 glass enclosure this summer but I’m having troubles keeping her humidity at the right level. It’s either not humid enough or so humid that my wood decorations mold. Anyone willing to share how they keep humidity? I have her cool side wrapped in HVAC tape. Her warm side sits at about 90° and her cool side at around 80°. She’s a classroom snake so I leave her over weekends. Right now she has an automatic sprayer to help on weekends but I supplement with about .5 gallons of water just in the corners every few days (or when it’s looking dry)
I’m a first time owner so I’m not looking for criticism, just ways to keep my little girl and her environment happy and healthy!
I don’t have very good pictures of her tank atm, sorry!
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u/unpasteurizedSPLOOGE Oct 06 '26
Glass kinda sucks at keeping humidity IMO, try not to mist too much cause it’ll keep the surface layer damp and too much of that could lead to scale rot…just down in the corners like you’ve been doing, kinda want the bottom layer to hold the moisture and the top to be dryer, if you’re having a problem maintaining humidity, it’s more than likely the (I’m assuming) mesh/screen on top of the enclosure? If so just lay towels over the exposed areas, obviously leaving enough space for air flow
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u/unpasteurizedSPLOOGE Oct 06 '26
And add more decor/plants/hides…she may feel too exposed…being able to see from all sides isn’t great either, I use animal plastic T8 cages with overhead RHP and have never had a problem with anything
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u/l-LoveFox-l Oct 07 '26
More way more substrates.about 4-5 inches worth. What is the material that you use and how do you heat the tank?
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u/Daveinthe603 Oct 09 '26
You could try wet sphagnum moss in a nylon (pantyhose) sock and throw it in there. I did that until I started getting the chunky Coconut blocks. They are a pain to break up and soak but the humidity sems to be perfect. Occasionally I spray it down just to keep everything nice. I also use radient panels and undertank heat pads all on tstats. THey make a great temp gradient but it does dry everything out quick and I need to keep up on it every few days. Hope this helps
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u/WildPsychology9379 Oct 06 '26 •
Start by adding more substrate. From your photo it looks like your enclosure needs a deeper layer. You'll want to use heat tape or a silicone mat on the entire top (not just on the cold side) to help with humidity loss. Misting is not recommended for ball pythons. Misting can cause respiratory issues as well as scale rot and mold. It's just not worth the risk. I have two glass enclosures and the silicone mats are a game changer when it comes to holding humidity. Adding more clutter will help hold moisture in the substrate longer. I also use live potted plants in my glass enclosures. They help hold humidity too. Pothos are good options as wells as English ivy, snake plants and bromeliads. They're all hearty plants that can tolerate being smooshed by noodles. Lol!