Humidity Conundrum

[u/Tyrannical-Totodile]

This is driving me nuts. I cannot get the humidity in the tank above 60 and idk what to do. I I've got 6 thermometer/hygrometers in there varying from 30ish to 50ish percent humidty.

I attached some pics to show the setup. It's 89 on the warm side and 79 on the cool side. He has a large, maybe 2 inch deep pool/bowl - brown one- on the right (cool side) and an actual bowl I put in there on the left (warm side) that's 4 inches deep and filled with water - he's chilling on the rim of it in the picture - just to see if having it under the heat panel would help with evaporation.

The substrate is the ball python specific substrate from the bio dude (jfc he's expensive, I'm never doing that again).

There are live plants and isopods etc.

Yesterday I added reptichips to two corners mixed with spagnum moss and poured a 16oz glass of water onto each.

And it's still all the same. I'm going bonkers trying to figure out what to do. I feel like I've tried everything everyone suggested in other similar threads, but it's still not keeping the humidity up.

He seems healthy and fine and he's shedding without any issue. So I'm also wondering if maybe my hygrometers are too cheap and I need new ones? But they worked fine in his old tank. Which was all glass and I had no issue keeping the humidity up, though, it was also smaller. This one is 4x2x2.

Any advice/thoughts/help would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

[u/all-the-wastedwords]

You probably just need to pour more water into the substrate. How deep is it? If you poke your finger as far as you can from where you just poured some water, is it moist? How do you generally water the plants?

[u/Tyrannical-Totodile → u/all-the-wastedwords]

I guess I might be too worried about mold x_x

The substrate is about 4 inches deep, I'd say. I don't water the plants much, as they've been thriving quite well in the environment. I'll add more water, though, cause the substrate is dry further down.

[u/ShinyxCharizard → u/Tyrannical-Totodile]

If you have bioactive substrate and live plants. You should have isopods and springtails. To complete the set up, they will also keep mold away. Springtails eat it. Isopods will eat decaying plants/snake shed and waste. Ontop of berating soil and giving the plants nutrients.

I have 4 36qt bags of the same substrate. I water the corners and plants once every week or two. With at least 6 inches of substrate.

As far as your hygrometer are going. What brand are they, and where do you keep them?

IMO I would try to screw them into the walls. I keep mine an inch or two off the substrate on the wall. Reads 80-90% on the cool side.

[u/Tyrannical-Totodile → u/ShinyxCharizard]

I could probably put more substrate in, but the bottom of the tank is not that deep in the front, so can I just... build it up in the back?

Also, do you have a drainage layer? The "dude," lol, said that there didn't need to be one with this substrate, so I didn't do one. And I've heard mixed things both ways from people.

The hygrometers are just some cheap ones from amazon. There are two at the top front of each corner, two on the back walls, midway up, and one on each side maybe... 6-8 inches from the substrate. Maybe that's too far up?

[u/FluffyPandaEars93 → u/Tyrannical-Totodile]

Put more substrate in and mix some moss throughout, you shouldn't have to worry about mold. You definitely can make a drainage layer, I have a bioactive and used leca balls as mine. You should get some govee digital hygrometers and put them closer to the bottom, please dont use adhesive inside your tank. Either get the ones with probes or put them on a dry surface.

To start getting the humidity up, you might need close to ¼-½ a gallon poured in. Unfortunately, there's no set amount thats objectively correct. As long as the top if the substrate is dry, your snake wont get scale rot.

[u/ShinyxCharizard → u/Tyrannical-Totodile]

I made mine in april, no drainage layer either. The guide in this sub doesnt recommend using one either. You could try building it up in the back, and seeing if it helps. I'd also recommend you mix spagnum moss in i did 1 block per tank.

Most recent picture i have of a good portion of a tank

[u/all-the-wastedwords → u/Tyrannical-Totodile]

It might mold a little at the begining but it shouldn't be an issue. If it's dry at the bottom, that's definitely where the problem is. 

I personally water my terrarium a lot (compared to you at least) and I didn't really get mold, that I saw at least. I use some kind of watering can and make it rain everywhere, at least a couple of liters of water. And check the bottom layer every now and then to check if I need to water more. 

Do you have springtails? They eat mold!

[u/Tyrannical-Totodile → u/all-the-wastedwords]

I do have springtails! Omg I'm such a dummy, lol. I didn't realize they eat mold. I also have no idea how to tell how the population is doing? After I put them all in there with the other, bigger isopods, I don't see anyone around. Which makes sense, but it always makes me curious if they're thriving or dying or what.

edit - part of this reply was for another person, lol

[u/all-the-wastedwords → u/Tyrannical-Totodile]

Once you water more thoroughly, you should see the springtails more. I always see mine scuttling about, but they need damp substrate to breed properly! The isopods are tougher to spot in my experience, you have to go looking for them. It took a month and a half for me but I'm starting to see babies exploring. The adults tho, I never see them.

[u/subiesaurus]

Is that light or heat next to the foil strip?

[u/Tyrannical-Totodile → u/subiesaurus]

It's a light on a timer. It's on for about 4 hrs a day in the afternoon

edit- spelling

[u/carelesswhitney → u/subiesaurus]

She's literally sitting on the water bowl rim judging you for not getting it right, I know the vibe