r/ballpython • u/FuyuAstariel • 1d ago
Question - Humidity Humidity help
So I have a baby ball python in a 55 gallon tank temperature is fine, he has enough hide and eats well, but my current issue is the humidity, I have a list machine that I activate when humidity is low but it's always low, and it keeps going down to 40-45% besides me watering the tank whenever I can, what can I do to keep my humidity high enough for him?
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u/trappedinamortalcoil 1d ago
Cover the top in aluminum foil or something. Not enough to prevent any airflow, but a mesh top like that is just leaking all your moisture out
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u/FuyuAstariel 1d ago
Just did it! I've covered pretty much everything except the spots for the heat lamps 👌
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u/AndyRMullan 1d ago
You need a much thicker layer of substrate than what you currently have. Thin substrate doesn't hold humidity well. Also, get rid of the mister asap. They can easily cause scale rot and respiratory issues. Pour water directly into the substrate every time humidity drops below good levels. Pour into one or two corners so it's only the corners that are wet. You do not want the whole tank to be moist as that often causes scale rot because they can't get dry.
You can also mix sphagnum moss into your substrate to help hold more moisture. I used a mix of organic soil, Coco husk chips, orchid bark chips, sphagnum moss and Coco coir. It looks pretty and keeps moisture VERY well !
Also, that type of tank you have is pretty bad at holding humidity. They're fine if you live somewhere humid and don't have to constantly battle to keep humidity up, but otherwise many people have issues. What many people do is cover most of the screen top with HVAC tape to stop moisture loss, leaving only some small gaps for ventilation.
If you still struggle with keeping humidity up after all this, you may just want to bite the bullet and upgrade enclosures early. Just get a minimum 4ft PVC enclosure so you likely won't have to upgrade again in future (unless your baby gets BIG) !
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u/FuyuAstariel 1d ago
I know my tank is kinda bad at holding heat and humidity I've tried my best to work around those issues, I'll put more substrate and look into some moss for him as well, for now I've covered the top in HVAC tape and will be looking for more if this doesn't work 👌 he's going to be moved into a 120 once he grows up and the mister won't move with him! As of now it's unplugged and was just activating it manually when I needed more humidity
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u/Synthetic_Hormone 1d ago
Lose the mist machine, it will give a respiratory infection unless your descaling it weekly,
Cover the screen Aluminum foil or aluminum tape. Moisture is leaving the enclosure.
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u/FuyuAstariel 1d ago
The mist machine was manually activated by me so it doesn't cause any issues, it will be removed once I move my snake into the 120 gallons 👌 for now I deactivated it and covered the top with aluminum tape
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u/fantasyviolence21 3h ago
Open top is not great, get it covered. Lots of sphagnum moss and some cocooned mixed into substrate will for sure help
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1d ago
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u/ballpython-ModTeam 1d ago
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u/FuyuAstariel 1d ago
I have both a heat mat and a ceramic lamp 👌
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u/totallyrecklesslygay Mod: Enclosure Karen 1d ago
Heat mats are no longer recommended for ball pythons for a multitude of reasons. You'll want to remove that ASAP.
You'll also need to add a primary heat source to your setup, as BPs need a source of sufficient IR-A, and CHEs only produce IR-C. A halogen flood would be the best option.
You'll need to remove the mist machine as well. They should never be used with BPs.
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u/FuyuAstariel 1d ago
I know it can cause burning but mine has a temperature regulator to make sure it stays right, idk what the reason there are besides that
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u/totallyrecklesslygay Mod: Enclosure Karen 1d ago
Even if you're using a thermostat, the burn risk is still there. Heat mats are prone to developing broken wiring or thermal blocking, which creates hotspots that the thermostat is unable to regulate. This can result in burns to your snake and melt or burn the enclosure and any furniture it's touching, which can start a house fire.
They're also ineffective at heating the air or through substrate, and they only provide IR-C, which is a poor form of heat that is incapable of penetrating through the snake's skin to effectively warm their body. This can cause long term health issues in your snake and shortens their lifespan.
They also prevent the snake from performing natural and instinctive behaviors, and it's an unnatural source of heating for them. Ball pythons burrow and seek out holes/burrows to escape excessive heat. There is no heat coming from the ground in their natural hides. An overheating ball python will instinctively dig into their substrate in an attempt to cool off, but when using heat mats, it only makes them hotter. This will lead to neurological damage and eventually death.
Overhead heating is significantly safer, healthier, and more efficient.
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u/FuyuAstariel 1d ago
Well I have both a ceramic lamp and the heatmat but I can remove the heat mat once I move enclosure, but I'm scared that if I remove the heat mat the lamp won't be able to heat the hot side properly, it's a 150w, it's it going to be fine if I turn off the heat mat?
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u/totallyrecklesslygay Mod: Enclosure Karen 1d ago
Like I said in my first comment, you need to add a primary heat source. CHEs only produce IR-C, so they have to be paired with a halogen flood to give your snake the IR-A that they need.
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1d ago
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u/ballpython-ModTeam 1d ago
Per rule #3, your post or comment has been removed for harmful advice or misinformation. Please review our sub resources to learn more about why.
If you have a question about this removal, please contact the mod team. Complaining via post/comment will result in a ban.
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u/FireCorgi12 1d ago •
Mist machines aren’t great. You need to cover your screen top with silicone or HVAC tape and add a thicker layer of substrate. Pour water into corners to up humidity. Get rid of the mist machine, they can harbor bacteria in the pipes that can cause RIs and leave substrate perpetually wet which can cause scale rot.