Keeping humidity!

[frozensponge]

Hey! So i started building a terrarium and i have trouble keeping the humidity in. I am using an exo terra and have purchased a glass for the top. it increased my overall humidty from 60% to 80% but it is not enough. i want to raise it a little higher to about 90% and more. how can i do that?

[MikeM670]

I can think of a couple of things. Are you misting? Are you misting enough. Is the substrate damp but not soaking wet. All these things can help keep up your humidity. My tanks are all in the high 90 percent humidity range as I keep them very damp to wet.

[clownonfire]

Hey! So i started building a terrarium and i have trouble keeping the humidity in. I am using an exo terra and have purchased a glass for the top. it increased my overall humidty from 60% to 80% but it is not enough. i want to raise it a little higher to about 90% and more. how can i do that?

Mike is right. Beside a glass top, keep on misting. At least twice a day, 30 seconds minimum each time. If you don't have moss in your enclosure, add some. Sphagnum moss will hold moisture in.

Misting+Glass top+moss=High humidity. It could take a few days to get to the 90% mark.

Eric

[DonLisk]

What frogs are you going to be keeping?

[frozensponge]

i was thinking of keeping dart frogs like azeurus. i guess my substrate is not thick enough. I mist at lesst twice a day, but i guess the substrate is not wet enough.i will try to add more substrate and water as well and then i'll check again whether that works. Thanks guys!

[clownonfire]

i was thinking of keeping dart frogs like azeurus. i guess my substrate is not thick enough. I mist at lesst twice a day, but i guess the substrate is not wet enough.i will try to add more substrate and water as well and then i'll check again whether that works. Thanks guys!

Out of curiosity, which Exo-Terra did you buy, size wise? Exo-Terra are usually more vertical, and azureus will need something with more ground to walk on, which is why it's usually preferable to house azureus in horizontal enclosures...

[frozensponge]

i have the 18x18x24. yeah this is my trial built and if it is successful i am going to build a new one which will be horizontal . if only i can make the increase the humidity a little bit

[MikeM670]

Well with a horizontal type tank and a glass top you can easily keep the humidity up. On my 55 Gallon tank which you can find a build article on I had to install some ventilation at the front portion of the top to keep the glass fog free. Just make sure your substrate is damp and mist and you should get much higher humidity levels.

[DonLisk]

Post a pic and maybe someone will notice something that might be lowering the humidity.
I mist three times for 16 seconds over a 24 hour peroid and keep above 90 percent.

If well planted, moist substrate, and covered to not allow the humidity to escape, something is keeping it down. Also, what humidity gauge are you using? Some are not really reliable and where are you checking humidity at... low, mid or high in the viv?

[frozensponge]

good questions. I use the ones that come with the exo terra glass cage. i put them fairly high above actually at one side of the glass. as those are the only ones that i have. and i use the lighting fixtures that covers one half of the top. the other half i use glass that i got from local hardware store to cover. maybe i should get rid of the top parts and just cover it with glass? what do you guys think? i will post some pictures as soon as i can. thanks!

[DonLisk]

Mine are covered and have the light above the glass. How are your temps? I have to raise my lights an inch off the tank to allow cooling of the bulbs. Your lights are probably burning off the humidity so try covering all but about 1 to 2 inches.

[frozensponge]

my temps seems pretty good. i put the thermometer high on top and it seems to be at the range of over 70 and less than 80. maybe about 75 plus minus 3 degrees. i will try to put glass to cover all of the top and maybe get a temp gun instead. In anycase, i just realised i have a digital thermo/hygrometer with probes. and i put them at the floor of the cage and suddenyl realised that the humidity level shoot up to about 95%. i guess maybe the reason why i'm seeing about 80% humidity level is because my wall-mount exo terra hygrometer is up on top nearer to the top of the cage and therefore doesn't reflect the actual humidity level at the bottom of the cage. in anycase i think i will still buy another glass to fully cover the top and then put my light on top of the glass like Don has suggested. I will update again guys! thank you so much!

[wosborne]

To piggy back on this post - where should the humidity gauge be located. I have a tall tank and have the gauge at the top.

[bshmerlie]

I tend to put my guage at the level where my frogs spend most of their time. On the other hand you cant have to too close to plants or the substrate becuase the moisture can give you a false reading.