Help please!

[madseyden]

Hi!
I am in the process of setting up my first frog tank. I have a 18x12x12 exo terra terrarium. I am having problems with keeping the humidity constant. The frogs are not in yet as local reptile supplier had to order them in. I have a fog humidifier setup that comes on 3 times a day at 10 minutes each time. It goes up to 90% then down to 55% when humidifier goes off. I will have live plants going in when they arrive so that might help. What else can I do?

Mark.

[thadmy]

Well your humidity will decrease when the lights are on. But the first question is what kind of frogs do you plan on keeping in your tank?

What kind of lid is on your tank if I'm not mistaken those have a screen top, if so you could always cover a portion of the lid with plastic wrap.

[madseyden]

I am planning to have 2 American Green Tree Frogs. I did try covering with card but didn't work. I will try shrink wrap though, thanks.

[thadmy]

Check it at night see if it stays constant, you can use this as an indicator for what it is during the day

[DonLisk]

The live plants will help keep humidity and as Thaadmy stated, when the lights go out your humidity will rise. Lighting burns off humidity.
55 percent without any plants in the daytime is not bad if that is the daytime norm.

Keep in mind that any thin plastic wrap will melt if your lighting is too close and your using heat bulbs.
I picked up cheap shelving glass at a hardware store to cover the top 1/2 of my Exo-Terra.

[Crausse]

I had this same problem with my GTFs, so I added a hydro-ball drainage layer and a damp towel covering half the lid. Since them I am sitting at about 80% humidity at all times.

[GrifTheGreat]

If you have the money you can purchase a Zoo Med Hygrotherm temp/humidity control unit that will turn your fogger on every time the humidity drops below your set %. It will also control up to 1000 watts of equipment if necissary. Has a photo sensor to switch over to night setting when its dark (note- household lights will switch it back to day settings) it also can control cooling fans if the temp rises past your set temp. I have this unit and it works quite well.

Don is right. If you use plastic wrap don't place the lamp over the plastic or it will melt or worse catch fire.

[madseyden]

I don't need a lamp as I have adequate lighting and have heat mat on the side of the tank.

[madseyden]

I covered part of the viv with shrink wrap and it got to warm and the humidity when through the roof. I have taken it off now. Plants arrived this morning and put them in and have ordered an intermittent timer for humidifier. At the moment the temp is 23.4 and humidity is at 66% which is fine. Although is does drop still after humidifier goes off but the intermittent timer should help that as it has 1 minutes intervals, thanks all. ;0)