What are the best ways to help maintain a decent humidity level?
As of right now I have a 12x12x18 Exo-Terra Terrarium. I spray it a couple of times a day, but overnight it drops down to near zero! That's scary to me, considering they are WTF's, and all the stuff I have read about how important it is to maintain good humidity. I have covered half of the screen on top and added more moss, and give it a good spray right before bed in the hopes it would hold it over until I got up in the morning. This is only about 8 hours, sometimes less. At night I also keep an infared heat lamp on, but it is very low wattage and its just to maintain the temps in the terrarium.
Any ideas what might be causing the huge drop in humidity overnight and any ideas how to maintain good humidity through the night?
The Exo-terra have a large screen top and they are very good at ventilation.
This will speedup evaporation of moisture.
What are you using to control the heat in the exo-terra.
I took the top with me to the home improvement store and had them cut 1/8in thick glass to cover the screened areas.
then I used a 100grit sandpaper wet and lightly sanded the edges of the glass so they wouldn't be razor sharp.
That sopped the heat and humidity loss and allowed the light to pass.
But if your are using a heat lamp on top or a ceramic heat emitter this will block most of the heat.
Take a picture of your enclosure and post it and give details of your heating system.
Others have used aluminum foil to help keep in the heat and moisture.
White's do fine in 50-65% humidity but near zero is extreme. Possible cause for that night reading would be a bad hygrometer (if analog get a digital one) or a very dry cold room in combo with a high wattage heat lamp. If readings are accurate; then only options are to either move enclosure to a warmer room or get a heat pad or heat tape applied to the side of the enclosure and reduce the heat lamp output. If all above fails, you could get a small personal humidifier at BB&B and control it with a Hygrotherm; but make sure humidity stays below 65%. Good luck!
Remember to take care of the enclosure and it will take care of your frog!
Have you tried coving 1/2 of th top. During dry times I cover part of the top with a wet towel and just spray it down when it dries out. Also I agree with Carlos on the digital hygrometer, I had that issue with my AGTF viv, made a world of difference.
Rest in peace Rosie 5-31-12
Rest in peace Rufus 2-7-14
Rest in peace Morph 8-14-15
A near zero humidity level is almost absurd. I've lived in the middle-east for almost half my life and the humidity level in Bahrain, Iran and Oman rarely drops 20% in the winter months.
Most common practices for conserving humidity include reducing vent holes, putting water dishes inside, covering the tank top with moist towels, using a good moisture holding substrate, putting live plants in, making a false bottom setup or setting up an automatic fogger/mister/humidifier.
Frogs utilize oxygen absorption more via their skin anyways and won't hurt if you cover your tank top fully over the course of the night to conserve humidity
I use a low watt infrared light at night, only 25W, and a medium heating pad that was meant to heat 10-20 Gallon aquarium. The combo of thee two has kept my temp right where it needs to be. I also keep half the top covered with plastic wrap. I had attached two pics. One of the top and one of the heating pad on the bottom left front of the terrarium.
During the day I use a 5.0 UVB light, purely to keep a day/night cycle going for them and to maintain temp. I know, they don't benefit any from the UVB, but I use it purely for the things I mentioned. The temp stays where its supposed to during the day, and it gets sprayed 2-3 times during the day.
I do currently use an analog one, but I will for sure get a digital one to see if that is part of the problem. As for location, I live in a one bedroom highrise apartment, so there is only really one place to put them. They are on the far side of the room away from any vents for the heat/air.
You might want to look into getting a zoomed reptifogger and a hygrotherm HT-10 controller
It will keep your RH% and temp on the set points and even do a automatic night time temp drop.
I forgot to attach the pictures. I just misted, thats why there is condensation on the sides in that heat mat pic.
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