Heat/Humidity Recommendations

[CalamityCrow]

Good evening all!

I recently moved to Albuquerque and have been struggIing to maintain a good heat/humidity level for my male panther, Boogie. He's about 4mos old and seems to be thriving, but I know his environment could be better.

I have a Dragon Strand hybrid 2x2x4 cage with all live plants (pothos, money tree, some other plant from the safe list I can't remember). He's eating tons of food every day, hasn't had any shed problems, poops/urates are great.

The problem is I've looked at his humidity and it's sometimes dipped into single-digit numbers. I have a Mistking system and I've added a couple misting sessions during the day. My question for that is: is that okay? Clearly the enclosure is going to dry out a couple hours after the mistings so I feel like that's probably all right, but boy, it DO BE DRY HERE. With a hybrid enclosure, what else can I do to keep humidity up?

On the same token, with swapping to heat in my house, his basking area keeps swapping between something in the high 70s, to as hot as 85. I don't wanna cook my little guy. I have a vent that's not SUPER close to the cage, but I think I'll put a cover on it and see if that helps. Otherwise, does anyone have any recommendations for temp-control systems?

Thanks!!

 

[elizaann2]

there should still be humidity pockets in the enclosure from the plants but holy cow single digits??? I can’t even imagine.
Can you add extra misting sessions during the day?

Are the temps lower in the morning and get higher during the day?

 

[CalamityCrow]

there should still be humidity pockets in the enclosure from the plants but holy cow single digits??? I can’t even imagine.
Can you add extra misting sessions during the day?

Are the temps lower in the morning and get higher during the day?

Yeah, SINGLE DIGITS. It hit 9% the other day (and I immediately misted for a couple minutes until it was back closer to 50%). I have the humidity reader (digital) about midway in height in the cage, fairly central. Albuquerque is at about 5k feet and is HIGH desert. I added a couple misting sessions during the day to my mistking program and am gonna monitor it and see if that helps. Lol I've never lived in an environment like this - it's definitely posing challenges! I moved here from central Ohio and did NOT have this issue.

As far as the temperature changes, I think it's more dependent on when my heater goes on/off. I think because it's so dry here it allows for that temperature swing to hit way faster than where I used to live. I'm hoping that covering the vent (or at least directing the heat away from the cage) will solve that problem.

 

[CalamityCrow]

Thinking about it... I have a computer fan to pull air up through the enclosure - is that something y'all think I need here since the enclosure is drying out juuuuust fine on its own?

 

[elizaann2]

Yeah, SINGLE DIGITS. It hit 9% the other day (and I immediately misted for a couple minutes until it was back closer to 50%). I have the humidity reader (digital) about midway in height in the cage, fairly central. Albuquerque is at about 5k feet and is HIGH desert. I added a couple misting sessions during the day to my mistking program and am gonna monitor it and see if that helps. Lol I've never lived in an environment like this - it's definitely posing challenges! I moved here from central Ohio and did NOT have this issue.

As far as the temperature changes, I think it's more dependent on when my heater goes on/off. I think because it's so dry here it allows for that temperature swing to hit way faster than where I used to live. I'm hoping that covering the vent (or at least directing the heat away from the cage) will solve that problem.

My goodness….9%??!?? That is unreal.

I also live in a dry state but I don’t think it’s that dry. This is what I do:

7:30 - mist for 2 minutes
8 lights turn on
3:00 install dripper
8:00 lights off
10:00 mist for 2 minutes
12-6 fog for 30 min off and on.

Do you have a fog machine?

 

[elizaann2]

Thinking about it... I have a computer fan to pull air up through the enclosure - is that something y'all think I need here since the enclosure is drying out juuuuust fine on its own?

lol I’d say it’s fine without the fan honestly. I only use a fan when the season changes here and it gets a bit more humid temporarily but the summer time- no fan is needed.

Honestly with hybrid enclosure I think you should be able to maintain what he needs we just need to figure out how to adjust your husbandry

 

[CalamityCrow]

My goodness….9%??!?? That is unreal.

I also live in a dry state but I don’t think it’s that dry. This is what I do:

7:30 - mist for 2 minutes
8 lights turn on
3:00 install dripper
8:00 lights off
10:00 mist for 2 minutes
12-6 fog for 30 min off and on.

Do you have a fog machine?

I do have a fog machine, I need to figure out how to program it - It seems to only have options that run all day instead of being able to program it for, say, 8ish hours overnight. I'm afraid I'd forget to turn it off.

Sadly, I am gone most of the day for work and DST ending has put a real crimp in seeing my cham while he's awake - I decided against changing his lighting times since DST is back in a few months. Because of that, I'm not home to set a dripper going midday. He IS drinking and hydrated enough - every urate I've seen has been pure white, and he's not shy at all about drinking (lol he's better at hydrating himself than I am, that's for sure).

lol I’d say it’s fine without the fan honestly. I only use a fan when the season changes here and it gets a bit more humid temporarily but the summer time- no fan is needed.

Honestly with hybrid enclosure I think you should be able to maintain what he needs we just need to figure out how to adjust your husbandry

Yeah, I'll take the fan off and see if that helps too. Maybe with teh combo of more mistings and less moving air (and covering that vent during the winter) will even things out for him.

 

[elizaann2]

My goodness….9%??!?? That is unreal.

I also live in a dry state but I don’t think it’s that dry. This is what I do:

7:30 - mist for 2 minutes
8 lights turn on
3:00 install dripper
8:00 lights off
10:00 mist for 2 minutes
12-6 fog for 30 min off and on.

Do you have a fog machine?

Also I’ll add that if it’s fairly dry I’ll mist closer to when the lights come on otherwise in those 30 min before lights come on the droplets tend to try out. I’ve even misted as close as 10 min before lights come on.

 

[elizaann2]

I do have a fog machine, I need to figure out how to program it - It seems to only have options that run all day instead of being able to program it for, say, 8ish hours overnight. I'm afraid I'd forget to turn it off.

Sadly, I am gone most of the day for work and DST ending has put a real crimp in seeing my cham while he's awake - I decided against changing his lighting times since DST is back in a few months. Because of that, I'm not home to set a dripper going midday. He IS drinking and hydrated enough - every urate I've seen has been pure white, and he's not shy at all about drinking (lol he's better at hydrating himself than I am, that's for sure).


Yeah, I'll take the fan off and see if that helps too. Maybe with teh combo of more mistings and less moving air (and covering that vent during the winter) will even things out for him.

What kind of fog machine do you have? I have one that programs too and I have it set to be on full blast and then it’s on a timer. The timer is set for 30 min on and off from 12-6.

Understood. I’m glad to hear he is hydrated. I forgot you have a mist system too so an extra session in the middle of the day would work just as good as a dripper.

 

[elizaann2]

Read through your original post again and you could also consider adding more plants. In my 2x2x4s I have a minimum of 10 plants in each enclosure. More plants will help keep the humidity up.

 

[CalamityCrow]

Yeah, I have a misting session (mistking) every 3ish hours at night, one RIGHT before lights on, one right before lights out, and repeat. I added two during the day - one around 10am and one around 3pm. Right now his lights go on/off around 5:30.

The fog machine I bought is this one. https://leaphabitats.com/products/programmable-fogging-system (I didn't read it far enough to see that while it's "programmable" it may not be ideal for what I'm going for).

Read through your original post again and you could also consider adding more plants. In my 2x2x4s I have a minimum of 10 plants in each enclosure. More plants will help keep the humidity up.

I'll have to see if I can squeeze more plants in. I have like 3 different pothos that have grown pretty darn huge (though the move really put a strain on one of them so it's working on coming back to full power), and the money tree and Other Plant have pretty much covered the bottom. I need to find some low profile pots to hang from the sides.

 

[elizaann2]

K switching to heat. Is your basking light on all day?

 

[CalamityCrow]

K switching to heat. Is your basking light on all day?

It is currently. Over the weekend the temperature jumped around like crazy. I have some leftovers from the dreaded "chameleon kit" so I use the double hood fixture for his heat. I have two bulbs in there and usually only use one. I've seen that one light go from ~76 to 85 depending on what my house is doing. I think I either need to get a thermometer-attached heat regulator (preferably programmable), AND deal with this vent situation. IT's a good 6ish feet from the cage but I suspect it's directing warm air right at it. Simplest answer would be to block it off, and I have an amazon order for a vent cover in right now.

For what it's worth, at night, I get temps that drop into the low 60s (~60-64... I like to sleep cold!) so I think fogging is going to be a useful thing for me.

 

[elizaann2]

Yeah, I have a misting session (mistking) every 3ish hours at night, one RIGHT before lights on, one right before lights out, and repeat. I added two during the day - one around 10am and one around 3pm. Right now his lights go on/off around 5:30.

The fog machine I bought is this one. https://leaphabitats.com/products/programmable-fogging-system (I didn't read it far enough to see that while it's "programmable" it may not be ideal for what I'm going for).

I'll have to see if I can squeeze more plants in. I have like 3 different pothos that have grown pretty darn huge (though the move really put a strain on one of them so it's working on coming back to full power), and the money tree and Other Plant have pretty much covered the bottom. I need to find some low profile pots to hang from the sides.

I do wonder if the the fog machine will help. I feel like my humidity levels are a lot lower the next day if I don’t fog.

Sorry I keep asking questions you have already answered. My brain is not processing right now I guess …

I have one that looks just like that from Amazon. I bet it will work with a countdown timer as well.

Oh got it. I read it that you maybe only had 3 plants in total. You could water the ones that are dry and can take more water. I do that too sometime when my humidity is lower

 

[CalamityCrow]

I do wonder if the the fog machine will help. I feel like my humidity levels are a lot lower the next day if I don’t fog.

Sorry I keep asking questions you have already answered. My brain is not processing right now I guess …

I have one that looks just like that from Amazon. I bet it will work with a countdown timer as well.

Oh got it. I read it that you maybe only had 3 plants in total. You could water the ones that are dry and can take more water. I do that too sometime when my humidity is lower

Hahha no worries! My brain/reading comprehension drops after like 5pm... I burn it all at work. Thanks for being so responsive! I'll do some more plant watering... Certainly can't hurt! Thank you <3

 

[CalamityCrow]

Oh, it's a 60W incandescent bulb, btw.

 

[elizaann2]

It is currently. Over the weekend the temperature jumped around like crazy. I have some leftovers from the dreaded "chameleon kit" so I use the double hood fixture for his heat. I have two bulbs in there and usually only use one. I've seen that one light go from ~76 to 85 depending on what my house is doing. I think I either need to get a thermometer-attached heat regulator (preferably programmable), AND deal with this vent situation. IT's a good 6ish feet from the cage but I suspect it's directing warm air right at it. Simplest answer would be to block it off, and I have an amazon order for a vent cover in right now.

For what it's worth, at night, I get temps that drop into the low 60s (~60-64... I like to sleep cold!) so I think fogging is going to be a useful thing for me.

Ya you are dealing with a similar issue that I am. @Beman has a really cool temp regulator that she uses and it seems to work well for her.

I want to get some but I have 3 enclosures and counting and I’m trying to find another way I can maintain my temps if possible since I work from home and all my enclosures are not in the same rooms.

I’d set your basking light to not be on all day for starters, heat will kill a reptile quicker than cold will. You could close off the vent too and see how that goes.

do you have WiFi plugs and sensors? Those are nice because if things need to be adjusted you can do it from your phone anywhere you are.

 

[elizaann2]

Hahha no worries! My brain/reading comprehension drops after like 5pm... I burn it all at work. Thanks for being so responsive! I'll do some more plant watering... Certainly can't hurt! Thank you <3

You are very welcome! Let me know how those adjustments work for you and we can keep problem solving!

 

[CalamityCrow]

Ya you are dealing with a similar issue that I am. @Beman has a really cool temp regulator that she uses and it seems to work well for her.

I want to get some but I have 3 enclosures and counting and I’m trying to find another way I can maintain my temps if possible since I work from home and all my enclosures are not in the same rooms.

I’d set your basking light to not be on all day for starters, heat will kill a reptile quicker than cold will. You could close off the vent too and see how that goes.

do you have WiFi plugs and sensors? Those are nice because if things need to be adjusted you can do it from your phone anywhere you are.

Haha call me a luddite but I will NOT wifi-up my home via plugs/sensors/Alexa/Google/whatever. There are gobs of digital security risks there and it's been beat into my brain from my workplace that that stuff is far too risky for what benefits they may present. Where I work is somewhere I can't have my phone, so I only have intermittent access to it while I'm working anyway, so long story short, that's probably not an ideal solution for me (as very nice as it would be to have .

I'll keep eyes out for Beman's temp regulator suggestion. I think that's probably gonna be best for me - I do NOT want to overcook anyone! And for my guy being so young, I'm happy to err on the side of "maybe too cool" than trusting him to MOVE OVER if it's too warm.

 

[regal81455]

Here's the pid I'm using along with either a mech timer or smart plug. It doesn't forget your setpoint and proportional dimming. Not expensive like the herpestat. Has functioned great for me. Worth considering.

https://www.amazon.com/REPTIZOO-The...517FT&psc=1&ref_=pd_bap_m_grid_dv_rp_0_1_ec_t