Humidity issues

[RachelLane95]

So im having a major humidity issue in my panther chameleons viv! No matter what i do i cannot get the humidity to spike anywhere near 80-85% id be lucky if i could get 40%. I keep him in a fully screen enclosure as was always advised thats whats best for them! In the summer it wasnt as bad i could get it to 50% but still not high enough but no its winter i cant even get it to 40% it sits at around 20% throughout the day and he is sprayed 3-4 times a day its getting so bad that my viv is now leaking due to excess water! Im fully out of ideas! Ive covered 4 sides now and used warm water and nothing makes a difference! I have a huge pothos plant in there as well and a running fountain to help! Anyone have any suggestions i just keep getting told they only need spikes in humidity which i know! But i cant even create that! Thanks in advance

 

[TreyLcham]

How did u cover the 4side? I use the thin plastic liner material used when painting so that you don't get any paint on the floor. It's clear and keeps the humidity lol up about 15to 30% more. Mine stays at around 40% and I feel that is an ideal humidity but it gets to around 60to70 when misting and stays there for about 15min after mist but I must about 5 times a day on timer

 

[TreyLcham]

Also adding a denser larger plant will help

 

[RachelLane95]

I used bubble wrap to cover the sides so i may try a plastic cover instead! I just never get it to spike anywhere near high enough and when it gets to 40 it will drop straight away! The pothos i have in therw is huge and takes over the entire viv but thinking of getting some smaller ones to cover the floor area

 

[jajeanpierre]

So im having a major humidity issue in my panther chameleons viv! No matter what i do i cannot get the humidity to spike anywhere near 80-85% id be lucky if i could get 40%. I keep him in a fully screen enclosure as was always advised thats whats best for them! In the summer it wasnt as bad i could get it to 50% but still not high enough but no its winter i cant even get it to 40% it sits at around 20% throughout the day and he is sprayed 3-4 times a day its getting so bad that my viv is now leaking due to excess water! Im fully out of ideas! Ive covered 4 sides now and used warm water and nothing makes a difference! I have a huge pothos plant in there as well and a running fountain to help! Anyone have any suggestions i just keep getting told they only need spikes in humidity which i know! But i cant even create that! Thanks in advance

Are you sure your humidity gauge is accurate?

 

[RachelLane95]

As far as im aware? Its a digital one that measures the temp in the basking spot and humidity but to make sure il grab another one tomorrow and test it!

 

[ChamDE86]

Could you possibly post a photo of your enclosure setup, Rachel?

 

[RachelLane95]

Yeah sure the lights are off in the picture as its the best i have but he uv tube is on the inside of the viv and then the heat dome in the top corner

 

[Carlton]

As far as im aware? Its a digital one that measures the temp in the basking spot and humidity but to make sure il grab another one tomorrow and test it!

Another thing to try is move the humidity gage to different areas of the cage. Your cage doesn't need to stay at the same humidity level all over (and this may be part of the problem). If the gage is close to the lights the humidity measurement will drop faster due to drying. If the gage is put somewhere in the middle of foliage it will probably stabilize at a higher level for a longer time. If your cham can choose to retreat to a more humid area of the cage when it needs to that is what you want.

FWIW, I don't think fountains raise the cage humidity level very much. Now using an ultrasonic fogger may help quite a bit. If you can find an ultrasonic room humidifier, place it somewhere near the top of the cage so the fog can pour down inside it, and control its cycles with a timer, it can help maintain a higher humidity level between misting periods. This won't create more flooding as the droplets are very fine, but can help bridge the gap between misting you already do. Might make the difference especially in our dry cold winters.

 

[RachelLane95]

Am gunna buy another humidity gauge today and have it in another area to compare the two! The gague currently is on the side that has less spraying as it has less foliage so that could explain it! Will also look for a humidifier! Thanks so much for your help

 

[ChameLIonLover]

It has been frigid this week here and I have also struggled. I make sure to keep all the doors closed in my room, which is where my cham is almost at. Even with a pretty nice humidifer, and mist king, I struggle to keep the humidity livable (humidity of 40 and up).

I found in order for the humidity to stay up, I have the mistking running about 30 minutes in total this week. It has helped, but it does use quite a bit of water (maybe close to 2 gallons?)

 

[Carlton]

It has been frigid this week here and I have also struggled. I make sure to keep all the doors closed in my room, which is where my cham is almost at. Even with a pretty nice humidifer, and mist king, I struggle to keep the humidity livable (humidity of 40 and up).

I found in order for the humidity to stay up, I have the mistking running about 30 minutes in total this week. It has helped, but it does use quite a bit of water (maybe close to 2 gallons?)

That's one of many reasons I like adding an ultrasonic humidifier to the mix. It can raise the cage humidity very well without using (or creating) as much water as your Mistking. Of course the intention isn't to replace misting, but to keep the cage from getting TOO dry between your misting cycles. Set it on a timer to fog once or twice between your misting cycles (again, trial and error to figure out how often you need it).

 

[ChameLIonLover]

I think that is what I have. It's an IDYLIS ultrasonic humidifier that goes directly into the side of the cage. It helps greatly, but I still need the mist king or have to use a spray bottle. Despite the great amount of water that gets misted onto my pothos and hisbicus plant, they are doing quite well. The hibiscus being constantly wet at the base has caused some problems however.

 

[RachelLane95]

Thanks guys! I bought another live plant and a new hygrometer today to try out to see if that helps if not humidifier it is!

 

[mvad]

Thanks guys! I bought another live plant and a new hygrometer today to try out to see if that helps if not humidifier it is!

I have three humidity gauges in my enclosure and they all read 1-2% difference from each other. It's probably overkill, but oh well.

 

[RachelLane95]

The new plant and hygrometer is now in at the opposite end to the other and its reading 80% after spraying i made sure the probe stayed completly dry to not influence the reading but im soo happy it worked! Thanks so much for your help guys!