# Struggling to keep humidity up in new vivarium



## stuartleitch (Jan 17, 2015)

Hi,

I've recently bought a vivarium, and am planning on getting a Crested Gecko to look after with my wee boy, who's super excited. We're struggling to keep the humidity up. I'm soaking the vivarium twice a day (about 300ml each time) which brings humidity up to about 75 - 80% but within 3-4 hours humidity is down to around 15%.

Firstly, is such a wide cycle harmful for a crestie, would the low humidity be uncomfortable for him?

Secondly, how can I keep the humidity level up?

Some details:
- Viv is an exo-terra 45x45x60
- Substrate is coco-bark
- Exo-terra combometer
- exo-terra canopy with repti-glo bulbs
- heating is via a ceramic heater (150W) attached to a microclimate B2ME stat.

The canopy covers half the mesh. I've covered half of the other half with a plastic chopping board to try and prevent heat / moisture escaping.

Temperature is nice and stable, going from 20 - 29 deg C.

Help, please! (Too little water is a very rare problem in Scotland!)

Stuart


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

ceramic heater + mesh = low humidity

recommend you completely cover the top so it is sealed, and use a heat mat, or first try using a heat mat instead of the ceramic, might be enough to keep the humidity stable, if not, cover the mesh completly

cresties don't need allot of heat, 20-26C is about the max they generally need, and that can drop down further at night


yes you want the humidity to stay reasonably stable


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

Your temperature seems a little on the hot end (at 29C). I keep mine between 22-24C in the day, and 18-20C at night and I know plenty of breeders who keep a couple of C cooler than me. Cresties do not cope well with overheating.

I think a 150W ceramic, even on a thermostat, is going to produce too much direct heat for an exo terra, resulting in it drying up quickly. Considering the UK humidity is usually between 40-60% depending on the time of year and location, dropping down to 15% is very extreme and definitely suggests way too much direct heat drying everything out.

I personally use LED lighting for my cresties and an 11W heat mat. 11watts of gentle radiating heat compared to 150w of direct penetrating heat. You definitely don't need a canopy with repti glo bulbs in it AND the 150w ceramic.

You could also try live plants, as this keeps the humidity naturally increased... but I'd recommend ditching the ceramic for that size enclosure. If your canopy isn't producing enough heat, consider a heat mat.


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## stuartleitch (Jan 17, 2015)

Yeah, I suppose I've over-specced / over engineered it a bit!

I've switched the ceramic off, and will monitor temperatures / humidities for a bit. Room temp is 16C just now, which I think is to cold (esp for day time).

The canopy has two repti-glo strips in it (2% & 5%), and a halogen basking spotlight. The spot has been off, but I'll maybe put it on during the day to keep temperatures up.

I'll get a cover for the other half of the mesh today. Am I silly to worry about ventilation? exo-terra has the small vent holes below the door.

If that proves to be stable, then I might put the ceramic back on but set at 18C or so to prevent it getting too cold in there. Do you think that makes sense?

I'm planning on switching to natural / planted substrate, once we've mastered the basics!


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## clumsyoaf (Oct 23, 2012)

I wouldn't want to totally cover the top, but that is me! If you do the substrate and make it bioactive (add springtails and woodlice to be your crestie clean up crew) now, then you can get that going and established before you add your crestie, and it will be less of a change for him! As others have said this will also help with your humidity issues (along side ditching the ceramic) 

The reptiglows and spotlight should provide adequate heating/lighting for your little one


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## stuartleitch (Jan 17, 2015)

Thanks for all your responses, the help is hugely appreciated.

Turns out the humidity reading on the exo terra combometer was way low! Even with the ceramic off I was seeing 12c. In Scotland. In winter! 

I bought a swell fogger, and a lucky reptile humidity pro, which I probably don't need, but an happy to have.

Thanks again,

S


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