# Royal Humidity



## juulwhyu (11 mo ago)

I've had humidity issues in my Royal's enclosure for some time now. I'm aware there is a thousand posts like this, I've tried a few solutions which I'll mention shortly which haven't worked for me so I thought I might as well try a thread of my own. 

My female sub-adult Royal Python is in a 30"x12"x16" glass vivarium, she's a year old and she is able to stretch out completely without touching either side the the enclosure. For heating,_ I use a_ _CHE and a heat mat on the underside of the enclosure_. On the warm side, I keep temps at *90F(32C)* while on the cool side I keep temp at *78-85F(25-29C)*. I have a hide on both sides with a water dish in the middle. For lighting, I use a_ "Zoo Med Reptisun T5-Ho Terrarium Hood"_ and place it over the cool side - I'll note this light does generate some heat but nothing to make any significant changes. I use coco fiber for substrate and have sphagnum moss mixed in, I keep the water dish full at all times. 

That said, my humidity on the warm side is usually *25-30%* & the cool side sitting around *35-40%* (I use a digital hydrometer & thermometer), from what I've read, royals should be at 50-60%. I tried misting a few times a week, to once a day, to even twice a day, the water evaporates within an hour and only keeps the humidity raised for a short period of time. I do know CHE's strip humidity from the air, I experimented turning it off for a day to see how it'd go - the temperature dropped over 20 degrees (F) on both sides. I am, however, quite fond of the heating emitter as it generates no light and keeps the tank at adequate temperatures at all hours, and yes both the mat and CHE are controlled by a thermostat, I'm yet to have any temperature problems. 

I've attached some images of my setup, if you have any critiques or suggestions please add what you can, I want what's best for my animal. 

Thank you.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Do you live in a dry part of the US ? If the humidity in the room where the enclosure is set can have a part to play in the levels in the enclosure. The other aspect is that its essentially an open glass tank, so heat retention will be poor, but other than buying or making a new enclosure adding some form of insulation such as styrene to the sides and back may help with that. Other than that, if the ambient environment is dry then spraying the substrate is the only way to increase humidity. If this becomes an issue then maybe a Royal python was the wrong choice of snake. 20-30% is quite low for a Royal.


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## Spades (3 mo ago)

Deep, humidity-holding substrate is almost always the best solution to humidity issues. You can try thickening the substrate (a few inches is usually a good starting point, but you may need more or less depending where you live). Since you have a mesh top, you'll be leaking a lot of humidity there so covering the top with HVAC tape around the heating & lighting elements will help stop such a rapid drop. Long-term, an enclosure with better humidity retention like a PVC vivarium would be a good idea.

You'll need to regularly rehydrate the substrate by mixing in a cup or two of water once it starts getting too dry in there. Make sure it is well absorbed however as standing water is prone to bacterial growth which can lead to health problems. Misting is a very short-term solution and doesn't take advantage of humidity-retaining substrate - it just sits on the surface and quickly evaporates whereas rehydrating the substrate creates a slow release effect that keeps the humidity up for longer.

50-60% is generally considered a bit too low for Royals now as well. Mine is kept at 70%+ and many keepers agree that 65% is a good baseline minimum with drops to as low as 55% being acceptable in line with their natural range. Much of their native range sits well into the 70-80% range for the majority of the year.


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## murrindindi (Feb 19, 2009)

To the OP: Hi, the reason you cannot stabilise the humidity is because of the screen top, I agree with the member advising you cover that as completely as possible, kitchen foil will work for now.
It should also be mentioned that a CHE will dry the air out to a greater degree.


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## Malum Argenteum (5 mo ago)

Covering the top screen enough that RH is maintained is the simplest fix for now. A piece of glass (tempered is safest) could be used to cover the side of the top with the fluorescent light (unless it is UVB, then you'll have to leave screen for the UV to penetrate, or not provide UV). That may help enough; if not then some more serious DIY might have to be done on the CHE side (a sheet of aluminum with a hole for the CHE would work, though engineering that might be tough). 

A substrate like coco chips ('Repti Chip') will hold and release water better than what you have now. Whatever you use, keep in mind that water will evaporate faster from warmer surfaces; use that knowledge to fine tune your misting.

For the snake's permanent adult enclosure, consider a PVC enclosure. They're far better than glass for a snake like a royal.


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## juulwhyu (11 mo ago)

Thanks for the replies. I'll try covering the mesh and see how that goes. Once she grows out a bit more I'll try a different enclosure. Also, I'm in the Northwest where it's cold and rains everyday, I just have central heating going 24/7 which I've heard takes some humidity out of the air.


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## Malum Argenteum (5 mo ago)

juulwhyu said:


> I just have central heating going 24/7 which I've heard takes some humidity out of the air.


Raising the temperature of air while doing nothing to the actual water content of that air (e.g. not running a compressor dehumidifier) lowers the *relative* humidity -- the humidity is relative to the temperature of the air. Also, the draw of combustion air to a heating appliance (old, non-sealed-combustion ones) can draw outside air into the building's envelope; inn some climates, this outside air has very little water in it, and so this replacement of moister inside air with drier outside air will serve to lower the RH of the inside air. 

But no heating source actually takes humidity out of the air. Minor, and possibly pedantic-looking, point -- but it helps to know what's actually going on when troubleshooting RH. Hope it helps.


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## Elly66 (Feb 27, 2021)

I'd also suggest setting up a wet moss box towards the warm end of the tank. 
I spray water onto logs, stones and artificial plants daily, rather than on the substrate (twice a day during shed). Don't use cold water, let it stand in air temp. I always keep a full spray bottle at hand near my viv. My water bowl is a large, ceramic dog bowl, which also helps. 

When you get a bigger "home" for your Royal, get a proper vivarium - if wood, make sure it's protected with melamine or similar. I wouldn't have anything smaller than 3ft x 2ft x 2ft.


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