# Rainbow boa humidity?



## jaywolves90 (Jun 21, 2010)

Does anyone have any ideas how to increase the humidity in a 5x2x2foot brazilian rainbow boa enclosure?

I do the daily misting using a handheld mister but its not long until its all dri3d up again and humidity not where it should be.

Thanks


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## lockas (Sep 29, 2021)

Need more details. What type of enclosure is it? What kind of substrate are you using? How deep is the substrate? What kind of heating are you using?


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Moisture capacity or relative humidity is inversely proportional to temperature.
If you lower the temp, then the rH can increase/raise the temp and the rH will decrease.
What also matters is air exchange, and the rH in the room housing the viv.
Some types of heat/lighting can drive moisture away.
If you have a screen top, it won’t retain the humidity (or warmth).
A wooden viv (unsealed), may also suck moisture from the air.

A large water bowl might help with rH
Have you got moist hides? If humidity in the hides is good, and you have a nighttime drop in temp, once the lights are off and/or the stat has a lower working temp for nighttime, you might discover the humidity is at ok levels when the boa is out and active?

but rather than speculate further, you could share more details on your setup to help others troubleshoot your issue


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## jaywolves90 (Jun 21, 2010)

Thanks for the replies. Its a wooden (sealed) vivarium with a ceramic heat bulb. Bark chippings as substrate.

I do have a large water bowl on the cool end and mist daily but even now the humidity is only showing as around 65-70%


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Has been stated many times that ceramics tend to drive away moisture, so I assume there is merit in this opinion.

I use Arcadia deep heat projectors in my rainbow vivs. I have heard that halogens are better for day time heat, but only experimented with corns so far. I can’t currently switch off nighttime heat for the rainbows as some parts of the house get too cold some times of the year.

You could try a mixed substrate of ’orchid’ bark chips, coco husk and sphagnum moss as opposed to just bark chippings. I’d try to avoid it getting too dusty, but providing it stays moist, that shouldn’t become a problem.


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

jaywolves90 said:


> Thanks for the replies. Its a wooden (sealed) vivarium with a ceramic heat bulb. Bark chippings as substrate.
> 
> I do have a large water bowl on the cool end and mist daily but even now the humidity is only showing as around 65-70%


How are you measuring the relative humidity?


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## jaywolves90 (Jun 21, 2010)

Oh i might try the Arcadia deep heat bulbs. I have never used these before, would an 80w on a stat be enough to heat the one side of a 5 foot enclosure?

Thats exactly what ive done, mixed some moss into it.

Im using a digital hygrometer


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## LiasisUK (Sep 30, 2019)

Your humidity level sounds fine. If you are worried add a humid hide


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## tizzy0462 (Jan 19, 2021)

jaywolves90 said:


> Oh i might try the Arcadia deep heat bulbs. I have never used these before, would an 80w on a stat be enough to heat the one side of a 5 foot enclosure?
> 
> Thats exactly what ive done, mixed some moss into it.
> 
> Im using a digital hygrometer


Hi you better getting 100w than 80w as 100 on half power is better than running 80w nearly on full power, if you need more heat, you need good thermostat as well, all my gear comes from arcadia, I've a python n columbian rainbow boa n there gear is perfect


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

tizzy0462 said:


> Hi you better getting 100w than 80w as 100 on half power is better than running 80w nearly on full power, if you need more heat, you need good thermostat as well, all my gear comes from arcadia, I've a python n columbian rainbow boa n there gear is perfect


I’ve only seen 80w and 50w bulbs from Arcadia, for deep heat projectors.
I did end up installing 2x 80w DHP in a 5x2x2 plastic viv (because the temps weren’t holding, during a cold spell a year or 2 ago).


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