Re-homing in London Ontario

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Hi,
I recently acquired (what I think is about a 2 year old, he is 16") dragon from an auction in which he was living in an awful environment. He was in an uncleaned small cricket keeper that was covered in poop both inside and on the top. I was planning to keep him as a pet but it has been so hot and humid here that I cannot maintain ideal humidity conditions for him. I live in an apartment building but because of where it is located (I'm on the top floor) it's too humid and if I run a dehumidifier it will get too hot where he is located, and if I run my portable AC unit it will draw humidity in from the outside and from the rest of the building. I can't run both at the same time either because it will blow a fuse (already blew two). I've sealed off my window and if I keep my door closed I can get the humidity down to 45% but at night when the heat lights go off it goes up to 55%. I'm using an Eva-Dry 330 reusable dehumidifier in his tank as well but I'm not sure if it's really doing anything at all. I can keep the AC running but it's starting to give off a bad smell (mold I'm thinking) and it's so loud I can't/don't want to sleep in the room. The weather will cool in a few weeks so the humidity situation will be under control by then (I hope) but I am worried about next summer since my lease expires August 2016.

This whole situation has had me really frustrated and stressed out. I am doing everything I can to make sure he is happy and healthy but it's taking a toll on my life and my health as a result. I want him to survive and be healthy especially after the conditions he was in before I'm just frustrated that I'm running into these issues and nothing that I'm doing seems to even be working. I haven't slept for more than 3 hours a night because I am constantly getting up to check on him.

I am looking to re-home my dragon to someone within or around the area of London, Ontario, or if someone knows where I can find a nice home for him in the area please let me know. I want to him safe and happy as soon as possible.
 

CooperDragon

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The situation may not be as severe as you think. How are you measuring humidity levels? Humidity under 60% is fine. It gets very humid here in the summer as well and I haven't run into any issues just keeping the tank at room humidity with a small fan circulating air around the enclosure. It sounds like you have him in much better shape than he was in before for sure.
 

Beardoceaso

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I am using a National Geographic Digital Thermo-Hygrometer http://www.petsmart.com/reptile/hum...mo-hygrometer-zid36-27796/cat-36-catid-500012 with the probe near the warmer side of the tank (it was originally in the middle) about 2 inches off the ground. I have an IR temperature gun for the temps as well. The hygrometer has an error of +/- 5% which is a big difference.

I've always read that humidity should be between 20 - 40%. At the most it'll get upwards of 58% at night but it drops once the heat lights turn on. I'm just really stressed because I don't want him to get a respiratory infection but I can't control the humidity. I can leave him as is (if I shut off the AC humidity will probably be in the 50 - 60% range all day but I haven't tried it yet). In the next few weeks the weather will be better I'm just concerned for next summer since I might have to stay in this building again.
 

CooperDragon

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That may not be the most accurate hygrometer around so I'd take it's readings with a grain of salt. You may want to calibrate the hygrometer using some moist salt in a cap zipped up in a bag with the probe of your hygrometer. After 6 hrs or so it should read 75%. That will tell you how accurate your hygrometer readings are. I wouldn't worry too much about the humidity alone unless it feels very humid in the house to you or if condensation forms on the glass etc.
 

Beardoceaso

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Okay I will do that. If it doesn't reach 75% what does that mean? Also should I use large rock salt or will table salt work. As long as the humidity isn't constantly +60% can they survive for a couple of months without need for concern? He is an adult and not a baby after all. And there isn't any condensation on the glass in the apartment or tank at all, and I survived all summer without AC and just a fan on me.
 

CooperDragon

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They're pretty tough and adaptable. I think he'll be fine with the humidity if it's OK for you with just fans going. You can use regular table salt. Just fill a pop cap and then drop a little water on it to wet it without dissolving it and put that in a ziploc with the probe. It *should* read 75% after 6 hrs or so. If it reads 80, then it's reading 5% high. If it reads 70, then it's 5% low etc. With an analog hygrometer you can then adjust it, but I don't know that there's a way to adjust a digital one. You'll just have to remember how far off it is.
 

CooperDragon

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calibrate_hygrometer_final.jpg
 

Beardoceaso

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Okay I will calibrate it. I guess it's not as bad of a situation as I had thought, I'll probably keep him then :).
 
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