Different humidity on basking and cool side. Help please !

Kellyjc

Member
Beardie name(s)
Zeni
So, I’m a new member and we recently got a beardie, it’s name it’s Zenitsu (Zeni for short). We got it on Sunday and the first day, everything was fine in the tank but today the humidity in it’s tank has been going up and down. It’s 11:06pm, it’s lights are off and on the side where Zeni basks, the humidity it’s at 70% but on the cooler side it’s at 40%. During the day they’re both at 40% and that’s cause I did the rice in a sock trick to keep it stable. I’m worried that because we don’t have a precise reading, it might be actually humid in there for Zeni. Can someone help? I’m scared of the health issues that can come with the high humidity in its tank.

More background
Zeni is still a baby, probably around 3 months
We bought the 40 gallon tank that came with everything from the brand ZooMed.
We have sand substrate but I will be cleaning it all out completely tomorrow morning (I don’t feed him in the tank, I take Zeni out and feed him crickets in a separate smaller tank)
It’s been eating crickets and drinking water and it has pooped yesterday and today completely normal.
The first thermometer/hygrometer came with the purchase of the tank, we bought a second one.
The lighting also came in the tank purchase, we have the reptisun UVB 10.0 and the basking light 100w
Do let me know if I should change some things

Thanks for the help and advice in advance. ❤️
 

RangoRocky

Juvie Member
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Rango Rocky Balboa
What substrate are you switching to? Just a suggestion but this is what I have
B77CD45A-0B72-441F-8301-76AA52FF6D50.jpg
79D41944-A77F-4D20-92A7-4555272793B6.jpeg


I also recommend these zoo med thermometer https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Digital-Thermometer-Humidity/dp/B07D4DF4K8. For the humidity you can try this this what I brought https://www.amazon.com/Improved-Eva-dry-333-Renewable-Dehumidifier/dp/B000H0XFCS

If you have the coil light the comes with the kit that also need to be switched out.
 

Kellyjc

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Zeni
What substrate are you switching to? Just a suggestion but this is what I have View attachment 72038 View attachment 72037

I also recommend these zoo med thermometer https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Digital-Thermometer-Humidity/dp/B07D4DF4K8. For the humidity you can try this this what I brought https://www.amazon.com/Improved-Eva-dry-333-Renewable-Dehumidifier/dp/B000H0XFCS

If you have the coil light the comes with the kit that also need to be switched out.
We’re thinking of using vinyl! And yes, I’ve seen that the coil light is not a good option. I’ll probably be switching it to a tube UBV one. Thank you for the links ! 😊
 

xp29

BD.org Addict
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Zen , Ruby ,Snicker Doodles, Sweet Pea, Sinatra
Also if the hydrometer your using is the little dail type that comes with the tank, they are highly inaccurate. The better option for humidity and temp both are the digital probe types. I nearly drove myself bonkers with my first dragon before i figured it out.
 

Lobretto

Hatchling Member
Beardie name(s)
Verstappen and Checo
So, I’m a new member and we recently got a beardie, it’s name it’s Zenitsu (Zeni for short). We got it on Sunday and the first day, everything was fine in the tank but today the humidity in it’s tank has been going up and down. It’s 11:06pm, it’s lights are off and on the side where Zeni basks, the humidity it’s at 70% but on the cooler side it’s at 40%. During the day they’re both at 40% and that’s cause I did the rice in a sock trick to keep it stable. I’m worried that because we don’t have a precise reading, it might be actually humid in there for Zeni. Can someone help? I’m scared of the health issues that can come with the high humidity in its tank.

More background
Zeni is still a baby, probably around 3 months
We bought the 40 gallon tank that came with everything from the brand ZooMed.
We have sand substrate but I will be cleaning it all out completely tomorrow morning (I don’t feed him in the tank, I take Zeni out and feed him crickets in a separate smaller tank)
It’s been eating crickets and drinking water and it has pooped yesterday and today completely normal.
The first thermometer/hygrometer came with the purchase of the tank, we bought a second one.
The lighting also came in the tank purchase, we have the reptisun UVB 10.0 and the basking light 100w
Do let me know if I should change some things

Thanks for the help and advice in advance. ❤️
First you need to understand humidity. Humidity is relative to the tempature. 40% humidity on the cool side has far less water then then then the 40% on the hot side. As air warms it expands and it's water carrying capabilites increase. What your seeing is completely normal. As the basking area cools it can no longer hold as much water. This means that as that air cools the humidity rises until we reach the dew point where the humidity drops out of the air into droplets of water on cool surfaces. Basically what you are experiencing is the natural process of humidity in fluctuating temperatures. This explains why you get a rise at night but not the variation between one end and the other. Do you have 2 hydrometers, one on each side? Are they they analog stick to the side type or digital probes? I'm guessing you have two of the stick on analog hydrometer which are highly inaccurate. If you have a digital hydrometer use that if you don't, go get one.
 
Last edited:

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Please get your UVB changed out as soon as possible - you can check Pet Smart if you have one for this one
Arcadia ProT5 12% UVB Bulb With Hood you want the 12% bulb 24 watt
or you can look at this one - its good for a 40 + gallon tank Zoo Med ReptiSun T5 HO Hood if your using a small tank like a 20 gallon tank the bulb that comes w/ the fixture can be used till the tank is upgraded then you need to get this bulb 22" Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB T5 HO
Please let me know when you get the UVB I will help you place it in the tank ---
please get a digital probe hygrometer optimal humidity in the tank is 40-50% nothing under 20 and over 70% - please place the hygrometer in the center back wall of your tank -
https://dubiaroaches.com/products/exo-terra-digital-hygrometer?_pos=1&_sid=ac857912b&_ss=r
if you have any more questions please ask
 

Kellyjc

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Zeni
First you need to understand humidity. Humidity is relative to the tempature. 40% humidity on the cool side has far less water then then then the 40% on the hot side. As air warms it expands and it's water carrying capabilites increase. What your seeing is completely normal. As the basking area cools it can no longer hold as much water. This means that as that air cools the humidity rises until we reach the dew point where the humidity drops out of the air into droplets of water on cool surfaces. Basically what you are experiencing is the natural process of humidity in fluctuating temperatures. This explains why you get a rise at night but not the variation between one end and the other. Do you have 2 hydrometers, one on each side? Are they they analog stick to the side type or digital probes? I'm guessing you have two of the stick on analog hydrometer which are highly inaccurate. If you have a digital hydrometer use that if you don't, go get one.
We have two on each side, they’re the analog ones. We’re planning on getting digital ones probably today. Right now it says the humidity is at 50% on both sides. I was getting a little worried cause all I find online in regards humidity is that it should always be between 30-40% and since we just got him I was worried about the health problems. Thank you for the help!
 

Kellyjc

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Zeni
Please get your UVB changed out as soon as possible - you can check Pet Smart if you have one for this one
Arcadia ProT5 12% UVB Bulb With Hood you want the 12% bulb 24 watt
or you can look at this one - its good for a 40 + gallon tank Zoo Med ReptiSun T5 HO Hood if your using a small tank like a 20 gallon tank the bulb that comes w/ the fixture can be used till the tank is upgraded then you need to get this bulb 22" Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB T5 HO
Please let me know when you get the UVB I will help you place it in the tank ---
please get a digital probe hygrometer optimal humidity in the tank is 40-50% nothing under 20 and over 70% - please place the hygrometer in the center back wall of your tank -
https://dubiaroaches.com/products/exo-terra-digital-hygrometer?_pos=1&_sid=ac857912b&_ss=r
if you have any more questions please ask
Thank you! We are planning on getting a different UVB light, maybe not today but soon and yes ! We will be getting digital ones probably today. Thank you for the help !
 

Lobretto

Hatchling Member
Beardie name(s)
Verstappen and Checo
We have two on each side, they’re the analog ones. We’re planning on getting digital ones probably today. Right now it says the humidity is at 50% on both sides. I was getting a little worried cause all I find online in regards humidity is that it should always be between 30-40% and since we just got him I was worried about the health problems. Thank you for the help!
I'd be willing to bet it's the analog hydrometers. They suck so bad. Once you have the digital probe you'll see reliable readings, it should read the same most anywhere in a 40 gallon as its a small space. If you are still getting high readings at night at that point then I'd look outside the enclosure aka your home. It's super common for us to have a rise in humidity in our homes at night. Things like electronics, heaters or ac, and lights all dry the air. Obviously when when stop using them for the night it allows the humidity to rise in our home and in return in the enclosure. This can be fixed with a small dehumidifier OUTSIDE of the enclosure, like in the same room.
 

Kellyjc

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Zeni
Also if the hydrometer your using is the little dail type that comes with the tank, they are highly inaccurate. The better option for humidity and temp both are the digital probe types. I nearly drove myself bonkers with my first dragon before i figured it out.
That’s probably it honestly, it’s been driving me crazy the last two days because of the health issues that might come along. My beardie looks healthy though and it ate Dubia roaches for the first time today and he loved them. We’ll be switching to digital today.
 

Lobretto

Hatchling Member
Beardie name(s)
Verstappen and Checo
That’s probably it honestly, it’s been driving me crazy the last two days because of the health issues that might come along. My beardie looks healthy though and it ate Dubia roaches for the first time today and he loved them. We’ll be switching to digital today.
An increase in humidity for a short time isn't gonna harm your beardie. Just like a brief rainstorm doesn't hurt them in the wild. The good thing is you are ontop of it. To many people don't know and assume those analog hydrometers are fine and end up with unforseen issues because of a faulty piece of equipment.
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
I will save you a whole bunch of headache right now.

Unless you live in one of the most humid places in the world, humidity is basically a non-factor for your dragon's husbandry.

Don't worry about humidity unless it's so humid that it's causing condensation in the tank. Proper husbandry will always negate any possible ill effects of humidity being too high. I can get into the why and really go into length, but i'm trying to save you headache, not cause it :)

The only time we see ill effects from humidity being too high is only in combination with poor husbandry practices also.

-Brandon
 

Rocky2022

Sub-Adult Member
Beardie name(s)
Rocky, Ruby
I admit the monitoring of humidity is one of my biggest headaches! This makes me feel better. I if course stare at Rocky to see if her behavior changes or if it's unbearable for me as well. LOL Awww this makes me feel so much better.
I will save you a whole bunch of headache right now.

Unless you live in one of the most humid places in the world, humidity is basically a non-factor for your dragon's husbandry.

Don't worry about humidity unless it's so humid that it's causing condensation in the tank. Proper husbandry will always negate any possible ill effects of humidity being too high. I can get into the why and really go into length, but i'm trying to save you headache, not cause it :)

The only time we see ill effects from humidity being too high is only in combination with poor husbandry practices also.

-Brandon
 

Kellyjc

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Zeni
I will save you a whole bunch of headache right now.

Unless you live in one of the most humid places in the world, humidity is basically a non-factor for your dragon's husbandry.

Don't worry about humidity unless it's so humid that it's causing condensation in the tank. Proper husbandry will always negate any possible ill effects of humidity being too high. I can get into the why and really go into length, but i'm trying to save you headache, not cause it :)

The only time we see ill effects from humidity being too high is only in combination with poor husbandry practices also.

-Brandon
Thank you! The tank looks pretty dry and I try not to leave the water bowl in there for a long time. His health is my main concern but the last two days he’s been eating and pooping properly. I did the rice in a sock tip and it seems to be helping as well. Again, thank you 😊
 

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