How to lower humidity

[SouthernCouple]

Hello! I'm in Louisiana. My tank is 10 gal. and the humidity is at 57% right now but it's raining here today. Before today it was setting at 50%. What if anything should I do? Thank you.

 

[diamc]

With that small of a tank, it's hard to get good temps and keep the humidity level where it should be. How old or what size is your beardie?

If you have a water bowl in the tank, remove it right away. Have you been misting your beardie while in the tank? What substrate is on the bottom?

 

[SouthernCouple]

Zeld is 6 inches now. Temps are good for the tank size right now. 81 by basking log dome on one side of tank and 76 on other side of tank where food is. Took water dish out as you said. No misting in tank and carpet for substrate. We do have a much bigger tank 20/30gal but need to figure out what to put it on. Also want to keep Zeld in the living room with us but placing is limited.

 

[diamc]

Oh, she's just a baby then. You mentioned that it is "81 by basking log dome". It sounds like you're using a stick-on type thermometer, perhaps a round gauge (dial) type. If so, those are VERY inaccurate and can be off as much as 20 degrees if not more. The only 2 ways to get accurate readings are with either a temperature gun or a digital thermometer with a long wire & probe end. With either of those, you will be able to find out what the basking SURFACE temp is and that is the most crucial especially for a baby. If the temps are off, it won't allow for proper digestion and can make them go downhill very quickly. Once you get one of those ways to check the temps, you can aim for a basking SURFACE temp of 108 to 110 but no higher.

Could you fill us in on the brand & type of UVB you're using now? There are some that don't give off the right rays and can cause all sorts of health issues so just want to make sure you have a good one for your precious baby.

Good that you removed the water dish, that should help lower the humidity a little. A bigger tank would be much easier to get a temp gradient and to help keep the humidity level under control. Hopefully you can find a good place to fit it in your livingroom.

 

[SouthernCouple]

We have 1 round humidity/temp., and 2 digital thermometers with the long wire & probes. The temp's. I quoted were from them. The UBV we are using is from exo terra 13w, reptile UVB 150 (and yes it is the compact one) but it's all we can use right now. Zeld is eating and pooping every day and gets a bath once or twice a week. We spend time with Zeld at lease once a day out of the viv. I am looking for just the right log/branch for the viv.

 

[diamc]

That's good that you have digitals with probes besides the round gauges. Is the 81 degree reading alongside the log or right on the basking log? Approximately how long did you wait before getting the 81 temp reading?

As you probably know, the compact bulbs are very dangerous because they put out TOO much UVB in the beginning & decline very rapidly which won't prevent metabolic bone disease or other health issues. Unfortunately over the years, we have seen & heard of many beardies that had problems when using those bulbs. The issues usually start with the eyes. Your baby is absolutely adorable, I saw a picture of her in another thread of yours and I'm concerned because her eyes do look irritated. memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=75313 The bulbs can also cause lethargy, loss of appetite, seizures and even death.

The Repti-Sun 10.0 fluorescent tubes aren't really very expensive and Amazon has them at a very reasonable price and they ship very quickly. http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Repti-Sun-10-0/dp/B001D75YPA/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1391390631&sr=8-7&keywords=repti+sun+10.0%2C+18%22 For the hood, you can go to Walmart, Home Depot or Lowe's and pick up a standard fluorescent light that uses the same size as the bulb you want, probably 18", remove the bulb that comes with it and pop in the UVB, then leave the plastic cover off. Using one of those will save you a lot of money.

For a baby, it's a good idea to give a bath at least 3 to 4 times a wk because babies can get dehydrated very quickly.

That's good that you spend time with her at least once a day. Bet she likes that.

 

[SouthernCouple]

Probes are on back glass of tank. The basking log is in front of it. Should I stick it to the log?
I have had the probes for 2 weeks. Basking bulb is by Zoo Med 75w repti basking spot lamp.
We have that bulb as well with the bigger tank. We got the tank from our neighbor that is a vet. tech. at a vet's office. The tank is what she was using for a beardie she was fostering back to health so it could have a forever home. It has all the fixings! We got Zeld on 1-14-14 and the picture you saw was the first one we took. Did it quick, didn't want Zeld to run off my hand. I'll have hubby take a new one and post it in here tomorrow.
A good shot of the eyes. Very nice gold eyes!!!

 

[diamc]

Yes, in order to get the basking SURFACE temp, you have to place the probe right on the basking log (touching it) and then wait 45 min to an hr for the temps to stop rising before getting the final readings.

I still have to standby my suggestions of replacing the compact UVB's with the Repti-Sun 10.0 strip fluorescent. I have had beardies over 12 yrs and have spent SO much time on this forum helping other owners. I can't count how many times I have read about problems with the compact & coil UVB's. And, I have spent many almost sleepless nights trying to help beardies recover from the serious symptoms they developed from those bulbs, some lost eye sight, some had seizures and neurological disorders and some didn't make it. I always look out for what is best for the beardies to help them live a long, happy & healthy life. Unfortunately, some vets don't know about the dangers of some of the UVB lights and most pet store employees don't either. Most of us here have done a lot of research and also talked with a lot of owners with experience using those dangerous bulbs and I wanted to be completely honest with you so you would know the truth. I have nothing to gain except knowing that I gave the right info for the sake of the beardies because I am so obsessed with them.

Zeld does have beautifully colored eyes and awesome colors on her whole body.

 

[SouthernCouple]

diamc, here are the pic.'s I said I would post so you could see Zeld's eyes. I will put the probe on the log and let you know what I find out.

 

[diamc]

She sure is a very pretty beardie.