Ssativa,

May I please ask you if you have a pic of your computer/muffin/box fan setup? I think I know the type you're talking about but not entirely sure, and also would like to see how it is set up, whether the air is blowing in each direction etc. etc.

Sounds like something real cool I can use for airflow as well.

Hi,
Not being smart or sarcastic, but do you understand the principle behind relative humidity? The only time a fan will work is if you are circulating air between areas of higher and lower humidity and/or temperature. If the surrounding environment has the same RH and temps, nothing will change.

Craig

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Gems of the Rainforest

Well I don't have a hygrometer outside the enclosure, but since there isn't any water bowls nor soaking tubs or possibly slightly moist substrate I'd think that for many terrariums that are not open air cages that the air outside would be less humid? I do know that for my ball python enclosure, when I turn the air conditioner on in that room, that the humidity decreases by about 5% in the tank, even though its not blowing at it but next to and above it. Worth a try.

Even though cages are not "open air" there must be an exchange of air or a stagnant environment will occur, allowing mold and mildew etc. to grow. We have to maintain good air circulation for our herps to keep them healthy.

RH (relative humidity) refers to the airs ability to hold moisture at a specific temperature. Think of it like a sponge. If 85 F air has an RH of 80%, the "sponge" is at 80% capacity to hold moisture in suspension. If we drop the temperature, we start squeezing the sponge. The RH goes up and at 100%, liquid water drips from the sponge. This is what the air conditioner is doing as it drops the room temperature. As the liquid water drips off the coils it is discarded. In this manner the RH in the room is lowered, which aids in the cooling process as "dry air" feels cooler than "moist air" and requires less energy to maintain. When the AC is on at our house the RH is generally at around 54% once the house is cooled down. It doesn't matter whether the thermostat is set at 78F or 75F, the RH will stabilized around 54%. Now we have a cage in which we are trying to maintain 80% RH in the hottest part. Air will circulate between the room and the cage. The lower humidity room air is going to suck the moisture out of that cage like a vaccum cleaner.

Now in your situation, the outside air has a higher RH than what you want in the cage. If you can't run the AC then you will need to de-humidify the space.

Craig

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Gems of the Rainforest