Hello,

Humidity is really crazy in my 15 H tank. When the heater is on during the day it's around 45-60% depending on whether I have misted it recently. At night it goes up to 80-100%. Is that normal?
I read to seal up the tank enough to not let any moisture out (have a screen top), but will that be okay regarding air circulation/fresh air?

Another note on the tank, it has two openings on the side about half way up that may be problematic, too.

Thanks!

Christoph

I would suggest covering one or the other of the screens. you may even need to cover both, or at least the side vents and most of the screen. What are you keeping and what kind of heater? (i am sure that you have said in other posts but its been a long day in a peds transport class, so my brain is a bit fried...) If there is no heater to make the humidity evaporate then it will sometimes get more humid... which is a good thing since humid air feels warmer than not humid...

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shell is right, your humidity is going right out the top. Cover any part of the top screen. Leave the side vents open for now. If it helped but not enough, then cover up some of the side too.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

Thanks for the tips guys! It's for a Tokay, the heater is just a 75W basking light that I have on a 12h on 12h off schedule. It creates a temp gradient of ~88F-72F.
I have the coconut bedding across the tank that's supposed to retain a lot of water (and it looks very moist) and some moss on just one half.
I will cover up the top with aluminium foil for now and maybe plexiglass eventually.

i cover mine with plastic bags when I can't find any plexi. Cheap fix.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

I'd be scared it would melt with my heat lamp on there It definitely helped a bit, but plexi will look a little better and allow me to still see in there from the top.
I just got my Tokay two days ago and he just ate his first cricket already Way cool!

It's normal for the humidity to go up at night when the temperature drops. (Something to do with Physics.)
I would not cover the side vents, it's good for air circulation. Just cover part of the top.

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Andrea

Can you post a pic of the tank?
If I understand you correctly the top is screen with two air vents in the sides? If so the warm air, which rises, is carrying your humidity right out of the tank into the room! When the light is off there is not the updrafted of heated air so the moisture stays in the tank.
I would make a plexiglass sheet that covered half of the top of the tank with a square of wood covering the other half with an opening for the heat light.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Yeah you got it right. Why only cover half with plexigless and not all of it, and cut a hole in it?

half with plexi and half with wood. Can't cut a hole in plexi like you can in wood. Plexi will retain more moisture than wood, so its the best of both worlds.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.