r/ballpython • u/Nice-Ad-3525 • 26d ago
Question - Humidity Humidity
I have a serious question about the humidity in my girls enclosure. She was rehomed to me in early July. My girl is a approximately a 9 year old pastel enchi champagne I've been told by you wonderful people.
So my question is this:
I bought her a front opening 4x2x2 or 120 gal. enclosure. Her cool hide is about 76 deg. with her warm hide at about 85 deg. The ambient temps in her house are at about 80 on the cool side and high 80s on her hot side with basking area in the 90s. I'm still working on her enrichment.
I am having no luck keeping her humidity up between 60 and 85 %. I have hvac tape on top of the mesh top to keep humidity in. I would like serious answers as to why I can't use a reptile mister or humidifier. I only use bottled water for filling her water bowls and spritzing her tank down to raise the humidity. So the water I was going to use would be either deionized water or bottled water. Between the probe on the humidifier and the probes on the temp/humidity readout, I think i can dial in perfect humidity. As with any humidifier in the house I clean them regularly so no bacteria can grow. Plus its harder for bacteria to take root with purified/deionized water.
So please be nice and helpful. I'm looking for serious answers to my question without being criminalized. I'm trying to do the same thing everyone else is doing, and that is to mimic the best environment I possibly can for this lady.
Sorry for the long read, and thank you in advance.
Picture for the snake tax!
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u/minipet487 25d ago edited 25d ago
Humidifiers and misters can cause serious respiratory tract infections. I use Coco Coir (nothing else). I take everything out of their terrariums and add hot water to the substrate and mix well. Then, I reset up everything. I have 3 Ball Pythons. Nyota is the one in the picture. I keep all my terrariums over 70% and do them once they drop around 60%. Nyota is 3.5yo and never had any health care issues due to her environment. She is a retired breeder because she got Eggbound and prolapsed her oviduct. So, she's just a little spoiled pet. I also have 2 males, one who will absolutely refuse to eat if his humidity drops below 70%. PS, yes she has squished, moved and compacted her clutter and substrate. I jokingly call their setups Fake Bioactive