keeping humidity/moisture up

hmmm interesting... guess i might have to get a humidity reader as well as my digi temp gauge... guess i am either gonna have to modify my tank or find a different one... or build another one... if i built another tank (built a perfect one for my BD) a tall one like 3 or 4 feet tall by 15 inch deep by 15 or so wide.... woould it be best to make the whole door screen, or just the top of the tank lid or some of both to get good ventilation.... i have to build it int he next two days so asap with the responses plz... i have all the rest figured otu cept this screen dealy

 

I don't think a tall tank is appropriate for BD's???
With a screen top, you can use a small PC fan to improve air circulation to the bottom of the tank, if needed.

 

i meant i have made a BD perfect one (15 x 45 x 20tall) and i might make another one but tall for the cresties...

 

Just make sure there is good cirulation. We live in Calgary aswell and haven't had problems with the humidity. Ours cycles from about 60%-80%, occalsionally higher. We didn't actually get humidty readers until recently, I would suggest getting one, then you aren't guessing.

 

This is what I got;
http://www.indoorhealthproducts.com/810.htm

 

meh... i was told as long as i give em a good spraying at least once a day they should be fine but id like to borrow a humidity reader for a bit but do i really need one on a day to day basis? whats the humidity usually like in calgary here anyways... and whats the lowest u can keep a crestie at? Just curious of the facts... i would never keep it low just wondering...
heres another everybody answe question... if u need to constantly spray ur cresties... how is the best ways to keep the glass clean for viewing

 

It usually stays around 60% in our enclosures after the substrate gets wet. Ambient humidty outside is usually very low in Calgary. So a misting once a day is usually good enough, we haven't had any problems with sheds. And as I said we just got some, we went 7 or 8 months without one and no shed problems.

As for keeping the glass clean for viewing, try not to spray the glass. Other than that we mix up the eco-earth once a month and thats when we also wash the glass.

 

hmmm in guess u could just spray the eco earth and plants... hey can i use real plants or do they have to be fake?

 

You can use real plants. Just make sure the potting soil doesn't have any pearlite in it. The real plants actually should keep the humidty higher I think.

 

whats pearlite?

 

It's that white stuff, usually found in potting soil. It floats to the top when the dirt is wayered and can cause impaction.

 

oh is it the fertilizer and poisionous or just possible impaction causing...

 

Pearlite absorbs water, makes it so the soil hold more. Which really isn't good inside a cresties stomach. It doesn't hold the fertilizer. Thats something else I forgot don't get soil with fertilizer in it, somewhere I read said it isn't good for them. That and some people don't like the look of pearlite, little white dots everywhere.

 

oh ya i had my bloched tiger salamander on that stuff with pearlite in it and it didnt cause any problems but had i known thats what it did i woulda removed it for sure... thanks can i use just regular brown dirt like from a farmland or under grass of my lawn?

 

oh ya i had my bloched tiger salamander on that stuff with pearlite in it and it didnt cause any problems but had i known thats what it did i woulda removed it for sure... thanks can i use just regular brown dirt like from a farmland or under grass of my lawn?

 

oops sorry for the double post

 

You could. However you don't know what chemicals are in the dirt. The only reason that will be a problem is when they are hunting for crix and get a mouthful of dirt. They tend not to spit all of it out. Try going to walmart and finidng some potting soil without pearlite. We got some cactus potting soil and it didn't have much in it so we were able to sift most of it out.

 

oh ya i could do that... turns out i got a few more days to figure it all out before i get the lil guys... thanks for all ur help Lews and field hockey gal... ok so if it came from a farm and im sure there'd be like no chemicals in it cuz it woulda been washed away by the rain because of how it was stored in a big pile....and i just grabbed a pailful from the very top.... is there any other reason not to use it besides that?

 

Farms use more chemicals than almost anywhere else. At walmart they have poting soil thats just plain, 3$ a bag, id use that. Between the herbicides, pestisides, and theres probably some im missing, id be scared. A better option than potting soil would probably be eco-earth or some other coco fiber based substrate.

-Richard

 

The only reason I didn't recommend the eco-earth is that he wanted to use live plants. However eco-earth would be my first choice because it holds the humidty well and is for sure safe, no chemicals. That and you can take the silk plants out and wash them off in the shower once a month.

No I am wondering if you could grow live plants in eco-earth.

As for the farm I wouldn't use it for the exact reason VAherper, pointed out. Farms use so many chemicals it isn't even funny. It would just be safer paying for some potting soil. A lot less worrying if it is safe on your part.

Where or who are you getting the little guys from Crazy_Fool1?