Thoughts needed with Humidity.

[Lpsouth1978]

I do not have my chameleon yet, but have the enclosure setup and ready. I figure while I am waiting I would make sure everything is good to go. I have the temps where they need to be, but I am having a VERY hard time getting humidity up. I Live in Phoenix and it is VERY dry here. I have the enclosure wrapped in a window insulating plastic, live plants, MistKing system, and a fogger (night only). I am using the watering schedule from chameleonacademy.com, but my humidity still stays mostly 30% or lower. It will spike very briefly after misting, but quickly drops again. I cannot go all day without misting (like chameleonacademy recommends) so I have an additional misting session in the middle of the day.

I plan on having an Ambilobe Panther Chameleon, and know that ideal humidity is 30-50% during the day. I would like to have it hovering around 35-40%. Even with the fogger going from 2am-7am, the humidity @5am this morning was 28%. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[mujino]

Glad you posted! Normally I just wait for the site experts respond, but I have some experience with this. Arizona is rough for keeping panthers. That's not to discourage you - your cham can thrive, but you're fighting against the desert arid-ness ( <10% RH) and the drying effect of your AC, which just sucks the humidity out of the air. Even as you're adding humidity back to the environment, the AC's just pulling it out again. I'm guessing the AC's on 24/7 this time of year with temps > 105°F (you'd be crazy not to!), but it's an additional hurdle.

• You mentioned you've lined the enclosure - I'm guessing the sides? If so, good choice!
• I highly recommend running the fogger during the day too, at least partway. You didn't specify which kind you have, so I'll just mention that you may need to get a higher output one. Alternatively, invest in a room humidifier to bring that RH up (which might be easier). The nursery ones are fairly inexpensive (<$100).
• Mist during the day too until you find the sweet spot. You're not in an "average" environment, so it's ok to make exceptions

If that doesn't work, you may end up switching to a mostly pvc or glass enclosure with only one screen side or top. While that's not the preferred option (because respiratory infection), I've lived in the desert and it's really hard with a 100% screen cage in AZ to maintain humidity, even with mods. I don't know your background, so please forgive me if I've over-explained anything. Just really want to help.

Can't wait to see pics!

 

[Lpsouth1978]

Glad you posted! Normally I just wait for the site experts respond, but I have some experience with this. Arizona is rough for keeping panthers. That's not to discourage you - your cham can thrive, but you're fighting against the desert arid-ness ( <10% RH) and the drying effect of your AC, which just sucks the humidity out of the air. Even as you're adding humidity back to the environment, the AC's just pulling it out again. I'm guessing the AC's on 24/7 this time of year with temps > 105°F (you'd be crazy not to!), but it's an additional hurdle.

• You mentioned you've lined the enclosure - I'm guessing the sides? If so, good choice!
• I highly recommend running the fogger during the day too, at least partway. You didn't specify which kind you have, so I'll just mention that you may need to get a higher output one. Alternatively, invest in a room humidifier to bring that RH up (which might be easier). The nursery ones are fairly inexpensive (<$100).
• Mist during the day too until you find the sweet spot. You're not in an "average" environment, so it's ok to make exceptions

If that doesn't work, you may end up switching to a mostly pvc or glass enclosure with only one screen side or top. While that's not the preferred option (because respiratory infection), I've lived in the desert and it's really hard with a 100% screen cage in AZ to maintain humidity, even with mods. I don't know your background, so please forgive me if I've over-explained anything. Just really want to help.

Can't wait to see pics!

Yes, the A/C runs pretty much 24/7 right now. I am not able to use a room humidifier due to the location of the enclosure. I would essentially need a whole hoe humidifier. I got the Petspioneer fogger from Amazon. I could certainly get another one to help at night. If needed could I attach the window film to the top door? This would leave the bottom door, and top of the cage, screen for air flow.

 

[Lpsouth1978]

Here is a shot of the cage. I have raised the plant/basking bulbs off the top, and added the fogger since this pic was taken.

 

[Beman]

I do not have my chameleon yet, but have the enclosure setup and ready. I figure while I am waiting I would make sure everything is good to go. I have the temps where they need to be, but I am having a VERY hard time getting humidity up. I Live in Phoenix and it is VERY dry here. I have the enclosure wrapped in a window insulating plastic, live plants, MistKing system, and a fogger (night only). I am using the watering schedule from chameleonacademy.com, but my humidity still stays mostly 30% or lower. It will spike very briefly after misting, but quickly drops again. I cannot go all day without misting (like chameleonacademy recommends) so I have an additional misting session in the middle of the day.

I plan on having an Ambilobe Panther Chameleon, and know that ideal humidity is 30-50% during the day. I would like to have it hovering around 35-40%. Even with the fogger going from 2am-7am, the humidity @5am this morning was 28%. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Get a secondary hydrometer sometimes you can get faulty readings using one. Since you live in phoenix though I am betting your readings are pretty accurate. For a Panther you actually want daytime to be more like 50-60% for your ambient. 30-50% max is Veiled humidity for day time.

Dryer climates like yours people will typically put a room humidifier in about 4 feet away from the cage and not blowing directly into the cage. This helps up ambient levels.

 

[CasqueAbove]

Glad you posted! Normally I just wait for the site experts respond, but I have some experience with this. Arizona is rough for keeping panthers. That's not to discourage you - your cham can thrive, but you're fighting against the desert arid-ness ( <10% RH) and the drying effect of your AC, which just sucks the humidity out of the air. Even as you're adding humidity back to the environment, the AC's just pulling it out again. I'm guessing the AC's on 24/7 this time of year with temps > 105°F (you'd be crazy not to!), but it's an additional hurdle.

• You mentioned you've lined the enclosure - I'm guessing the sides? If so, good choice!
• I highly recommend running the fogger during the day too, at least partway. You didn't specify which kind you have, so I'll just mention that you may need to get a higher output one. Alternatively, invest in a room humidifier to bring that RH up (which might be easier). The nursery ones are fairly inexpensive (<$100).
• Mist during the day too until you find the sweet spot. You're not in an "average" environment, so it's ok to make exceptions

If that doesn't work, you may end up switching to a mostly pvc or glass enclosure with only one screen side or top. While that's not the preferred option (because respiratory infection), I've lived in the desert and it's really hard with a 100% screen cage in AZ to maintain humidity, even with mods. I don't know your background, so please forgive me if I've over-explained anything. Just really want to help.

Can't wait to see pics!

100% agree. I lived in Vegas, you will need to make some exceptions. Another trick is that a smaller room can help, if it happens to be an option.
An automatic mister will be a must to keep up humidity. You can set it for things like 30 sec every hour or 30 min every hour. Like @mujino said till you find the sweet spot. It will just make your life much easier.

 

[Lpsouth1978]

Get a secondary hydrometer sometimes you can get faulty readings using one. Since you live in phoenix though I am betting your readings are pretty accurate. For a Panther you actually want daytime to be more like 50-60% for your ambient. 30-50% max is Veiled humidity for day time.

Dryer climates like yours people will typically put a room humidifier in about 4 feet away from the cage and not blowing directly into the cage. This helps up ambient levels.

I have 4 hygrometers in there. # like the one in the photo, the other is an external Hygro/Thermo with individual probes for each. They are all virtually the same, however there seems to be a definite humidity gradient in the enclosure. When it was 30% humidity at the top of the enclosure, it was 54% below the plants, bottom of cage.

100% agree. I lived in Vegas, you will need to make some exceptions. Another trick is that a smaller room can help, if it happens to be an option.
An automatic mister will be a must to keep up humidity. You can set it for things like 30 sec every hour or 30 min every hour. Like @mujino said till you find the sweet spot. It will just make your life much easier.

 

[Lpsouth1978]

I don't have another room to put it in, except one that no one EVER goes into. I also have a MistKing v5.0 system with the seconds timer. I may just have to try increasing the number of misting sessions. I just don't want everything to constantly be wet.

Thank you all for the help!! I will keep trying different things.

 

[CasqueAbove]

I don't have another room to put it in, except one that no one EVER goes into. I also have a MistKing v5.0 system with the seconds timer. I may just have to try increasing the number of misting sessions. I just don't want everything to constantly be wet.

Thank you all for the help!! I will keep trying different things.

Yea drainage is likely to be your next hurtle. But you seem aware so you do fine. You just have to battle the dry climate, but it can be done.

 

[Lpsouth1978]

Yea drainage is likely to be your next hurtle. But you seem aware so you do fine. You just have to battle the dry climate, but it can be done.

I think I have drainage figured out. I have a substrate tray in there. I am making a screen floor to put on top of the drainage tray. This will allow all the water to go through the floor and keep bugs out as well. Then I can empty the substrate tray, daily if needed. If I find the need, I can drill a hole in the tray and run a drain into a bucket for more drainage space.

 

[CasqueAbove]

I think I have drainage figured out. I have a substrate tray in there. I am making a screen floor to put on top of the drainage tray. This will allow all the water to go through the floor and keep bugs out as well. Then I can empty the substrate tray, daily if needed. If I find the need, I can drill a hole in the tray and run a drain into a bucket for more drainage space.

Yea you got it. Dryness is a pain. I lost a rainbow boa to Vegas, past that I just avoided high humidity pets. I also had young kids, so less time to spend on pets.
I am in Oregon now so I finally have my Chams.

Chams always need something, your issue is just dry air, but you can beat it.

 

[Lpsouth1978]

Yea you got it. Dryness is a pain. I lost a rainbow boa to Vegas, past that I just avoided high humidity pets. I also had young kids, so less time to spend on pets.
I am in Oregon now so I finally have my Chams.

Chams always need something, your issue is just dry air, but you can beat it.

Thanks for the encouragement. At least I have time to get it all down. My cham will not be available until about Sept. anyway.

 

[Lpsouth1978]

Any thoughts on covering the upper door in plastic and leaving the lower door and cage top with screen? I also ordered a 2nd fogger just now.

 

[twistychams]

I also live in Arizona and breed panthers. Keeping humidity up in the room is not easy, that is why I have 2 humidifiers running in the chameleon room and have a mist king set up to keep the environment at about 81 degrees and 50-70% humidity during the day. I try to drop the temps at night to the mid 70's and raise the humidity, but that is very hard to do with the AC running. I would recommend letting the humidity drop to 40 something percent just to limit mold growth.

 

[Lpsouth1978]

I also live in Arizona and breed panthers. Keeping humidity up in the room is not easy, that is why I have 2 humidifiers running in the chameleon room and have a mist king set up to keep the environment at about 81 degrees and 50-70% humidity during the day. I try to drop the temps at night to the mid 70's and raise the humidity, but that is very hard to do with the AC running. I would recommend letting the humidity drop to 40 something percent just to limit mold growth.

This enclosure is actually being prepared for one of your babies!!

 

[mujino]

Any thoughts on covering the upper door in plastic and leaving the lower door and cage top with screen? I also ordered a 2nd fogger just now.

Nice, that was fast! You're on top of things! While I'm more of a one-variable-at-a-time kind of person (just my preference) , I also like the idea of plastic-wrapping the upper door and leaving the bottom one uncovered. At this point, you're relying on the chimney effect to keep the air flowing. There's tons of additional info about it on sponsor sites that should help...but I'm guessing you already know about it!

Having gone through something similar, I'm invested at this point so please let us know how it turns out

 

[twistychams]

This enclosure is actually being prepared for one of your babies!!

Sweet! Give me a shout when you’re ready for one??

 

[Gingero]

Another suggestion I don’t think anyone has made yet, is to make the bottom bioactive. The soil will maintain a lot of moisture, and thus humidity which could help. Have you considered doing that?

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

A couple of thoughts as I've been following this thread...

I don't live in Arizona, but I had a problem with too low humidity in a bearded dragon enclosure!
My target humidities were 30-40% during the day, and <55% at night.
In addressing—and finally correcting—that problem, I learned some things.

Which plants you choose can make a significant difference. At first, I wanted to keep things from being too humid (beardies are considered arid-habitat, but that isn't strictly true), so I stuck with succulents, and covered exposed soil in the pots & planters with river pebbles to reduce transpiration. I overdid it; I couldn't get daytime humidity above 20%. I didn't want to remove the pebble "mulch", as it also dissuades the dragon from digging up & destroying the plants, so I planted some non-succulents, and that did the trick. (Removing pebble "mulch" may be alright in a cham enclosure, IDK.) Succulents aren't generally used for chams; the point being some plants are much better at transpiration than others, and can raise the humidity level by double digits.

What Plants Humidify The Air: Learn About Houseplants That Increase Humidity
(Google for more)

Another technique I tried was leaving an open dish of water in the enclosure to evaporate, and thus raise the humidity. That didn't work, but I think mostly because there wasn't enough surface area; beardie enclosures have a much larger footprint than cham enclosures.
In an enclosure with a drainage pan, it might (I'm speculating here; if I'm missing something, please correct) make some sense to leave a little water in it to evaporate, and raise humidity.

Since flat surfaces (like the dish or drainage pan) may not provide enough surface area, a sponge may—lots more surface area. N.B. Many sponges come treated with anti-bacterials, so I'd keep it out of reach of curious tasting tongues, if you catch my drift.

There may be more ideas to be gleaned from these articles & vids:

how to raise humidity in a chameleon enclosure
(Keep scrolling down)

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Another suggestion I don’t think anyone has made yet, is to make the bottom bioactive. The soil will maintain a lot of moisture, and thus humidity which could help. Have you considered doing that?

Don't bioactive setups use leaf litter to hold the moisture in the substrate?
If the substrate maintains a lot of moisture, it's not giving it up to raise the humidity.
This is the same problem I had with the pebble "mulch"; the moisture will transpirate, but at a lower rate than some other means.

If there's such a thing as a bioactive setup without litter (or whatever) to prevent moisture loss, I think that might help.