tips on controlling humidity?

[reptileguy112]

So I have my chameleons in my room and I have been having trouble lately with humidity. I have several aquariums in the room although there is still low humidity. Usually around sixty percent but every once in awhile it drops to forty and the drought doesn't help.

 

[norcalsteel]

lots of live plants and I prefer the fogger. They can move in and out as they please.

 

[reptileguy112]

I use a fogger all day and have a huge umbrella tree that covers most the the cage. Maybe I should do I grass floor?

 

[SycoSquirl]

i also have this problem. I have 6 live plants (3 umbrellas, 3 pothos), I have wrapped 3 sides with shower liner, and have my water system go off 4 times a day for 3 minutes long each, and my humidity never goes above like 60%. I tried setting up my fogger but my cham HATES it and if i have it rain more i get mold on my plants so idk whats up with mine but none of the tips and tricks have worked for me, but that could just be how dry it is here in NM lol

 

[VincentChameleon]

Where is your humidity gauge located at within the enclosure? Top/middle/bottom? I know that can make a big difference; you're guaranteed to get false-low readings if it's near the top, where the temperature is hottest, which quickly evaporates the moisture from the air (hence the lower humidity readings).

 

[reptileguy112]

My gauge is between the middle and top sitting on a plant.

 

[SycoSquirl]

Where is your humidity gauge located at within the enclosure? Top/middle/bottom? I know that can make a big difference; you're guaranteed to get false-low readings if it's near the top, where the temperature is hottest, which quickly evaporates the moisture from the air (hence the lower humidity readings).

Mine is closer to the bottom than to the top, but fairly good in the middle, i'll attach a picture with the gauge circled to show where on my cage




(just so you can see where I have my shower lining)

I have 2 low profile rain domes set up running off the same pump by aquazamp, they run for 3 minutes 4 times a day, I have the shower liner, and I have a collection bin under collecting all the water. More often then not it takes about 2 weeks to get the bin with enough water that I need to dump; so I know there is a lot evaporating into the air but my gauge is still reading low. Like the rain dome went off about 5 minutes ago and its only reading just over 45%. Should I add more liner to the main door? I have liner at the bottom door so as to catch the splash but nothing on the main door. Or is my problem that my gauge is on the door and not like inside the enclosure?

Other person with the humidity problems, do you use your AC a lot with the heat? I know CA has been getting hammered with a heat wave (from there and go back for a good portion of every summer), when I lived in Redondo Beach, CA I still had humidity problems but it was more from not having a good set up. Back then I only had a hand mister, and a fogger, and the shower liner, and the humidity still wouldnt go over 50%. Maybe if you updated your system it would be better but i've only been caring for chameleons for a bit over a year now and only went fancy so my friends who baby sit have an easier time with caring for my guy. Tell us your misting/fogging times, how frequent and for how long each time; does the enclosure dry out completely between water sessions? have you wrapped your cage with a shower liner?

 

[reptileguy112]

I moved it to the bottom and it stays around sixty percent to eighty depending on if I just sprayed or not.

 

[mvad]

I would fully cover the sides and back with plastic sheeting or coroplast (Amazon has it) kind of like how Dragonstrands breeder enclosures utilize the three closed sides.
http://www.amazon.com/Corrugated-Pl...UTF8&qid=1438550178&sr=8-2&keywords=Coroplast

When setting up my enclosure I was going to do this but my humidity levels are great for a my chameleon. If I lived in a dryer climate like you do I would absolutely go this route. It's bascially doing what the shower liner would be but it just looks a lot better.

 

[reptileguy112]

isnt covering up the sides just like having a sideways aquarium?

 

[JoeVet]

As long as one side is open as well as the top. With the heat of the lamps you will get a chimney effect that brings in fresh air at the bottom. So no its not like an aquarium. More like a terrarium which others have shown can work well for chameleons.

 

[Carlton]

isnt covering up the sides just like having a sideways aquarium?

Not quite. Even with plastic on the cage sides it still permits more airflow "leakage" than a completely sealed tank. Consider that the tank glass also absorbs heat unlike thin plastic sheeting over the screen. I've done the screen cage/plastic sheeting thing in high altitude CO where the house humidity could be as low as 20% much of the time, and it did work. It is more work, but again you don't want or need the higher humidity to be constant, just slow down the evaporation rate after misting so it stays higher for more of the day.

 

[jcarlsen]

I use a fogger all day and have a huge umbrella tree that covers most the the cage. Maybe I should do I grass floor?

Someone on here suggested I buy one of those window insulation kits (with the double sided tape) and fix that to any number of sides of my cage. Right now I only have it near the bottom, but it is a fairly tight seal compared to just draping a shower curtain. Plus it looks cleaner . The front and top are still open, so still plenty of airflow.

 

[SycoSquirl]

Someone on here suggested I buy one of those window insulation kits (with the double sided tape) and fix that to any number of sides of my cage. Right now I only have it near the bottom, but it is a fairly tight seal compared to just draping a shower curtain. Plus it looks cleaner . The front and top are still open, so still plenty of airflow.

can you see through it still or no? Thats the main reason I use shower liners because I love to look in from all angles at my boy haha

 

[jcarlsen]

can you see through it still or no? Thats the main reason I use shower liners because I love to look in from all angles at my boy haha

Yes! It's very clear since it's designed to go on windows in your home. If you use a hair dryer on it, it shrinks it tight so it's nearly invisible

Here's a shot of mine from the side...the insulator is on the lower third to prevent any splash out from the dripping. I also have one on the back covering the lower half, but you can't really see it: