Moss and Humidity

JC86 · #1 (**permalink**) 04-16-2002, 12:16 AM

Could someone explain to me the best way to utilize moss in a BRB's cage to keep the humidity high? I have a 8 month old BRB baby and it's a huge fight to keep the humidity up (I've got a 10 gallon aquarium). I spray it a few times a day and keep half of the top covered (now I cover it with a wet towel). Even then the humidity goes down about an hour after spraying. I'm going to try using moss now to help with humidity, but I'd like to know the best way to doso without keeping the cage too wet. ::is really scared that his BRB isn't getting the humidity she needs:: [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_frown.gif[/img]

Thanks in advance,
Scott

P.S. I'm looking for something a little more than just "putting damp moss in the cage" [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]
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Boaguy · #2 (**permalink**) 04-16-2002, 12:21 AM

well i have a pair of BRB's ones in a 10 gallon ones in a 29 gallon.
i use the substrate Forest-bed but also Bed-a-beast is about the same thing
it comes in a brick sized package.. and it EXPANDS.. i only have to mist 2-3 times a day and the humidity stays out long..
its about 3-5 dollors a brick.. with 2 bricks i filled up a 29 gallon and a 10 gallon with 4-5 inches of the stuff.. they love to borrow in it! both of them made a burrow
also try getting a large ceramic or metle bowl and fill it up and keep it on the warm side
and they also like to get a warm soak.. and then take a smaller bowl and put it on the cool side so they cn choose from warm soaks/warm water to drink or cool water to drink they LOVE soaking in the warm water but prefer to drink out of the cool
laters man,
-Boaguy
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Boaguy · #3 (**permalink**) 04-16-2002, 12:25 AM

oh ya and i wanted to ad u take the brick substate and u put it in a bucket of water half full and let it sit for 30 mins.. and then check on it if it sucked the water COMPLETELy out then add a little more and give it a few more minutes.. and when u take the substate out make sure it isnt SOAKING by squeezing it like u would a wet towel ..
and this stuff looks kinda like dirt/moss its made out of coconut husk and it holds humidity great u should be able to find it at the petstore or if u cant www.Bigappleherp.com has some for $3 a brick.. if u get 1 brick it should be good for 2 cage cleanings..
so make sure u save the left overs in bags for next time [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]
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brannon · #4 (**permalink**) 04-16-2002, 05:17 PM

I have a couple of BRB's. Russ a freind of mine taught me this. Simple and cheap. Fluckers makes one or you can make one of these yourself. Its a one gallon plastic jug with a simple open/close valve mounted to the botom of it (So it is gravity feed). The valve has a plastic tube on the outside. The tube is simply inserted into the cage where ever you want it via drilling a small whole in the cage. Adjust the valve untill it drips water one every 5 or 6 seconds or depending on the size of your cage. The falling water and the drops hiting A bowl of moss or waded Newspaper in a bowl brings the humidity up. I have complete control of the humidity of my cages using this system. It took me about two days to get the drip right. You will start to see the buildup of water on the walls of your cage in about two hours. The nice thing thing about the set up is that the water lasts for 7 days if you want it to. No misting is nessasary. You clean the Jug when you clean your cage. I have an adult and Neonate BRB. I keep the humidity For the youngster at about 90 percent without standing water on the floor of her cage. Hope this is usefull to you .

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Karen · #5 (**permalink**) 04-16-2002, 06:03 PM

wheww Boaguy if I had to spray my cages down 2-3 times a day I'd go nuts. I spray mine down about twice a week. I no longer use the aquariums but even when I did I didnt spray that often. The good thing about BRBs is they dont require as much ventilation as other snakes and also can stay in damp environments without scale problems. Hey JC first thing to do is to cut down on some of the ventilation. Cover most of the screen with plexiglass (I have used towels in the past b4 and they were ok) Then take your moss and soak it in some water then wring it out and place it over the heat source. heat+water = humidity. VOILA! If you use one of those stick on humidity gauges..... well, they arent accurate. I usually let the humidity drop till about 70% and change the moss out. Since some of my gauges no longer work I just (dont laugh) I just stick my face in the cage and take a breath to check the humidity. hahahahaha
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Ti · #6 (**permalink**) 04-16-2002, 06:26 PM

Another easy and cheap trick is to utilize a plastic shoe box. Cut a hole in one of the sides, fill with wet moss, and cover with the top. This makes an effective 'moist hide box' for a BRB. I used this setup on the hot side of a wooden enclosure that was misted once a day for several years with no problem. Only issue I had was that my BRB would only urinate/deficate in the box so I had to clean it regularly. But it was a lot cheaper replacing the small amount of moss she was using weekly instead of her entire enclosure weekly. This also cut down on the odor associated with high moisture and urine.

Mine loved the box, and spent most of her daylight hours in that thing. She was very healthy, and only slightly nippy (she was the only snake to draw blood from me!) There are some other great ideas to follow, and I just posted this as something that worked for me. Good Luck!
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Karen · #7 (**permalink**) 04-16-2002, 06:34 PM

Hey Ti, the only problem is that BRBs need their WHOLE environment humid not just a hide box. They can be alot of work at first until you find that "perfect" setup. Then after that it's great and ya can actually enjoy them. Do ya have a redlight nearby? Cuz its fun to watch them at night!
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Ti · #8 (**permalink**) 04-16-2002, 06:42 PM

Hi Karen, It has been about five years since I had my BRB. I was using moss in her enclosure and was able to maintain an average humidity level of 70+% in the cage. Her hide box was always 90%+ humidity which is why I only misted the cage once daily. She became very active after dark, and cruised her cage regularly. It is just difficult to keep the humidity high enough in a wooden cage with or without moss.
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PenBlue · #9 (**permalink**) 04-18-2002, 06:54 AM

Another trick that's a little more expensive (although not by much) is to get a plastic container- it should be tall rather than long- and fill it with water. Then get one of those 10-15 dollar aquarium heaters (the little glass sticks with the suction cup) and put it in the container on a low heat. This makes the cage nice and steamy. Just make sure you cover the top of the container with wire mesh or plexiglass w/ holes cause your snake is going to want to wrap itself around the heater.
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coferj · #10 (**permalink**) 04-18-2002, 08:17 PM

Along with the humity issue, I am having heating issues as well. I can seem to keep the humidity around 70-73%, so I hear that's ok. The problem is that I have a 55 gal. aquarium, glass, with fiberglass covers. I use terra-soil substrate, b/c I've heard they're burrowers. The large cobra mat doesn't seem to heat the hot side up enough, maybe 80-81 degrees on a good day. I removed the fiberglass from one side, covered most of it with a towel, and then set a dome light with a 60 watt light bulb on top of the cage and bunched the towel around the lamp. That did nothing, so I replaced the 60 watt with a ceramic heater bulb, thinking that more heat was needed. The temp still didn't rise a noticeable amount. I'm sorry for asking such a newbie question, b/c I'm not that new. I just can't figure it out on my own. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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Bettina · #11 (**permalink**) 04-30-2002, 10:02 PM

Are you using the correct sized heating mat for your enclosure? Did you try putting the CHE/heat lamp on the warm side or the cool side? Mid to low 80's are a good temp for the warm side. You don't really want to get up into the 90's. The cool side shouldn't dip much below 75, I think. If one heat fixture shining into the cage wasn't doin it, maybe two? If it's easier, you could also try increasing the temperature of the room in which the cage is kept. Then your heating elements don't need to create such a large change in temperature.

Bettina
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Karen · #12 (**permalink**) 04-30-2002, 10:19 PM

I just saw this one again and you may have already solved your problem. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] Just use a human heating pad underneath one side. Buy some type of thermostat (the cheapest I have found is $30 from Big Apple I believe) and connect the heat pad to the thermostat and set it to around 83-85 degrees. Since they do hide you wont need a heat lamp then. Oh another thing that makes a great hiding spot and mine love it! I take clay flowerpots and chip out a hole and soak it in water and then place that over the hot spot and you instantly have 100 % humidity.
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