Best Way to Monitor Humidity and Heat

[finleyfoo]

I have a 20 gallon glass tank with a glass top that is hinged. I have 6 inches of substrate and 2 water pools with bubblers. I also have moss in the crabitat. I have a dual thermometer/hygrometer - analog purchased at Petsmart - for monitoring. It tends to show about 70-75 degrees F and about 70-75% humidity.

On the advice of someone on this forum, I put in the tank an Accurite (I have several I use in various rooms in our house) and the numbers are really different. It shows 75-80 degrees F and 95%+ humidity. Can that really be right? I know you can never have enough humidity but I also don't want to grow a ton of mold for no good reason. I have tried venting the lid some in the evening, but that doesn't even lower humidity. I have also turned off the bubblers and that has not lowered it either. I do have some condensation in the tank and the substrate is pretty wet (it comes like that in the package - Fluker's All Natural Premium Sand Substrate Mixture for Hermit Crabs.

Should I be doing anything differently?

[aussieJJDude]

If you really want to lower the humdity, you want to have adequate gas exchange take place. So that means a greater area where the moisture can escape from the tank.


Analog gauges tend to be a little more faulty in comparison to digital - both do have their problems though! - so consider a calibration to ensure accuracy.

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[ciaraalston]

Here's the link to the guide

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url=ht ... are_type=t

Crabitat: Calibrating a Hygrometer

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[finleyfoo]

I did the salt calibration test. The analog was 15 below (55 when it should have been 70). The digital was 10 above (80 when it should have been 70). I could not adjust either but at lest now I know. So if my analog has been saying about 70% really it has been 85% which is of course why I see condensation. And the digital has been saying 95% which is really 85%. So the answer seems to be that my humidity is good no matter how I am measuring it. Now how to tell if the temp is actually accurate...

[ciaraalston]

I did the salt calibration test. The analog was 15 below (55 when it should have been 70). The digital was 10 above (80 when it should have been 70). I could not adjust either but at lest now I know. So if my analog has been saying about 70% really it has been 85% which is of course why I see condensation. And the digital has been saying 95% which is really 85%. So the answer seems to be that my humidity is good no matter how I am measuring it. Now how to tell if the temp is actually accurate...

We ordered a small temp gun off of Amazon for like $7. Shoots a little red laser and measures the temp pretty accurately. We've tested it and it's always correct give or take 1 degree.

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