Humidity is my enemy...

[MeganM]

Okay guys and gals... I need help. I can not get my humidity up and I am doing everything by the book.... here is my set up

29g
EE and Play Sand Mix
2 moss pits
FW pool and bubbler
Insulated lid
Spray with bottle every day....

(this pic was before I added the pool and bubbler)
I have a new AcuRite thermometer any suggestions? My heat stays about 84-86 all day. Idk what I'm doing wrong.

[CallaLily]

Have you calibrated your hygrometer? Instructions here: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 26&t=92540.
How much of your lid is covered and with what? Where is your gauge located? What has it been reading?

[MeganM]

I have not calibrated it, its new out of the box and we don't have table salt... I will have to go buy some.
Lid is mesh covered with foil then card board then decorative contact papero.
Gage is in the center of the tank. I even moved it farther away from the heat source and it didn't help.

[CallaLily]

Definitely get salt so you can test it. Even new and digital hygrometers can be off by a lot. My AcuRite was off by 10% when I first purchased it.

[MeganM]

oh and it fluxes between 69-72 which doesn't make since. I am doing everything the care guide says

[megmaholm]

With my 29 gallon, I could never get the humidity stabilized. It drove me crazy. I did a DIY humidifier and that barely helped, and I finally bought an ultrasonic room humidifier (http://www.amazon.com/Crane-Ultrasonic- ... humidifier) and ran a hose from the top of it to the tank. Solved my problem and works great in my 55 gallon.

I'm not saying to do that because that's obviously extra money that not everyone has. It's just what worked for me and is an idea. I would definitely calibrate your hygrometer first like CallaLily suggested since that's a pretty common problem. Everyone's tank is going to be different, and even if everything looks great and is set up properly it's no guarantee.

[YYWW]

Are those silk flowers? Mist all your plants so they're soaked, dewey, and ALMOST dripping. I bet that'll solve it.


Crabbers unite!!!

[MeganM]

Will do.

New to crabbing as of 1/3/15. 5 PPs Hermie, Hermione, Poseidon, Odin, and Zenon

[Crabinski]

oh and it fluxes between 69-72 which doesn't make since. I am doing everything the care guide says

Even after you calibrate the hygrometer (my AcuRite reading was off by 10%), the humidity will still fluctuate over a 24-hour period, just as the temperature does. I also have a 29g and, fortunately, have no low humidity issues, perhaps because I have a hinged glass lid that helps seal in both heat and moisture.

[MeganM]

Okay calibrating it now!! I didn't realize it was a 5-6 hour test O.o

New to crabbing as of 1/3/15. 5 PPs Hermie, Hermione, Poseidon, Odin, and Zenon

[MeganM]

Okay so I did the test at 6... but due to a big day at work I couldnt stay up till Midnight to see what the humidity was. When i woke up this morning it was readying 72. It shouldn't matter if I did it longer than the directions right? If so then i still have a humidity issue... I'm nut sure what else to do.... Does a bubbler work better in SW or FW?

[CallaLily]

So your humidity readings are actually 72-75%? That's within the safe zone(70-80%), so that's good news! I know you'll probably still want to boost it a little. Bubblers could help, doesn't matter which pool. You could do one or both.

[MeganM]

Oh i read somewhere else that if the humidity is below 77 its dangerous. This hasn't been your experience? What do you keep your tank at?

[megmaholm]

We aim for 80%, but like Calla said, between 70-80% is fine. I think the only issue with having it in the low 70s is you have less 'wiggle room' - I try to keep my humidity at 80 so if for whatever reason it drops by 5%, it's not going below the safe range.

[CallaLily]

70-80% is safe for most species, though I think a few exotics require 80%. Higher isn't harmful. Below 70% can cause damage. Most crabbers recommend around 80% because 1) more activity is usually seen there and 2) I think the whole 80/80 thing is just easy to remember.

thread on humidity:http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 26&t=92544

Humidity: Between 70% and 80% relative humidity. Higher humidity is safe for PPs, although it can cause problems with mold growth in their enclosure so it’s not recommended. Humidity levels below 70% will cause gill damage and a very slow suffocation since their modified gills require moist air in order to work properly.

found here:http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 51&t=92452

Humidity: Between 70% and 80% relative humidity. Higher humidity is safe for Es, although it can cause problems with mold growth in their enclosure so it is not recommended. They may not be as active in humidity levels below 60%, as this will cause gill damage and a very slow suffocation since their modified gills require moist air in order to work properly.

found here:http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 51&t=92454

IMO, a gradient in both temp and humidity is best, within safe ranges of course.

Edit: glancing over the exotics care sheets... A couple species seem to require above 75%. Some require at least 80%. The rest above 70%. I don't have experience with exotics so I can't say for sure what's best there. But PPs and Es, perfectly safe 70-80% (or higher).