# Humidity is low, I think because it is winter.



## Smurf (Nov 29, 2014)

My humidity gets to 85-90% overnight, then down to 75% after the lights have been on all day. I have a small strip cut out of the back covered with a filter to allow ventilation. I believe the reason it isn't staying higher is because it is winter and really dry here. Are these numbers ok? It seems weird because people say the water should evaporate from your plants within a few hours from misting but my humidity stays around 80% and there is still water beaded up on all my plants almost all the time. It also seems like most people have no problem getting to 100% humidity but it literally does not matter how much I mist, I cannot get the humidity above 90%. Not that I need to, it just strikes me as odd.

Does anyone else have experiences with changing humidity during different seasons?


----------



## Gamble (Aug 1, 2010)

1. Your humidity is fine. It can be as low as 60-65% without any negative effect. The thought that humidity has to be at a constant 90%+ is wrong & actually can cause health issues long-term. 

2. What are you using to measure your humidity? If it is an analog dial type reader, those are junk & are almost ALWAYS wrong & extremely inaccurate. 
You need to buy a digital hygrometer.

3. The fact that your plants still have water on them is a sign of inadequate ventilation & I'm willing to bet your humidity is alot higher than you think. I'd remove that piece of filter if that's the case.


----------



## Smurf (Nov 29, 2014)

Well, I can't really remove the covering of my vent or else fruit flies would be able to get out. I copied the vent from this thread: http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/pa...c-filter-foam-fans-vents-ff-lids-etc-etc.html

Am I misting too much? When I started researching this hobby I feel like I read that misting 2x per day is necessary. But lately I feel like I have read a lot of people saying that they only mist every couple days. I let it go over a weekend without misting and the humidity stayed at around 75%, so I think it isn't needed for humidity. I am worried thought about watering my plants enough. Do I need to get the substrate wet everyday to keep them alive?

Also, I admit I have an analog hygrometer. I thought I could get away with it, but apparently I need to go shell out more money for a digital.


----------



## Aldross (Dec 30, 2013)

There could be a lot more in it that just your misting. What you used to create your background, substrate, amount of plants. These all will effect your humidity. 
The substrate should not be "wet". Moist/damp is a better way to put it. If your soil is wet there is to much water in there. This statement is based off of what I consider wet.


----------



## Smurf (Nov 29, 2014)

Background is great stuff and coco fiber, ABG mix substrate with a false bottom half filled with water.

The soil is damp. There is water collected in some of the leaf litter that is turned over forming a bowl.

I know analog sucks, but the fact that it reads 30-40% when out of the tank and 90% max in the tank which drops down to 75% during the day seems to suggest that it could be reasonably accurate.


----------



## Gamble (Aug 1, 2010)

The number of mistings per day isn't the measurement you should be using; that is irrelevant.
You could technically go months without any misting at all as long as your humidity stays above 60-65%. That is your goal.

Therefore, the answer you're looking for simply does not exist.
The only way to determine how much misting needs to be done is by measurement ... with a digital hygrometer; which will give you an definite accurate measurement, not just reasonably accurate.

There are too many factors to consider & every setup is different.
The only way to get the answer you need, is to do the legwork yourself. 
Mist & wait to see how long it takes for your humidity to drop. It could be weeks hypothetically ... but you are the only one able to determine that answer.

Your plants are melting bc the tank is too wet.
If you're concerned about the plants getting enough water, then spot water the plants ... you do not need to spray down the whole tank. Eventually as the roots grow into the drainage layer, you will not need to worry about watering them as long as there is water at the bottom.

How long has the tank been setup? It takes time for a new tank to have enough moisture saturation to self regulate itself & stabilize.
Plants also help regulate the humidity.

You can think all you want that your analog hygrometer is accurate. If that's how you feel then don't buy a digital hygrometer ... you'll just have to learn the hard way. 99% of the experienced keepers here will tell you not to use analog. I promise you that it is inevitable that it will eventually fail if its not faulty already. Digital is what you need for accurate readings.

In regards to you not wanting to remove the filter bc of flies; loose flies are a part of the hobby. It comes with the territory.
If it's a concern, then replace it with no-see-um screen ... but proper ventilation is too often overlooked and is an important part of a healthy ecosystem within the tank & is needed for the optimal health of the tank inhabitants; plants & frogs.

This isn't information that was volunteered to you unwillingly. 
You asked what was wrong & you're being informed.
What you do with that information is up to you ... all we can do is point you in the right direction. It's up to you to use the map to get you there. 

If you look in the beginners section ... at the top there is a beginners faq & in that, there is a thread titled "Misting for Beginners". It may help you understand a bit more about humidity & misting.

I hope this answers your questions. If there are more, feel free to ask. Good luck.


----------



## Smurf (Nov 29, 2014)

My plants are not melting, there are doing just fine.

I am not having an open top tank with fruit flies. No one does that.

Thanks for the advice, I'll see what I can do. I think the main thing is that I'm overmisting both in frequency and volume in each misting session. Clarification about humidity level goals from misting is very helpful for my mindset in considering my misting schedule.


----------



## Wusserton (Feb 21, 2014)

Gamble said:


> 1. Your humidity is fine. It can be as low as 60-65% without any negative effect. The thought that humidity has to be at a constant 90%+ is wrong & actually can cause health issues long-term.
> 
> 2. What are you using to measure your humidity? If it is an analog dial type reader, those are junk & are almost ALWAYS wrong & extremely inaccurate.
> You need to buy a digital hygrometer.
> ...


I agree with this, what I do is run small 2" computer fans on my tanks, my water system fires everything is wet and than a little while later my computer fans kick on for 15 minutes set on a timer, I usually have water features so the frogs can stay near those but generally they don't really care because they are in some wet area of driftwood or under a cocohut, oh my fans are set to exhaust so it draws air in through the front vents on an exo and exhausts it through the ceiling, tanks are usually around 80% humidity 70-75 degrees depending on the time of day, the humidity rises slightly at night with lights out. also these readings with a digital hydrometer are near the floor of the the enclosures that is where I like to put my probes so up higher gets drier, I rarely see any of my frogs climbing that high because they are ground dwelling breeds but sometimes I see one here or there on a shelf so it is probably either hunting a fruit fly up there or drying out bit on its own accord.


----------



## Gamble (Aug 1, 2010)

Smurf said:


> My plants are not melting, there are doing just fine.
> 
> I am not having an open top tank with fruit flies. No one does that.
> 
> Thanks for the advice, I'll see what I can do. I think the main thing is that I'm overmisting both in frequency and volume in each misting session. Clarification about humidity level goals from misting is very helpful for my mindset in considering my misting schedule.


You're right ... my apologies. I was thinking of another post about the plants melting. That's what I get for responding when I should be sleeping. Lol

But the the fact still remains that if there is still water on the plants hours & hours later, it's an indication of too much moisture & not enough ventilation. 

In regards to the top, I did not say to leave an open top.
I said to replace it with screen that allows for proper ventilation but still keeps the flies in tank. (No see um screen).


----------



## bsr8129 (Sep 23, 2010)

You can leave the filter material on it will provide the same air exchange as no see um screen. I have used the same filter material on several of my tanks. 

some people don't have reading comprehensionon this form.


----------



## Smurf (Nov 29, 2014)

I also think that the filter is not the issue.

I'm going to try and get a cheap digital hygrometer. Believe me, I want an accurate measurement. We are both on the same side here. I'm just getting a little apprehensive that every time I need to fix an issue the fix involves spending more money so I want to be careful about what I buy being absolutely necessary vs. just a preference of some hobbyists. Which is why I'm still on the fence about a fan since I don't see fans in most viv's I have looked at. It is also easy to get overwhelmed as a beginner when you start adding tech like fans where I feel like I would have to worry more about too much ventilation compared to my tank now which seems stable.


----------



## Gamble (Aug 1, 2010)

I understand the concern.
That is certainly the biggest pain the a$$ ... seems like you hemorrhage money sometimes.

We've all been there.


----------



## Gamble (Aug 1, 2010)

bsr8129 said:


> some people don't have reading comprehensionon this form.


Or spelling.


----------



## Aldross (Dec 30, 2013)

Smurf said:


> I also think that the filter is not the issue.
> 
> I'm going to try and get a cheap digital hygrometer. Believe me, I want an accurate measurement. We are both on the same side here. I'm just getting a little apprehensive that every time I need to fix an issue the fix involves spending more money so I want to be careful about what I buy being absolutely necessary vs. just a preference of some hobbyists. Which is why I'm still on the fence about a fan since I don't see fans in most viv's I have looked at. It is also easy to get overwhelmed as a beginner when you start adding tech like fans where I feel like I would have to worry more about too much ventilation compared to my tank now which seems stable.


So you have found the great downfall of this hobby. Once you get up and running it gets better. As you build more the cost per seems to drop. This is why everyone always states that the breeding and selling never equals the total costs.


----------



## Smurf (Nov 29, 2014)

After implementing my change from this thread, leading to improved ventilation:

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/pa...ling-hinged-glass-cover-tank.html#post2255937

I am no longer seeing permanent fog/condensation on the glass in my tank. The leaves never get totally dry, but it does seem a lot healthier in there.

Digital hygrometer is on the way.


----------



## CosmicFool (Jul 9, 2014)

I know heat can very inside a tank from top to bottom
but does humidity also very?
and if so where is the best spot to attach a humidity sensor?


----------

