Help lowering humidity in millipede tank?

[wyrmroot]

Hi everyone! I have a texas gold millipede (orthoporus ornatus), who is of course a delight. However, I am having a hard time lowering the humidity in her tank and I don't want to do it too quickly / potentially harm her.

It sits pretty regularly at 94%, and I'd like it to be closer to 75% - 80% (if my information is wrong and a different range is better, please let me know). I think the "culprit" is the thick substrate, and I have an under tank heater I could use to try and dry it out a bit, but I'm not sure if this is the best approach. I could also use advice on keeping it within the proper range.

Her substrate is a mix of coconut fiber, sphagnum moss, and Bugs in Cyberspace's millipede mix. Where she's kept is generally 70F - 75F, and is pretty active. (She loves bananas.)

Attached are some photos of her tank. Thank you in advance!

 

[Lucky123]

Hi everyone! I have a texas gold millipede (orthoporus ornatus), who is of course a delight. However, I am having a hard time lowering the humidity in her tank and I don't want to do it too quickly / potentially harm her.

It sits pretty regularly at 94%, and I'd like it to be closer to 75% - 80% (if my information is wrong and a different range is better, please let me know). I think the "culprit" is the thick substrate, and I have an under tank heater I could use to try and dry it out a bit, but I'm not sure if this is the best approach. I could also use advice on keeping it within the proper range.

Her substrate is a mix of coconut fiber, sphagnum moss, and Bugs in Cyberspace's millipede mix. Where she's kept is generally 70F - 75F, and is pretty active. (She loves bananas.)

Attached are some photos of her tank. Thank you in advance!

Maybe just mist less frequently?

 

[Malum Argenteum]

I don't keep millipedes, though I own about 20 hygrometers for various animal purposes (and I keep dart frogs, another hobby in which hygrometers are used but shouldn't be). Setting one on top of substrate with really any moisture in it at all will give that sort of high reading (if it is even accurate; the least bit of condensation on the sensor tends to wreck them).

FWIW, using an undertank heater, beyond the likely harm it will to to an animal that probably won't like it that warm, will raise the humidity as it increases evaporation from the substrate.

If you want the hygrometer to display a lower number, raise it up a couple inches.

 

[wyrmroot]

I'll clip it up and see if the reading changes. Thanks!

 

[Malum Argenteum]

If you want the hygrometer to display a lower number, raise it up a couple inches.

This was intended as a joke (I hoped the wink emoji would help clarify that, as well as the snarky comment about dart frogs early in my post) -- that things would be better if the only thing that changed was the number on the display (like putting a piece of making tape over the hundreds column on my speedometer and saying "A hundred and thirty in a 25 zone, officer?!? No, look, it's only 30 -- hardly speeding at all").

I'll work on my delivery for next time.

 

[wyrmroot]

I've been bamboozled! The sensor thing did make sense. :b But thank you for clarifying!

 

[Malum Argenteum]

I've been bamboozled!

Yeah, sorry -- kinda crummy when you're looking for basic info and someone's gotta make some goofy point. It is hard to see people chasing numbers all the time and not try to get a laugh, though.

 

[Matts inverts]

If it is really humid. Spanish moss soaks up a lot of humidity in the air. I learned this from a box turtle keeper in Ohio. If it’s to much soil moisture, just mist less. I was wondering what soil you are using because it doesn’t look like normal soil mix?

 

[wyrmroot]

It's a mix of coconut fiber, sphagnum moss, and Bugs in Cyberspace's millipede mix.

 

[Matts inverts]

Oh. Just making sure there was some type of millipede mix because it looked like zilla jungle mix which isn’t good for them.

 

[Malum Argenteum]

zilla jungle mix which isn’t good for them.

What about it isn't good for them?

 

[Matts inverts]

It has a lot of fir bark and inner tree shavings which isn’t good and there isn’t any nutritional value. Honestly, I would ditch all the soil and add millipede mix with a tiny amount of sand to replace the orthoporus ornatus habitat. The sphagnum moss and leaf litter is good though.