Keeping terrarium humidity up while away

[schmiggle]

I have a terrarium that I am planning to put a whipspider (Damon diadema) in. I can keep up the humidity just fine when I spray it every day, but I am going away for a week and a half soon and I am not sure how to keep humidity high enough for that amount of time. How important is humidity to whipspiders, and what can I do? I've read that water dishes work, but I have two and they don't do enough to keep the environment stable. The terrarium is zoomed 18x18x18, and I have saran wrap on top.

 

[melijoc]

Buy moss and soak it good with water put it in the enclosure. I'm assuming u use a kritter keeper. Tape up the lid and leave only enough slits for ventilation. Spray the sides of the enclosure also

 

[BobGrill]

Don't worry about it, it'll be fine. Humidity is soooo overrated and is not as important as many make it out to be.

 

[catfishrod69]

Just pour some water into the substrate, and it will be fine. You will want to make sure to do this while you are away, because if the humidity is not high enough, and it happens to molt, it could get stuck and die. Make sure to have a water dish thats full too.

 

[schmiggle]

Is molting the only issue? for example if it molted before I left would it be fine? it's an adult, so it'll only molt about once a year.

 

[The Snark]

Don't worry about it, it'll be fine. Humidity is soooo overrated and is not as important as many make it out to be.

Zactly. Just check out the natural environment of the animal. Even here in the dank rainforest we get baking hot and bone dry for 4 months out of the year. The animals manage to survive quite well. Just give them as close to the diverse environment they are native to. They should be able to hang in there quite capably.

 

[xTimx]

if it was me, i would buy some sphagnum moss and soak it and leave it in the enclosure to one side. sphagnum moss holds humidity/water quite well.

 

[Kazaam]

Just give them a waterdish.

If a short period of drought would kill them they'd be extinct by now.

 

[schmiggle]

Thanks everyone! all very helpful (this site is so friendly!). I think that the water dish and moistening the substrate has solved the problem to a sufficient extent.

 

[catfishrod69]

Hydration/humidity for molting is definitely important. But if you know for sure there wont be a molt in that time span, than you dont have to worry as much. But of course it must remain able to drink. Its impossible to tell how long a individual can go without water. You might have one that drops dead after a week of no water, and another that lasts longer than that.

Is molting the only issue? for example if it molted before I left would it be fine? it's an adult, so it'll only molt about once a year.