Need help! humidity/condensation

[pvcL]

Hi! I bought a new water dish from a petshop. (picture attached) I used it for a week and it was fine, last night I refilled the water dish and it was full. In the morning ALL water was gone, I had no clue how it happened. There seems to be no leaks on the water dish but there might be a small hole or something. All the water went inside the substrate. I put a heat pad under the enclosure, which I dont usually use, to try and dry the substrate and now it looks like this. Should I keep the heat pad under the enclosure or just let it air dry. The enclosure has ventilation and it is beside a window which I keep open for hours.

 

[l4nsky]

In most cases, it'll be fine to just let the substrate dry by itself without taking any special measures like adding a heatpad or setting it by a window. If it's really water-logged or you're worried about potential mold growth, then you can spot clean and remove the sub in the soaked area of the enclosure, replacing it with fresh substrate as needed.

Honestly, most keepers will deliberately overflow the water bowl on occasion to add moisture to the sub, so I wouldn't be too concerned at all. I can't tell what species of tarantula that is, but if it's Grammostola pulchra/quirogai then they actually like a bit of moisture in the sub. Also, are you sure the water bowl has a leak? The problem with low sided bowls like that is it's really easy for a tarantula to drag substrate into it, which can act as a wick and drain the water out of it.

 

[pvcL]

Okay, it is a T. vagans and as much as I know they like their substrate drier but she doesn't seem to have a problem with it since she is still in her little corner and shes not climbling her hide or the enclosure. I'll just let it air dry thank you for the help !

 

[viper69]

Could be webbing

 

[Dry Desert]

Hi! I bought a new water dish from a petshop. (picture attached) I used it for a week and it was fine, last night I refilled the water dish and it was full. In the morning ALL water was gone, I had no clue how it happened. There seems to be no leaks on the water dish but there might be a small hole or something. All the water went inside the substrate. I put a heat pad under the enclosure, which I dont usually use, to try and dry the substrate and now it looks like this. Should I keep the heat pad under the enclosure or just let it air dry. The enclosure has ventilation and it is beside a window which I keep open for hours.
View attachment 429453 View attachment 429454

If you used it for a week and it was fine, it's not going to suddenly spring a leak.
It's as others have said it's due to wicking.
When strands of substrate, Coco fiber is typical, or strands of webbing act like a sponge and drain the dish.

 

[pvcL]

If you used it for a week and it was fine, it's not going to suddenly spring a leak.
It's as others have said it's due to wicking.
When strands of substrate, Coco fiber is typical, or strands of webbing act like a sponge and drain the dish.

It was just very odd to me that there would usually still be water in the dish after 5 days but last night when i washed it and refilled it, every single drop was gone in the morning.