ventilation?

[Code Monkey]

Well, since you seem hung up on the Avics, as has been published in the hobbyist lists, forums, etc. ad nauseam but still gets little recognition, their natural environments range from the humidity that you seem to think they need to actual *xeric* environments.

In other words, I'm not going to keep arguing this point, but since you seem genuinely thoughtful on the matter, you should consider why you think 75% RH is mimicking their native habitat.

hint: a constant 75% RH is every bit as artificial an environment as my constant 30%-40% RH

 

[Mojo Jojo]

@Code, would you say that a ten gallon tank covered with a wire mesh top would not need to have any ventilation restrictions? I have a couple setups like that, where I have about 80 or 90% of the top ducktaped. I feel like it still allows for enough ventilation and keeps my critters from drying out too quickly. It is pretty dry out here in the desert.

Jon

 

[Kenny]

Natural habitans

Hi

Like Schults wrote,,Pokies, for example, literally live either in complete flooding or complete dry enviroment depending on season so I think that our fellow T's really can take changes well if not put to the extreme on either end IMHO.

 

[Code Monkey]

Originally posted by Big Dragonfly
@Code, would you say that a ten gallon tank covered with a wire mesh top would not need to have any ventilation restrictions?

If it were me keeping them, no, I would not restrict ventilation even in the desert. I mean it when I say the *only* way of raising humidity I would ever use is room humidification. On this, I may be as stubborn as the people out there trying to keep all their Ts above 60% RH, but coming from a time when "proper" T husbandry was fishtank gravel and a water dish, I just cannot embrace this babying of pets that thrive with so little special care.

Besides, below 30% RH isn't exactly comfortable for me, either, so if I find myself living somewhere where my inside RH is below 30%, there will be climate control to raise the humidity to where it's comfortable for me and the Ts.

 

[Mojo Jojo]

Eh, I ran one when I first moved out here, but after a while, I kind of got used to the dryness. I should probably get a hydrometer just to check out how dry it is in here. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to run a humidifier in here. Of course I do keep a 30 gallon aquarium in the living room which probably raises the humidity a little bit.

Any opinions as to hot/cold humidifier?

Jon

 

[Ultimate Instar]

Personally, I try to keep some species a little humid, especially the slings, but I don't fuss over them excessively. For my terrestrials, I usually make one end of the cage more humid than the other and let the T decided where it wants to live. However, if you want to increase ventilation without drying out the cage, get an aquarium air pump, some tubing, an airstone, and a small cup. Attach the airstone to the tubing, put the cup in the cage, and fill with water. Put the airstone in the cup, and attach the other end of the tubing to the air pump outside the cage. The air bubbling through the water becomes humid and you don't dry out the cage. I used to do this for my arboreals but I quit and it doesn't seem to have made a difference. Most people on the board consider this to be unnecessarily elaborate although I'll probably do this for my P. metallica when they arrive, out of sheer paranoia. BTW, the pump makes a little noise and vibration but I've never seen any evidence that it bothered my Ts.

Karen N.

 

[Telson]

My intent was never to argue, only to discuss, and what I hoped to discuss was ways in which to control humidity in a specific tank housing a species that is reported to require such humidity control according to the last time I studied the matter, while housing other species in other tanks in the same room, without creating related ventilation, mold, and infestation problems.

As I have not done a lot of recent research on the topic, my information may indeed be outdated, but I was under the impression that this site was geared towards assisting poeple in my situation, and those new to the hobby, to bring their level of knowlege up to speed without trying to make them feel stupid.

My last post was primarily aimed at humorously pointing out that I am not (despite apparrent assumptions on this matter) a stupid person who deserves to have a ligitimate concern/question responded to with presumptive and insulting responses that offer no constructive information in regard to what I'm trying to learn.

As I understand it, the topic is "Ways to control humidity in a specific T's tank", not "Let's bash people for thinking humidity control is needed for some species."

I, for one, am very interested in continuing the discussion as it relates to controlling humidity.

 

[Telson]

Ultimate Instar

I'd have never thought of trying that. Sounds kewl.

I've got a handful of air pumps around the house from keeping aquariums so maybe I'll give that a shot. I assume you're talking about doing this in a screen top tank?

Also, regarding keeping one side of the tank more humid than the other, how do you manage that in such a small space?

 

[arachnopunks]

The weather isn't the exact same temp and humidity every day anywhere. All spiders are acclimated to, at least some range of environment. Tarantulas have been around for a long time because they are able to adapt to some extent. I have never had a problem from a spider being "too dry" but I have had problems with molds and mites, which can affect the spider. We choose to avoid molds and mites and generally treat most of our spiders the same, giving them good ventilation and an adquate water dish.


-Jill

 

[Telson]

I'm redoing my A.avic enclosure right now. I'm trying the layered substrate approach, using fish gravel for the drainage layer and bed-a-beast shreaded coconut husk for the top layer. I've included several small sections of cork bark tube and the stump from her old enclosure that she loves so much. I'm using a small tuperware container as a waterdish, about 3"x2"x1.5" approximately. (Is that sufficient size?) This is all in a 5 gal glass terrarium with a sliding screen lid. I've also tossed in 3 segments of bamboo criss crossing the area for her to climb around on, rather than leave her no option but to move across the substrate at "ground level" so to speak so she doesn't feel so exposed getting around in the tank. There is also a mechanical hygrometer in the tank.

BTW, can anyone tell me how many A.avic would a 5 gal tank house in a comunal setup? I'm thinking at most 3 if they get along as well as I understand them too... Or should I have something larger before trying to set them up comunally?

 

[Telson]

And yes, I understand that when we talk about what RH a tank should be kept at that we are talking about ranges, not a specific settings that must be kept constant on a daily basis, and though I was not aware of the extent of seasonal changes in humidity range for some species in their natural habitat, I was aware that it occurs.

I simply am of the mind that although letting humidity level shift in an enclosure from summer high to winter low or what have you, over the course of a few days, might not be life threatening to the T, but it stands to reason that it could possibly cause undue stress.

My line of thinking is not just "is this necissary to keep it alive?", it is also, "what is most natural and therefore least stressful to the T?"