air holes in click-clack for gtp and humidity question

[reptileKev81]

Hi everyone,

After some trial and error, I have made a GTP click-clack that has the temps perfect. Air temp at perch level is 29c warm side, 24c cool side.

Just had questions on air holes and humidity.

Where do you guys place your air holes? In this tub I have some air holes just above floor level in the left side wall which is the cool side.
I have also placed air holes in the lid, on the cool side also.
Is it ok to have Zero holes on the warm side? I did it that way to keep the humidity and the air temp near the perches up.
I can put the lid on the other way so the holes are over the warm side but haven't tried that yet.

Also, I was told that after spraying, there is a period where the humidity is high, and then there should be a drying period. Does this "dry period" mean that the tub goes completely dry? As in no condensation on the walls/roof? And how long should each humid & dry cycle be.
I've got a copy of Greg Maxwells More complete chondro, but left it at my girlfriends house tonight lol, hence my questions. I have read the book, but it was almost a year ago and need a refresher.

Thanks everyone

 

[Conners]

Hi Kev,

I would recommend having as many air holes as you can without compromising the optimal temperatures you've arrived at (and the humidity). Whatever airflow you can get through there is a bonus. I have about 6 airholes across each side, with none in the lid.

I find the only way to get the humidity cycle right with a RUB is to pop the lid off for two or three hours before the day's spraying. That won't be practical for everyone, but my Aru's home is within a secure, much larger viv, so I can do it without the risk of him wandering off (he never leaves his perch in the daytime anyway).

I get the humidity to about 97% after a spray, and over the next 20 hours it slowly goes down to about 85%. Then with the lid off it drops to about 70%.

I find that if I don't do this, spores grow on the substrate within a couple of days (I clean the click-clack once a week). I think that one of the main reasons for wanting the humidity to decline from a peak over the course of a 24 hour cycle is to stop spore-growth. In my view, the best outcome is to have humidity remain high for much of the day, but where possible without the substrate or sides/lid actually wet to the touch. Obviously the enclosure will be dripping wet just after a spray, but ideally the droplets should evaporate within 12 hours or so.

Others who keep more GTPs may have better advice.

Good luck.

 

[reptileKev81]

Thanks for the info conners

I found that after 24hrs the hot side was dry, but the cool side still had condensation droplets everywhere.
Probably because I had the waterbowl on the cool side.

What advice do you have to get it dry? Because leaving the tub open is not an option for me.
Should I pop more holes into the lid on the cool side?
If not the only other thing that I can think of, is I have another tub of the same size. I guess I can cut the top out of the lid and replace it with some kind of screen. That way I can swap lids when needed.
What do you think?

 

[zulu]

I took some pics of the tub i had the hatchy in until last week, now moved into an adult enclosure,no holes in the lid.

 

[Conners]

Thanks for the info conners ������

I found that after 24hrs the hot side was dry, but the cool side still had condensation droplets everywhere.
Probably because I had the waterbowl on the cool side.

What advice do you have to get it dry? Because leaving the tub open is not an option for me.
Should I pop more holes into the lid on the cool side?
If not the only other thing that I can think of, is I have another tub of the same size. I guess I can cut the top out of the lid and replace it with some kind of screen. That way I can swap lids when needed.
What do you think?

Hi Kev,

I think you could achieve the "drying" by leaving the lid off for a few minutes each day. For example, say you spray in the evening. Well, you could take the lid off for a few minutes the following morning, then replace it. Maybe wipe some condensation off the lid and walls too (if there is any). A lot of humidity will be lost in those few minutes, and for the rest of the day, until the next spray, the snake will be at a desirable humidity level of around 80-90%. Then, when you spray he gets another half a day at 97% or so.

It's a bit of a pain, but it's what I would do.

When my guy is older, he is going to have the run of the full-size viv proper, and I've got a Habistat Cool Control that will blow air through the viv when the temp gets above a certain figure. Great for keeping humidity in check. Not that you need anything that elaborate - I know people who keep GTPs happily in big click-clacks as adults - but worth knowing about those options.

 

[Pythonlovers]

love to see some photos!

 

[Leeloofluff]

Jey kev,
Just wanted to add that 29 seems abit cold for the hot end for a young gtp.
I try to keep mine at 31 and a cool end of about 27, if there is a good gradient they will sit where they need to. I had a young gtp at 29 for awhile, but it didnt eat. But the higher heat seemed to help. Just putting that out there

 

[reptileKev81]

yeah, I've bumped the temps up to 31 as recommended by Bryce
Anyways, when i woke up early this morning I noticed the temp had dropped down to 24, so from now on I will keep the heat on 24/7 until it gets a little warmer.

 

[Morgan_dragon]

yeah, I've bumped the temps up to 31 as recommended by Bryce
Anyways, when i woke up early this morning I noticed the temp had dropped down to 24, so from now on I will keep the heat on 24/7 until it gets a little warmer.

All our GTP's have 24hr heat set with a thermostat, we just drop the temps down to cool through the ones that need to be cycled during breeding season.

As for humidity, all our GTP's have sphagnum moss in their enclosures...the young ones have it as a substrate in the bottom of their enclosures and I soak the substrate about once a week and change it every month or so...this keeps humidity high through the tank without having to worry about spores etc. Our adults have a container of sphagnum moss that sits under the heat in their encolsures, I dump the left over drinking water out of their bowls about twice a week into it and mix it through, other then that I only need to spray the tanks down once a week in summer and a couple of times a week through winter and have no problems with humidity, shedding etc.

Our baby GTP's have about 8 holes drilled around the top of their click clacks to help with airflow, adults and older ones in enclosures have half a dozen holes drilled across the top of their enclosures and a vent or two in the back near the top of the enclosure for the same reason.

Otherwise, Bryce is an experienced GTP keeper and I am sure he is more then happy and capable to help you with any problems you run into