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- 18
Hello all. Im curious how everyone handles their humidity with their tarantulas.
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Humidity question
- Thread starter Genna Bigger
- Start date
- Messages
- 1,091
- Location
- New Mexico
By controlling ventation, and not attempting to maintain any specific number. More of a range is easier to maintain.
- Messages
- 5,547
- Location
- Outside San Antonio, TX
By not worrying about it at all. I worry about substrate moisture for "humidity" loving species, and provide heavy cross ventilation so the substrate dries out well and evenly before lightly soaking one section of substrate again, preferably a different section then the one moistened previously. If you keep up with the right moisture in your substrate, you should never have to worry about humidity, there will be plenty in the enclosure. That's one of the reasons you let it dry out: As far as I know, none of these spiders live in constant 80% humidity, 100% of the time. It fluctuates in the wild and it will in your enclosure. All of mine get a water dish, which also provides humidity to an enclosure.
- Messages
- 396
I would argue that many of the tropical rainforest species live perpetually in 80% and above humidity. Where the Omothymus and Lampropelma are from, humidity in the rainforests is upwards of 75-80% year round, regularly 100%.
However, I don't believe the actual number matters that much. I've always been a firm believe in giving a lot of ventilation to any species, and keeping the substrate as moist as it needs to be. IMO low ventilation is a bigger killer than a slightly dry enclosure. For rainforest species I just keep the substrate moist to the touch, and for others I keep the substrate mostly dry, and pour water in such that it reaches the bottom once a week or so. For arid species I provide water maybe once a month, and almost never use a water dish.
- Messages
- 800
- Location
- Connecticut
Like the others, I really don't worry about it much at all. I definitely don't try to measure it in individual enclosures, For species that need it a bit moister (T. stirmi, O. violaceopes, H. lividum, etc.) I give them deep, moist substrate with plenty of cross ventilation and large water dishes. If packed down well enough, the bottom levels of substrate hold moisture and, as it slowly evaporates, it naturally raises the humidity inside the enclosure a bit. In the winter when my heat turns on, it can really suck the moisture out the air, so I run a humidifier in the room just keep it from getting too dry.
- Messages
- 600
- Location
- Madina't Isa, Bahrain
H.lividum doesn't get much credit for being a hardy tropical species though. Especially if you live in a region that doesn't experience frosty winters. When i was away for 6 months for work/vacation my sister was so scared to look after my Ts that she'd only pour water on the water dish once every month. When i came back, my lividum's substrate (in fact, everyone's subs) was bone dry. It wasn't fed for that 6 month duration either and even molted while i was away lol.. 8 of my 11 adult females actually molted while i was away and only my T.gigas suffered immense dehydration. I vowed never to leave them like that again -__-
- Messages
- 396
The Cyriapagopus (Haplopelma) are really hardy tropical species.
- Messages
- 1,158
Wide shallow water dish and don't put ventilation on the lids, just on the sides and about 1.5 to 2 inches below the lip for ventilation holes. Put ventilation on or near the substrate also.
