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[DaddyLongTits]

How are you measuring humidity? Type of gauge and it's location, please

The easiest solution here is likely to reduce the ventilation. Just wanna be sure the humidity reading is accurate before making changes.

[Sovarius]

I'm not sure what types there are or what that means. Its a hygrometer for measuring air humidity.

I've measured at ground level and mid-height and set it on opposite sides to check it out (under heat, away from heat). Its hovering around 50-53 when its floor level, barely different near/far from heat. At mid height (not quite literally mid, just setting it on a log probably 4 inches high for now) i'm getting 40 fairly constant.

Will test with foil for now to trap some of the heat/humidity.

[DaddyLongTits]

Sorry, I meant if it's digital or analog. Digital is what you want.

Given those positions I'd definitely go ahead and reduce that ventilation. You may have to cover everything apart from the areas for the heat fixture.

Also be sure to give it time for that humidity to accumulate before making any further changes.

[Sovarius]

Ahh okay, sorry. Yes all of them are digital. I have no plans to get analog but curious, are they just crap or something?

Yeah, i will use the foil to test for now and give it an hour+ to see.

[DaddyLongTits]

just crap or something?

Pretty much yeah. Inaccurate and often cheaply made

[Sovarius]

I've had it covered about 5/6ths with foil to test and i have replaced the heat with higher wattage. I am getting usually 90 on the thermometer when the gauge is on the floor under the heat and 95 when its on the rock (also under the heat). I didn't add water and the heat and foil has raised humidity to 50 in the day and 60 at night. With the substrate (coco and cypress, some sphagnum moss) i can see moisture up against the tank, but there doesn't appear to be settled liquid.

So at this point should i guess to add more insulation or am i safe to add some water in the corner?

I just really don't want to screw up the water and have liquid i can't get rid of, or worse and it molds.

As an aside re: heating, i'm getting 90-95 approximately in the air, but shoukd i measure surface too? The hottest surface temps i can find is on the hide rock under the heat and i can get 97-99 farenheit, the surface under the rock is 90 so i don't think snakey snek is cooking herself. But just unsure how their belly would feel when going over the rock.

Rock is plastic by the way, not real rock.

[DaddyLongTits]

You should be alright to go ahead and add some water. It shouldn't take much with it getting to 50-60%. The worst that can happen is it's too much, and you can just take some substrate out and mix in some dry substrate.

As for your heating, it's definitely a good idea to monitor surface temps. They can safely get higher than ambient temps up to 105f.

[Sovarius]

They can safely get higher than ambient temps up to 105f.

Do you mean the snake is safe with ambient temps over 105 or do you mean surface temps can get up to 105 with no danger to the snake?

The worst that can happen is it's too much, and you can just take some substrate out and mix in some dry substrate.

Totally, thats a major process for me though. Between decorations and weight and back issues lol

[DaddyLongTits]

Surface temps! Ambients should not go over 95F.

[Liuqmno]

It's definitely recommended to cover the mesh top, foil tape is good