New here! Having humidity issues with Phelsuma

[Notserp]

Hello Everyone, i'm new to this site and hoping to get some good answers. I have just gotten a baby Madagascar Giant Day Gecko yesterday and i am having trouble keeping the humidity above 50%. Of course i can easily achieve a 70-80% humidity with a quick misting from a spray bottle but within 20-30 mins it drops back down to 50% and if i leave it, it continues to drop to as low as 20-30% humidity. He is kept in a glass aquarium with coconut fiber bedding so i assumed that it would be relatively easy to maintain the correct humidity needed. i have already spent quite a bit of money on this little guy and am not looking to spend too much more for things such as a fogger or rain system, but if that is what is necessary then i'll be willing to do so. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

~Thank You

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

How to achieve an increased humidity for Giant Day Gecko juvie?

Hi ~

A hearty welcome to Geckos Unlimited!

What kind of humidity range are you looking to achieve?

For my Malaysian bow-fingered geckos I have found that I can increase their humidity levels without constant misting by layering the substrate.

First a 2" or so layer of hy droton clay culture marbles
Next a single layer of weedblocker cloth---not the plastic premium version
Next a layer of cocopeat fiber
Lastly a Fluker Farm's digital hygrometer/thermometer that sticks to the inside of the tank with velcro. Through Amazon contacts the price of this digital is substantially cheaper than your local petstore.

 

[Notserp]

The highs of the humidity are supposed 70-80%, but i think that is just after it is misted. I've heard from a lot of care sheets that 70-80% is just a maximum and an average of maybe around 50% humidity is what you want. Right now for what ever reason it has seemed to stabilize out at around 45-50% whereas the other day i couldn't keep it from dropping into the 20% range, which to me seemed dangerously low. i could try layering the substrate if it continues to give me problems. seems like a cheaper approach than buying a fogger.

Thank you so much for the welcome, and i thank you for the response!

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

The highs of the humidity are supposed 70-80%, but i think that is just after it is misted. I've heard from a lot of care sheets that 70-80% is just a maximum and an average of maybe around 50% humidity is what you want. Right now for what ever reason it has seemed to stabilize out at around 45-50% whereas the other day i couldn't keep it from dropping into the 20% range, which to me seemed dangerously low. i could try layering the substrate if it continues to give me problems. seems like a cheaper approach than buying a fogger.

Thank you so much for the welcome, and i thank you for the response!

You are very welcome.

Have you tried potted plants (sansevieria & pothos) and water dishes with pebbles? Those are other ways to increase ambient humidity?

I have seen those hy droton marbles mixed with pebbles and agates for Giant Day Geckos. That could increase the humidity a bit, but not to my levels .

Right now (1 PM) the humidity in those bow-fingered enclosures is 70%, cage temp 73 F, room temp 74 F. I have not misted for about 12 hours. Most always it is above 50%. However, the warmer temps your gecko likes will naturally drop the RH. It is all a balancing act.

With the above layered setup, you pour water through the cocopeat and weedblocker cloth a little at a time when needed.

BTW, did you have A/C running on high speed when your RH was dropping to the 20% range?

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Two other things ;-):

How old is your gecko? Some people might use paper towels as a substrate till your baby gets older.

How are you feeding? Dish?

 

[Notserp]

ok so...

I have wanted to put pothos in my tank but i was not sure if coconut fiber would be able to support the plant's growth, or if the plant would be able to stand up to the the heatlamp, humidity, waterlogged soil etc... I was told to put organic fertilizer into the soil if i was using just coco fiber. is that necessary for pothos growth or would it be fine on its own?

I do have a small water dish but its more the size of a mealworm feeder dish so i dont think it plays much a role in the humidity.

I have noticed at night when i turn off the heatlamp the humidity rises to the 70's, so of course it must mean that the heatlamp plays a big role on the what the hygrometer reads while its on.

That day i had no a/c running and the temperature of the house was 82 degrees. i live in southern california so it can be quite dry.

The gecko is a real little guy still, not sure in months but he is maybe about 1.5-2 inches.

I fed him for the first time yesterday and he ate 3 crickets off some tongs other than the humidity issue he seems to be adapting very well

 

[Notserp]

Oh, and another question on a bit of an unrelated topic...

How long can you keep coconut fiber bedding before it molds or goes bad, if it does at all.

And, do you think at his size he could eat baby mealworms? just to give him a little variety, besides mealworms are a little easier to feed for their lack of movement :biggrin:

almost forgot to add to your question "how are you feeding?" ,i also have some repashy superfood diet on a little plate that i think he licks off of every now and then.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

ok so...

I have wanted to put pothos in my tank but i was not sure if coconut fiber would be able to support the plant's growth, or if the plant would be able to stand up to the the heatlamp, humidity, waterlogged soil etc... I was told to put organic fertilizer into the soil if i was using just coco fiber. is that necessary for pothos growth or would it be fine on its own?

I do have a small water dish but its more the size of a mealworm feeder dish so i dont think it plays much a role in the humidity.

I have noticed at night when i turn off the heatlamp the humidity rises to the 70's, so of course it must mean that the heatlamp plays a big role on the what the hygrometer reads while its on.

That day i had no a/c running and the temperature of the house was 82 degrees. i live in southern california so it can be quite dry.

The gecko is a real little guy still, not sure in months but he is maybe about 1.5-2 inches.

I fed him for the first time yesterday and he ate 3 crickets off some tongs other than the humidity issue he seems to be adapting very well

I am not a Phelsuma specialist . Just have 3 of them right now, Phelsuma barbouri.

Good to hear that your little guy has a good appetite! You could use a glass container like a 2.75 inch glass canning-type jar with vertical sides. Then the small crickets will not jump out. Don't want him taking a gulp of cocopeat with every bite. He will find those tiny crickets on his own (less stressful than tong feeding) and he will also see them easily.

You are definitely correct that the heat lamp plays a HUGE role in the tank's humidity!!! Evening/night is the best time to spray for that very reason.

The reason I like to have plants in their own pots is that it makes tank cleaning much easier. Pothos probably would NOT do well in just cocopeat.

Don't think it is advisable to use any type of fertilizer in an enclosure.

 

[daggekko]

To answer your question about plants- All of my plants that get used with geckos have the soil removed(take it outside and out of the pot and rinse with the garden hose). I replace the soil with an organic top soil and play sand. Typically 50/50. Pothos doesn't particularly do well under a heat lamp. Plants like sansevieria(snake plant, mother-in-laws tongue) do very well under heat lamps. With plants that require moist or wet soil I will use the little clear saucers that are about the size of the pot the plant is in. Set the pot in the saucer and fill with water. Plants like pothos, philodendron, syngonium(arrow-head plants) and money tree require moist-wet soil, so they get the saucers.

Sansevieria likes wet soil but also like to dry inbetween waterings. I have found them growing in Florida in sand. So even though it rains often the water doesn't stay long.

Doing the little clear saucer for the plant pot to sit in will be similar to having a bowl of gravel and water. Helps the humidity stay up. If you'd like me to post pictures of the saucers and how I do live plants in my enclosures just let me know.

 

[gosaspursm]

Another trick I use with my l. williamsi hatchlings. Cover whatever area of the screen lid you can with saran wrap. With lights and all, I can still cover about half of the lid. This increased my humidity levels substantially.

As far as mealworms. If you can find them small enough, he should have no problem eating them. I breed my own mealworms so I have a stash of very small ones. My williamsi will take them within a day or two of hatching if I allow it. Keep in mind, opinions vary, but most would advise to use prey that is no larger than half the size of the geckos head.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Soil mix for Sansevieria

If a new sansevieria, I, too, remove the previous soil and thoroughly wash the roots prior to repotting in a pot with good drainage. I let the plant dry out between waterings.

I use:
2/3 earthworm castings
1/3 cocopeat

The sansevieria do well in this. Never tried using this mix for pothos.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Oh, and another question on a bit of an unrelated topic...

How long can you keep coconut fiber bedding before it molds or goes bad, if it does at all.

And, do you think at his size he could eat baby mealworms? just to give him a little variety, besides mealworms are a little easier to feed for their lack of movement :biggrin:

almost forgot to add to your question "how are you feeding?" ,i also have some repashy superfood diet on a little plate that i think he licks off of every now and then.

If the cocopeat is getting moldy, it is way too wet. Should last till the tank needs cleaning.

I recommend small crickets, maybe drosophila (but you probably need to cover the tank with a lightweight cloth to keep these fruit flies contained), and the proper Repashy's: Day Gecko Meal Replacement Powder. You see lick marks? This MRP does not seem to stay moist very long.

 

[Notserp]

Thanks everyone this forum has been most helpful so far :biggrin:

So you mean to keep the plant in the pot and bury the plant (with the pot), into the soil? Or do you keep the pot above ground?

When Day Geckos get older is it not as much of a problem when they digest the coco fiber bed? For now i will definitely avoid letting my little guy eating any coco fiber ;-)

Comment for daggekko... i'd love to see some pictures of the saucers and enclosures because the idea seems a little foggy to me, pics will definitely help thanks!

Will the flourescent lights not get too hot on top of the saran wrap? Of course you leave it open where the heat lamp is correct?

 

[Notserp]

How often should you do a tank cleaning?

Well, i have seen a nice footprint in the repashy, but i make sure to clean it every day or two.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Thanks everyone this forum has been most helpful so far :biggrin:

So you mean to keep the plant in the pot and bury the plant (with the pot), into the soil? Or do you keep the pot above ground?

When Day Geckos get older is it not as much of a problem when they digest the coco fiber bed? For now i will definitely avoid letting my little guy eating any coco fiber ;-)

Comment for daggekko... i'd love to see some pictures of the saucers and enclosures because the idea seems a little foggy to me, pics will definitely help thanks!

Will the flourescent lights not get too hot on top of the saran wrap? Of course you leave it open where the heat lamp is correct?

I just keep the entire plant (with pot) above ground...but with the recommended soil, not the soil that it comes in from the store.

Have to ask the experts like Adam about raising hatchlings and older ones consuming the soil.

What type fluorescents are you using? Usually fluorescents put out very little heat.

There is a lighting thread on on the Day Gecko forum: puck lighting...

 

[Notserp]

The lighting i am using is made by exo terra. And it is a Repti Glo Desert Terrarium Lamp, 10.0 UVB, 15 watt.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

The lighting i am using is made by exo terra. And it is a Repti Glo Desert Terrarium Lamp, 10.0 UVB, 15 watt.

Check out the puck lighting thread. I use 5.0 Reptisun tubes, but my tanks are 15 gallon long and 5.5 gallon, not very deep.

 

[daggekko]

I use Repashy as well. I typically mix it 3 parts water to 1 part powder. After a few hours it is dried up enough to where they can't really eat anymore. I feed Repashy roughly 2x a week. Take the bowl or plate out by the end of the day. Insects should be fed about 3x a week.

Baby grandis may be so big that drosophila are a little pointless. I haven't raised grandis though so they might eat them anyhow!!

If your going to put plastic on top of the enclosure do not try to cover as much as possible. Just cover what is really easy to cover. You do want some airflow into the enclosure.

My theory on reptiles and soil- Feed your (reptile) gecko some crickets. Watch it eat. If every time it eats a cricket it also consumes soil, DON'T use soil!! Most reptiles are smart enough to not get soil in their mouth or are smart enough to spit it out. Occasionally you will find the idiot lizard that dives after insects and gets mouthfuls of soil. I typically use this theory with reptiles that could be kept on a sand substrate. Sand has more of a history of causing problems. I honestly wouldn't worry to hard about the substrate getting eaten. I personally use cypress mulch from home depot or lowes in with my geckos. If you end up going there they have a HUGE variety of mulches. Make sure to get "Cypress mulch" or "cypress mulch blend". Don't get any with "black" or "brown" or "red" in the product name.

I keep the pots above ground(not buried). Most people don't have enclosures tall enough to bury the plants. If your going for complete good looks you may want to bury the pots. I choose to buy fancier pots to repot my plants in. It is late and I have to wake up REALLY early, so I will try to remember to get some pictures of my plants in the day gecko enclosures tomorrow evening.

Here is a picture of a plant with 2 different style saucers. I like the taller ones because they will hold more water. Another option is to buy plant pots with no drain holes. I have a bunch of those too. Much easier than finding the right size saucer. You can buy the saucer in the section with pots or tropical house plants at home depot and lowes.


Now also, I mentioned one of the plants I have used is philodendron. These are toxic if eaten, so be careful if you have kids or cats around. Apparently when you chew on the leaves it makes your throat swell shut. I have in the past and am currently using one of these plants in with a gecko. Has been fine for months. Never had any deaths while using this type of plant.

Elizabeth, don't sell yourself short. Your an expert too!!:biggrin:

 

[Notserp]

Wow, the puck lighting thread seems to unleash a new series of concerns i haven't thought of :? it seems to have its own advantages and disadvantages just as compact fluorescents do. I think for now my lighting setup suits him well, though I may be looking into puck lighting further at a later date.

~daggekko
Thanks for the photos! i see exactly what you mean, that does seem like a good idea i just may have to try it. I suppose i could partially bury the pots that do not have a drain hole so it looks a little nicer than a big tall awkward pot sitting in your enclosure. And whenever you get the chance to post some pictures of your enclosure, that'd be awesome i'm eager to see how you house your geckos.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Thanks, Adam, you have made my evening sweeter !

I have found that substrate ingestion problems are higher if one mists and feeds simultaneously without using a feeding dish :-(. The substrate then has a higher chance of sticking to the cricket's/insect's legs.