Drenched Substrate

CinTob

New Member
Messages
24
Please help! I created a 18x18x24 Exo Terra Viv with Bio Dude substrate for my two Crimson Day Geckos. Evidently, I suck at getting the humidity right, and I DRENCHED the substrate. I can easily squeeze water out of it. The Geckos are doing well, but, I don't think there's a way to dry the substrate, The middle of the viv still reads at 40% humidity, which is why I bought and kept running my auto mister. Until water drained out of the front door and I realized I had drenched it.

Now what? Is my clean up crew still alive? Do I need to completely redo the substrate? How do I correctly measure humidity levels?

THANKS for any and all help!!!
 

acpart

Geck-cessories
Staff member
Messages
15,119
Location
Somerville, MA
Do you have a drainage layer? Do you need a drainage layer with this substrate (Just about every substrate requires a drainage layer except one by Josh's Frogs that's formulated not to need one with light misting)?. If you have no drainage layer, I think you will need to take the substrate out and provide one. It's usually a few inches of expanded clay balls with a sheet of vinyl screening over that and then the substrate on top. I can't imaging water coming out the front door of the terrarium if you have a drainage layer.
How are you measuring humidity? If you're using a stick-on dial it's not going to be accurate. If you're using a digital one with a probe it probably is accurate. I have numerous planted enclosures (including one for a gold dust day gecko) and I never measure humidity. I just mist every night.
So, if you have no drainage layer you probably need one. Other than that, I'd recommend that every evening you use a hand sprayer instead of the automatic mister (I use hand sprayer only) to mist, which won't add much to the moisture in the substrate, and eventually the substrate will dry out and you can go back to the automatic mister.

Aliza
 

CinTob

New Member
Messages
24
Thanks SO much for your reply! Very helpful!!!

I will leave the mister off and just spray in the evenings for now. (And not look at the hydrometer.) I do have a drainage layer.

So, I REALLY NEED AN ANSWER ABOUT HUMIDITY! (Not trying to shout, just emphasizing the REAL issue.) I do have a Zoo Med Hydrometer/Thermometer, and I do believe it's accurate, but the humidity continually dropped below 40, and so I started misting and misting and misting and misting all day long, and then I got the automatic mister, and the humidity still continued to drop, so I set it for longer and longer times until yes, indeed, I had water pouring onto my floor, because I was just looking at the low humidity.

I found this video (
) thank goodness, and am at this moment draining the water out. It's pulled out 5 liters!

I get that there's a disconnect here, I just don't know what it is! I read that the humidity needs to be between 50 and 70, and I'm trying to be a great Gecko parent, and so... more and more water. Do I even need a mister? I'm home most of the day most days. You said, "I never measure humidity. I just mist every night." I'm thinking that works for me!

Finally, do you really think it will dry out? Do you think my springtails and isopods survived the flood? Might I have bacteria? The great water spill occurred December 1st, so it was getting waterlogged before then.

Again... Thanks so much for any and all help!!!!!!!!!

Cindy
 

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acpart

Geck-cessories
Staff member
Messages
15,119
Location
Somerville, MA
I'm glad you have drainage. I find these geckos are pretty hardy. Those plants are real, right? Between the plants, the daily misting and the water bowl I can't imagine that the place will be too dry for them. Keep with the program of misting every evening only, until things dry out. Shine a light on the substrate at night and see if you can detect the cleanup crew. If you never see them, wait till things dry out more and then get replacements.

Aliza
 

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