Humid hide-need answers

[Dead Dreamer]

I just got a leo a week ago. First gecko for me. For a week I had a little humid hide on the warm side w/paper towels. He loved it, but it dried up every 12-18 hours. Then I read that the humid hide should be on the cool side. I made one on cool side w/hole in top made of tupperware and moist moss. He does not like it at all. A co-worker of mine has a few leos and said his don't use them either and they are not necessary. My leo looks like he's about to shed right now. He got real white looking and all of a sudden not interested in eating. So, in essence, moist hide:cool or warm side, and is it necessary? Thank you

 

[Palor]

I have found damp Bed-A-Beast works great for humid hides. I often straddle my humid hides 1/2 warm 1/2 cool. I think they are needed since you can't really predict when your gecko is going to shed.

 

[leogecko88]

I keep my gecko's humidity hide in the middle of the tank because she rarely uses the cool side. My hide has moss in it that stays moist for almost 3 days.

 

[THE WHISPERER]

I use paper towels, keep mine on the warm side, and spray it about 40 times with a spray bottle. stays moist for 2 days. so i spray them every time i feed.

 

[roger]

i use vermiculite.I just spray once a week.I keep the humid hide on the cool end

 

[roger]

i use moist vermiculite.I just spray once a week.I keep the humid hide on the cool end

 

[fikken]

i use eco earth and sphagnum moss in the humid hide (i cover the eco earth with a very nice layer of the moss), spray it once a day when ik go to feed my geckos. They are always in the hides so i take them out to hand feed them, let them crawl on my bed while i spray the hides a bunch of times. My sub adult new blazing blizzards are weird, they avoid the moist hide i made for them like the plague but they sleep under the hollowed out NES i have in there for some slight moisture.

 

[daleo]

all my geckos have humidy hides at all times. most of mine love them. my little normal stays in hers! my SHTCT only goes in hers when she is in shed, never uses it besides that. i keep a humid hide just in case they want to use it. its up to them.

dale

 

[Sandyballs]

my gecko doesn't like anything but wet paper towels in it's humid hide

 

[ajveachster]

Cool or warm side is a personal preference. We use a rack system so there is only one hide in it. That is on the cool side. We only mist the hide when we see the gecko is going to go into shed. The rest of the time the hide is dry.

 

[Latlaw]

I put my moist hide right in the middle of the tanks. I use the sphagnum moss and need to moisten it about once every 3 to 4 days or so.

 

[MiamiLeos]

well they deff need one other wise you're gonna end up with missing toes and stuck skin and just an all round grumpy gecko. most likely you're having problems keeping it moist because the hole in the container is too big. they dont need a big entryway. i have a huge male who gets in and out of his humid hide just fine through a hole on the top about the size of a 50 cent piece. you could also try using vermiculite or peat moss in the box instead of paper towels to try and hold the moisture longer. lastly, i would always advise putting the moist hide on the warm side of the cage for two reasons 1) leos dont like being cold and the water in the humid hide will be very cold at room temp and 2) warm air does not absorb moisture as readily as cool air so the moisture will stay in the box if the air is warm. hope this helps

 

[BioWorkZ]

I use sphagnum moss and I moist it once every 2 days and I keep it on the cool side. My leos tend to not use the hide until they are ready to shed or to lay their eggs. Hope this helps.

 

[Ehatcher]

i use paper towel in mine and it stays over top of the heat tape generally... though i have found that some of my geckos will push it to the front of the bin and keep it there... so i guess let the gecko decide? haha