When setting up your bearded dragon tank habitat, you need to ensure you keep not only the temperature but also humidity at its required level.
Relative humidity and temperature
Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air, while relative humidity (RH) is the amount of water vapor in the air as a percentage of the amount of moisture required to cause saturation at a specific temperature.
To measure RH, you need a hygrometer. There are many types, with the common being the analog (mechanical) and digital thermometers (electrical).
Humidity level for bearded dragon
Beardies, being semi-arid lizards thrive in areas with low relative humidity, such as the one available in their Australian natural habitats.
Ideally, keep the relative humidity in the bearded dragon tank between 35% to 40%. However, they can tolerate a slight range of 30%-50% RH.
Temp and humidity relationship
Since relative humidity is temperature-dependent, when the temperature goes high, air can hold more moisture, and this will decrease RH. However, if there is a drop in temperature, it will go high since air will only be able to hold old lesser moisture.
Therefore, you need to ensure your humidity remains between the allowable range both at night and daytime since these times have different temperatures.
During the day, typical basking temperature is 100 -110 °F (about 38- 43 °C) while the cooler side can have 75-90°F (about 24 to 32°C). When nighttime comes, you need to temperature can go as low as 65-75°F, this means that relative humidity is going to rise.
However, if the temperatures go below 65 °F, you nighttime tank heating with a ceramic heat emitter or other means of keeping the terrarium warm. Avoid those that emit visible light.
Finally, ensure you invest in high-quality, accurate thermometers to help you maintain the right temperatures. A thermostat may also be handy in keeping the temperature constant.
Lowering terrarium humidity
Some of the effects of high Rh in these pets include
- Respiratory infections or complication
- Increased microorganism growth, especially bacterial and fungi infections. The presence of uneaten food, waste material, or a moist substrate will worsen microorganism growth. This microorganism will increase risk of mycotic diseases such as yellow fungus disease or bacterial infections necrotic dermatitis (ulcerative dermatitis)
Therefore, your bearded dragons tank humidity at night should not go beyond 55-60%, as that will be too high or beyond 50% during the day. If that happens, you need to reduce it.
The high RH can be due to conditions inside the cage or the room (environment), including temperature. Some of the ways to ensure proper bearded dragon humidity include:
1. Proper ventilation
Poorly ventilated tanks will retain moisture as the air will not be moving. To solve this problem, replace any glass or plastic cover with a wire mesh cover such as the Zilla Fresh Air Screen cover.
Some vivarium may require you to drill more ventilation holes and place the screens opening you make, mainly designs with a solid top.
Also, remove any covers or insulating material you use to try to keep your vivarium hot at night as they also affect ventilation.
Finally, do not put your vivarium near a window or where there is a wind draft, especially in humid and cold weather.
2. Change and move water bowl
The hot temperature on the basking area and a more giant water bowl mean more evaporation that will raise the humidity. Change to the smallest functional container and move it to the colder side of your vivarium.
3. Remove moist food
Fresh veggies and greens can contribute to a spike in humidity, especially if they have dew. Ensure all fresh vegetables don’t have dew and remove them immediately after they finish eating them.
4. Change substrate
Some bearded dragon tank substrates trap moisture. Such substrates can increase humidity as the trapped moisture evaporate, especially those porous or absorbent. Replace such substrates with totally dry, less absorbent substrates. For instance, coconut fiber, barks, etc., may trap moisture.
5. Are dehumidifiers necessary for bearded dragons?
Sometimes, the high relative humidity may be a result of poor room ventilation, open windows, or run an air condition or a fan.
However, if you live in a humid area, you buy a dehumidifier and place it in a room that has the vivarium and not in the tank itself. Ideal room RH should be 30-60%.
There are many brands you can buy, depending on the size of the room. Some of the great brands you can buy include the Eva-dry Renewable Mini dehumidifier, Frigidaire Energy Star Dehumidifier, hOmeLabs, Pro Breeze Electric Mini Dehumidifier or Vremi.
Only place a mini dehumidifier inside your tank, such as the Eva-dry Renewable Mini dehumidifier that uses renewable silica gel to absorb water if the room humidity is not also high.
6. Other ways
- Remove any plants as they may rise humidity both as the water in wet soil evaporates or as transpiration occurs
- Try a sock of rice that may work. However, it may grow molds if not changed from time to time.
- Use a bigger vivarium
Raising humidity
If the RH goes so low, it may cause skin dehydration, which will make shedding hard, increase the risks of renal diseases or urinary tract disease.
Furthermore, your beardie will be spending a long time in a watering bowl, have shedding problems, lose appetite, breathing via their open mouth or begin climbing on the walls of your vivarium (surf).
In case humidity goes so low, here are some of the ways you can raise it:
- Use a more significant water bowl or move it near the basking area. The dish must be untippable.
- Reduce ventilation by covering a part of your screen lip or blocking too many ventilations depending on the design of your tank.
- Buy a misting sprayer such as the Exo Terra Mister Portable Pressure Sprayer and mist your cage whenever their humidity is low. Take care not to overdo it.
- Include safe live plants in the vivarium such as jade plants, aloe vera, echeveria, turtle vine, and so on.
- Use a room humidifier or a terrarium humidifier such as the Zoo Med Reptifogger Terrarium Humidifier.