Key Takeaway:
- High humidity is bad for leopard geckos as it can cause respiratory infection, skin infections, and cause bacteria or fungal growth in the enclosure.
- Humidity is good for leopard geckos as long as you keep it at 30% to 40%.
- You must keep the humidity levels below 50% to avoid exposing your gecko to health problems.
- To decrease humidity levels in the tank, change the substrate, increase tank ventilation, increase room ventilation, reduce misting, remove live plants, or reduce water bowl.
- Humidity levels above 50% are bad for leopard geckos.
Humidity is good for leopard geckos as long as it’s not too high. The ideal humidity range should be around 30% to 40%.
Anything above 40% is considered too much for leopard geckos.
That’s why you must track the tank’s humidity at all times. Luckily, a hygrometer can help you track the humidity in your pet’s enclosure. I
f the humidity exceeds the required level, you must bring it down before it affects your leopard gecko’s quality of life.
In this article, we’ll focus on the most effective ways to decrease humidity in a leopard gecko tank.
So, keep reading to pick up some tips that may help you keep the humidity levels down.
What Should The Humidity Be In A Leopard Gecko Tank?
Leopard geckos are happy and healthier when placed in low-humid areas. The fact that leopard geckos come from semi-arid areas means you should keep them in an enclosure that replicates their natural habitat.
Ideally, leopard geckos should always be kept in enclosures with 30% to 40% humidity.
The minimum humidity level should be 20% while the maximum humidity level should be 50%.
6 Ways On How To Lower Humidity In Leopard Gecko Tank
So, what should you do when the hygrometer shows that the humidity levels are too high?
Well, the following techniques work like a charm when it comes to lowering the humidity in a leopard gecko tank:
Reduce Misting
Misting a leopard gecko enclosure can spike the humidity to unsafe levels. Maybe you’ve been misting the tank more than usual or you spray too much water.
These mistakes mainly happen when you opt for manual misting.
So, if you establish that you’ve been misting the tank too often, you need to stop doing that.
Reducing the number of times you mist the enclosure should automatically bring the humidity levels down.
Alternatively, you can install an automatic misting system so that you don’t have to deal with humidity problems in the future.
Increase Tank Ventilation
Your tank ventilation determines how low or high the humidity will be. If the ventilation is insufficient, the moisture level will increase.
That means, you might have to increase your tank ventilation to control the humidity level.
But how do you increase tank ventilation? Well, you can start by replacing your solid screen top with a mesh top.
A mesh top allows air to circulate throughout the tank. As long as there is sufficient air circulation, the humidity levels in the tank will reduce.
Alternatively, you should consider installing a USB fan inside the tank. The fan should help to draw out humid air from the tank.
A good USB fan should allow you to switch between various speed settings.
Some people may opt to drill holes in the solid screen top or the walls of the tank. Whichever option you take, ensure it gives your tank the much-needed ventilation.
Ventilate The Room
Ventilating the tank may not be enough to lower the humidity. Besides, the humidity levels in your pet room can have a direct effect on the humidity in your leopard gecko tank.
That said, you need to reduce the humidity levels in the room as well. You can achieve that by opening the windows, switching on the fan, or using a dehumidifier.
Opening the windows allows the humid air to escape while letting in fresh air. Running a fan as the windows are open will also help to circulate the air.
Switch The Substrate
Your tank’s humidity might be rising to unsafe levels due to the substrate you use. Some substrates have amazing water retention capabilities.
Unfortunately, using such substrates means that the tank will always be humid.
So, if you have a water-retaining substrate in your tank, you might want to replace it with a substrate that doesn’t hold too much moisture.
Paper towels, unprinted papers, excavator clay, and bioactive substrates are ideal when you want to keep humidity levels down.
Replace Live Plants With Fake Ones
Live plants make your terrarium look great and natural. Unfortunately, you might have to grapple with high humidity levels when you use live plants in the leopard gecko enclosure.
To combat this problem, you’ll have to switch out the live plants in the tank for faux ones. Fake plants will make the tank look great without adding extra humidity.
Change Your Water Dish
Most beginners are always tempted to spoil their pet leopard geckos with a large water dish. Unfortunately, large water dishes are notorious for raising the tank’s humidity.
But why would you need a large water dish and yet your leopard gecko doesn’t drink a lot?
Replacing the large water bowl with a small one is the right thing to do. With a small water bowl, you’ll never have to fret about unsafe humidity levels. Just ensure the water bowl never lacks water.
If the above options don’t work, you could try removing some of the accessories in your tank to reduce overcrowding.
Alternatively, you can invest in a larger tank or install a dehumidifier in the enclosure.
Why Is Too High Humidity Bad For Leopard Geckos?
Allowing humidity levels to rise above 40% can place your pet leopard gecko at the risks we’ve highlighted below.
Respiratory Problems
Leopard geckos are used to breathing air with little to moderate moisture content. Therefore, it would be unwise to place your gecko in a humid environment.
Excess moisture in the air will cause your leopard gecko to have labored breathing. If the high humidity isn’t corrected in time, the gecko can develop respiratory infections such as pneumonia.
Skin Infections
Leopard geckos can develop an infection of the skin when exposed to excessive humidity for a long time.
Bacterial dermatitis is one of the infections caused by excessive humidity and improper care.
This skin infection will manifest in red lesions or blister-like ulcers on the gecko’s skin. Sometimes the ulcers can rupture into open wounds.
Bacterial & Fungal Growth
High humidity may also cause bacteria and fungi to grow in the tank. Unfortunately, fungi and bacterial growth can expose your gecko to a host of health problems.
FAQs
Is 50% Humidity Bad For Leopard Geckos?
50% humidity isn’t too bad for leopard geckos. Sometimes the humidity in a leopard gecko tank can increase to 50% at night and that’s normal.
Just ensure you reduce the humidity levels during the day.
Is 60% Humidity Bad For Leopard Geckos?
Yes, 60% humidity is too much for leopard geckos. Once the humidity passes 50%, your leopard gecko will be vulnerable to respiratory problems.
Is 70% Humidity Bad For Leopard Geckos?
Yes, 70% humidity can harm your gecko’s respiratory system and expose your pet to various health problems.
Summary
Low humidity is a must if you want your leopard gecko to live a long, healthy life. The ideal humidity levels range from 30% to 40%.
Anything above 40% should be considered too high for the leopard gecko and corrected.
You can reduce humidity for your pet gecko by increasing tank ventilation, removing live plants, switching out substrates, ventilating the reptile room, and reducing the water bowl.
