Still not hot or humid enough!!! >.<

[Evil Angel]

Ok, I've been keeping my snails in large plastic fish tanks and large storage tubs, and have been having the same problem with all of them...

The plastic fish tanks have heat mats that cover the entire back of the tank, 2 layers of foil, and thick polystyrene, and have a deep damp moss substrate.

The storage tubs have 2 heat matts on them, covering both the long sides entirely, holes drilled in the sides to allow in more heat, foil and again thick polystyrene and thick damp moss.

So why on earth are all my tanks only 22C-24C warm and between 60-70% humid?

It's as if my mats, foil, heat-holes, and polystyrene are doing nothing and I'm really getting annoyed with it!

I think my snails would do much better with 25C-30C temps, and 80-90% humid.

So I need to know what I'm doing wrong? And if anyone has any advice?

I'm just getting so annoyed with it all now... Really don't know what more I can do?

Please help!
Thank you!

[shaydeesnail]

Maybe try putting the heat mats along the bottom, just half of it though so it the substrate gets warm the snails can move to the cooler side . If you spray often enough, the heat from under the substrate should improve the humidity anyway.

[Evil Angel]

Thanks for the quick reply!

I really do think undertank heating would improve things, but my matts don't fit under the tanks in the slightest, and cant stand the thought of throwing out all my current mats and having to spend like £70 on a whole new set of smaller ones..

Is there anything else I could try first?

[pinkunicorn]

I don't have info on the mats and my brain is a bit too fuzzy to think of real solutions right now (two nights of very little sleep), but you could resell the old mats, no? In the case you need to get new ones. Probably not at original price but at least you get some money back.

[latebloomer]

Are you putting a bit of insulation around the tanks, and a flap of bubblewrap over about half the lid above the heat mat? This will help contain the heat and humidy within the tank. I found a soon as the heat went on the humidity dropped, I sometimes wish I had kept to my easy going fulicas.

[Evil Angel]

I have heat mats of different brands, but none really do anything to the tank.

I've heard so many people warning others off buying old heat mats that I think I'd be wasting my time trying to sell them, as don't think anyone would bother risking it!

I use the polystyrene and foil for insulation on the outside, but will defo try bubblewrapping half the lid as the fish tank lids have loads of holes in, so I suppose a lot of heat could be lost there!

Hope that solves it, will let you know!
Thanks!