Have you ever found bearded dragon humidity goes up at night? If yes, you might wonder, ‘Why Humidity Increases At Night.’ We all know that keeping bearded dragons in too high humidity can harm their health. Knowing what is causing high humidity levels at night in your bearded dragon tank can be confusing because too many outside factors affect it. Today, you will learn five causes of bearded dragon humidity too high at night.

Since there are so many factors you need to consider, starting from where you reside, the season, the ambient room temperature & humidity level where the tank is kept, and what the weather was like that day, any newbie can get confused.

Plus, you should only try to fix something if you know the actual culprit because the list can go on & on. What might work for you may not be suitable for someone else.

Sometimes, you only need to stop misting your cage to control the humidity level at night, or on occasion, you need to remove the water bowl. Therefore, you need to read this article thoroughly because the key here is to test different methods until you find the best result that works for you & your pet.

It’s all about trial and error through experimenting & measuring the results while being cautious about not waking your pet overnight every day to turn on the dehumidifier. Therefore, let’s find out why the bearded dragon humidity is too high at night.

Bearded Dragon Humidity Too High At Night: What Could Be Wrong?

So, you want to know Why humidity is higher At Night? At night, temperature drops, especially when lights & heating sources are off, causing high humidity. Also, poor ventilation or frequent misting may result in the same consequence. Plus, Occasions like seasonal changes or the weather that day may also be why bearded dragon humidity goes up at night. If this is just an occasion, you don’t have to worry much about it.

But, sometimes, this continues for an extended period. In that case, it may also cause damage to your pet’s respiratory system, which makes it more important to address it as promptly as possible. Also, keeping bearded dragons in high humidity levels will result in poor skin conditions & bacterial growth. That’s why it’ s important to know what humidity do bearded dragons need. The University of Queensland suggests 30-40% humidity for bearded dragon enclosure.

When the humidity is high, the moisture combined with the warmth creates stagnant air and the perfect environment for bacteria, fungi, & mold to grow, thrive, and survive.

In addition to this, if your pet is not used to living in a high-humidity environment, it can get severely stressed and sensitive. Click here to find out how long can a bearded dragon live in high humidity.

When you find bearded dragon humidity too high, you should be prompt on controlling it. It would help if you never left your bearded dragon night humidity high as it leads your dragon to severe diseases that are fatal/life-threatening.

That said, you might wonder what’s high for bearded dragons. By high humidity, I mean that humidity is over 50%.Before you wonder, “Is 50 Humidity Bad For Bearded Dragon?” RSPCA also suggests a Low humanity level for beardies to prevent skin problems & breathing issues. That’s why I always advised investing in three good quality digital hygrometers and one analog hygrometer for accurate reading & management of humidity level.

• Place one hygrometer on the tank’s cooler end 
• Install another hygrometer on the tank’s cooler end 
• Purchase extra and install that centrally.

Get an analog hygrometer to measure the humidity of any chosen spot.

After knowing so much, you might wonder, “Do Bearded Dragons Need Humidity At Night?”. The tank’s temperature can drop at night, which is normal for our scaly friends, considering temperature fluctuations in the wild. However, experts still advise us to keep the bearded dragon nighttime humidity within the recommended range.

Now, let’s talk about the five main reasons behind humidity increasing at night and what you can do about it.

5 Reasons Why Humidity Increases At Night 

If you’re confused or wondering ‘Why Is Humidity Higher At Night,’ below are the possible culprits explained with what to do.

There are many types of moisture-absorbing materials that you can use as a substrate, especially by mistake when you need to know the possible outcomes. Let’s check the type of substrate composition you have used and consider replacing them.

You must avoid these substrates as they hold moisture, increasing humidity levels inside confined spaces, especially tanks. The key here is to use a dryer substrate without moisture and requiring minimal maintenance. But, if the shedding period is near, having humid hide is a must, specially in case of dryer substrate. A moist hide will help beardie shed better. Read more on this topic at: Do Bearded Dragons Need A Humid Hide?

Initially, I started by using newspaper & other paper products as bedding materials and substrates for my beardies. Alternatively, you can consider using lignocel or beech chips, which have proven to hold little water and have been frequently used for reptiles that love arid environments. 

Live Plant

Also, pay attention to the type of plants you have used. Instead of choosing artificial plants, many people, including myself, prefer live plants as they are more aesthetically appealing.

Since live plants need regular watering, and in excess, they will hold moisture in the soil, which will be released back into the tank’s environment, raising the humidity. However, it doesn’t mean that live plants are the actual culprit.

If the tank has too many life plans, you can remove a couple of them and see whether it makes any difference after a few hours of removal. If it does, try to remove plants individually and check when the humidity settles at the ideal range for your bearded dragon.

You should note that live plants are not detrimental to your bearded dragon’s Habitat or its environment in any way if placed & grown properly. Instead, live plants can prove to help suck up excess moisture from the soil to prevent saturation. But make sure you are using the right plant in limited numbers.

Too Much Misting

If you are frequently misting your bearded dragon tank, especially before it gets dark or at night, this can be the culprit behind the bearded dragon too high humidity. Bearded dragon humidity rises at night when extra moisture is in the tank. This is why I always suggest people only mist the tank & decorations early in the morning using a sprayer filled with dechlorinated or purified water.

Make sure to use fine spray to prevent water droplets from soaking in the substrate, but to sit on surfaces. Also, if you have been misting your bearded dragon tank at night or before night, stop doing that, no matter how much your pet enjoys being misted.

As long as you are feeding your bearded dragon a moisture-rich diet regime and misting the tank once in the early morning and once more at noon if the sun is scorching the heat too much, your pet will be fine, and there is nothing to worry about.

Water Bowl

Another thing that needs your attention is the water bowl. Check where you have placed the water bowl. If it’s in the hotter zone or beneath any heating sources, the evaporation will be rapid, increasing the humidity too.

Also, check the size of the water bowl you have used. If you have used a large bottle bowl, I will advise you to switch it to a smaller one and keep it at the cooler end of the bearded dragon tank.

Since many bearded dragons enjoy splashing about in it, you must use a small & shallow water bowl. However, if your pet doesn’t like to approach the water bowl, you can remove it entirely before night and place the water bowl containing fresh water again in the early morning when the light turns on.

Note: Many users complained on finding bearded dragon humidity 70 at night, which is often a result of leaving a water bowl in their tank. So, removing it entirely will be a wise decision.

Low Temperature

Lastly, you need to know that the temperature at night always drops when you switch off the heating sources, including UVB lamps, heating bulbs, etc. The sunlight is also gone at night, making the ambient room cooler than during the day. Thus, this lower temperature in the ambient room will also affect the temperature inside the enclosure.

The humidity also shoots up at night whenever the temperature is low in a bearded dragon tank. If this is the case, first measure the temperature and ensure it’s not below the recommended range for your bearded dragon, which is 65°f. To tackle this issue, I’ve mentioned a few methods below to help you learn ‘how to lower humidity in a bearded dragon tank at night.’

How To Lower Humidity In Bearded Dragon Tank At Night?

Before you try to fix anything, there are a few things you need to check first. Firstly, I will advise you to check the temperature of your bearded dragon enclosure. If the temperature is fine, consider the airflow and the water vapor inside. Also, you must question yourself, like what substrate I have been using till now and how it is.

Also, the type of heating sources you have used for your bearded dragon enclosure may result in humidity deviation, potentially causing bearded dragon humidity too high at night. You should check all this one by one to find what may be the culprit. If you are a beginner, below is all you need to know on diagnosing & fixing the issue of “bearded dragons too high humidity at night.”

Use the Right Type Of Screen Top

You may need to pay attention to the type of screen top you use. It’s important always to avoid glass tops as they offer poor ventilation and trap moisture, resulting in stagnant air, which promotes bacteria, fungus, and mold growth. Whenever heat rises, the water vapor also increases. That’s why I advise using wire mesh or an air screen lid to lose excess humidity quickly. However, avoid making too much ventilation that may cause bearded dragon humidity too low.

Use Small Fan 

To increase ventilation, you can also consider using a small fan. Many people think that a fan may dry out the cage and lower humidity, which is true.

Well, the fan will not make a huge difference in humidity level because it’s only effective when humidity is deviated by only a few percent. Therefore, if the humidity is high by only a few percent, consider adding a small fan or turning on the AC for an hour to prevent the air from becoming stagnant.

Use Rice Sock

One of my favorite methods I have used for decades to control beardies’ tank high humidity at night is rice sock. You will not believe how moisture-absorbent the rice is. You need to fill a shock with raw rice and place It inside Your bearded dragon tank where it is less visible.

Within a few hours, you will find a noticeable difference in humidity level, but this only works when the humidity is out of range by only a few percent. If humidity is much higher than expected at night, consider using a rice sock with proper ventilation and fan, as told above.

FAQ

Conclusion

If the area where the tank is kept is prone to dampness, I will advise you to relocate the tank to a warmer, dryer area. Also, pay attention to the type of method you are using because each method discussed above may only be suitable for some pets. Each bearded dragon is different from one another with a unique tank setting & its environment.

If you are still looking for the best course of action or if nothing seems to work after trying all the above options, try one of the 11 approaches we shared on how to lower humidity in a bearded dragon tank. Or, contact me using the contact form at the bottom section of this article.

If you find this article fun, informative, and helpful, please share it with other people who own bearded dragons. Every pet deserves a caring, responsible, and well-informed owner who can care the best for them. Who knows if your one share may be helpful for hundreds of bearded dragons living in high humidity at night? One share can make many people aware of the importance of the tank environment at night and how high humidity can greatly impact their pets.

A small request: Follow us on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Quora, Pinterest, and YouTube, where we share valuable but exclusive content with our beardies community. See you in the next post, till then, take care and goodbye