How To Reduce Humidity In Leopard Gecko Tank? (8 Ways)

Humidity matters a lot in a Leopard Gecko’s tank as it helps your Gecko to live in a dry environment that is found in nature. Increased humidity can affect your Gecko’s overall lifestyle. Hence if you buy an enclosure for your Gecko, you need to know- how to reduce humidity in a Leopard Gecko’s tank.

The best way to reduce humidity in a Leopard Gecko’s enclosure is to use a dehumidifier, provide proper air ventilation, choose alternate plants or substrates, use a small water dish and place it on the cool side of the tank and there are more ways as well. It would be best if you use a hygrometer to measure the humidity level at first.

If you want to know more about the reduced humidity in your Leopard Gecko’s tank, keep on reading till the end!

Humidity Levels In Leopard Gecko’s tank

Generally, the ideal humidity in Leopard Gecko’s tank is 30-40% which matches the dry and semi-dry environment of the deserts. This helps your Gecko to have a life that is similar to a natural environment. However, there are different humidity levels that you might consider for special cases:

Humidity percentage	Effects
50 % humidity	It’s okay to maintain this level for a few hours or a few days.
60% humidity	Not effective; may cause issues in Leopard Gecko’s healthy lifecycle
70-80% humidity	Helps in effective shedding

What Happens When the Humidity is Too high for a Leopard Gecko?

If the humidity level is too high in Leopard Gecko’s tank. It can cause different health related issues, such as respiratory issues, pneumonia, skin-related issues, etc.

Moreover, the high humidity will allow the growth of mold in the enclosure, thus will make a dirty environment for Gecko to live in.

Bacteria and other pathogens will easily be able to survive within that environment and attack your Leopard Gecko.

8 Ways To Reduce Humidity In Leopard Gecko Tank

There is an ideal humidity level that needs to be maintained in Leopard Gecko’s tank.

The humidity should be between 30-40% which should feel equivalent to a dry and semi-dry environment in nature. This helps Gecko to prevent different health-related issues.

There are 08  ways you can use to reduce humidity in Leopard Gecko’s tank:

1. Increase ventilation
2. Let airflow from the room
3. Use a small bowl for water
4. Use a dehumidifier/ heat emitter
5. Change substrate
6. Change plants
7. Placement of water dish
8. Dry rice

1. Increase ventilation

The buildup of air causes condensation inside the enclosure which eventually increases the humidity level. Hence you need to use a source through which air can pass easily via the route from the enclosure.

You can use a mesh top that provides an excellent source for air to pass. You can also use a USB fan to allow the airflow to occur.

If you choose to keep the door of the enclosure open, make sure you never leave the place. The reason for this is that your Leopard Gecko might flee from the enclosure once it gets a chance. Hence you need to be very careful if you choose this option.

2. Let airflow from the room

Sometimes even if the air of the enclosure gets removed, the air of the room stays in the same place. This also allows the humidity buildup inside the tank.

You can prevent this humidity from increasing by keeping the window open for a while every day. Thus, air will pass through the window.

You can alternatively place a fan outside the enclosure so that air circulates around that place but does not allow the humidity to rise up.

You can choose an HVAC system ( Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) to improve air circulation around the room.

Choosing a dehumidifier can help you the best as it is functioned to reduce humidity in the room.

Most of these options are really effective at decreasing the humidity level but these are not cost-effective solutions. Hence to choose a cost-effective solution, you can go for a mini dehumidifier, such as the Eva-dry E-333 Renewable dehumidifier which is perfect for reptiles and also cost-effective.

3. Use a small bowl for water

Sometimes when you use a big bowl for giving water to your Leopard gecko, this can contribute to the increase of humidity level inside the enclosure.

As the excess amount of water cannot be finished at once by your Gecko, hence the leftover water starts evaporating and thus builds up the humidity too.

For this reason, you can choose a small water dish so that it does not cause this problem. But you always need to keep giving water in the bowl to keep your Gecko hydrated.

4. Use a dehumidifier/ heat emitter

A dehumidifier or heat emitter both can help in reducing the humidity of the enclosure. You can choose a ceramic heat emitter to efficiently remove heat from the enclosure but the temperature will rise a bit.

The Simple deluxe heat emitter helps to reduce humidity by not emitting any light in the process. Hence your Gecko’s sleep cycle does not get hampered in the process.

However, the lamp surface temperature is very high hence place it in a way that a reasonable distance is maintained between the lamp and your Leopard gecko.

5. Change substrate

The substrate can also play a role in excess humidity in the enclosure. For example, soil holds more moisture than paper substrate. In these cases, you can choose alternative substrates that do not have the capability to increase humidity in any way, such as paper towels, carpets for reptiles, etc.

6. Change plants

Plants can perform respiration from which water also is produced which helps in increasing humidity in the enclosure. The plants in the tank should be replaced with fake or artificial plants. This way the humidity will not increase and at the same time, it will help in maintaining a natural habitat inside the enclosure.

7. Placement of water dish

The water dish in the enclosure should not be placed around the warm side. This helps in the evaporation of water which eventually leads to increased humidity in the environment.

The water dish should be placed somewhere cool where evaporation will not occur/ occur so slowly that it does not affect the humidity level of the environment.

8. Dry rice

Dry rice is a great source to soak water from the surroundings. Putting dry rice in socks can help in dropping the level of humidity by 5-10% which helps to maintain the optimum humidity in the enclosure.

How To Measure Humidity In Leopard Gecko’s Tank?

You can measure the humidity level of Leopard Gecko’s tank using a hygrometer. A hygrometer is a device that gives readings of humidity levels in the tank.

A hygrometer with a probe helps in getting accurate readings and thus allows you to know the exact humidity inside the enclosure.

Place two to three hygrometers on the opposite side of each other as it gives different readings according to the cool, warm, or middle side of the enclosure.

The probe should be placed in the middle, away from water dishes or plants. This setting will give perfect humidity ratings of the enclosure and you can measure the humidity level and regulate it as per as your Leopard Gecko needs.

Do Leopard Geckos Need A Humidifier?

Leopard geckos do need a humidifier for their tank as it helps to maintain a humidity level which is 30-40% inside the enclosure. The Reptile Fogger Humidifier is an example of a humidifier that helps in keeping a moist environment and keeps your Leopard gecko hydrated and can be used for a long time.

How To Know If The Tank Is Too Humid?

You can get an idea if the tank is too humid by using a hygrometer or seeing some signs.

The hygrometer device helps you to know the accurate humidity level inside an enclosure. If the reading goes above 40%, you will know that the tank has become too humid.

When an enclosure becomes too humid, the tank starts to look foggy or water droplets form inside the tank that can be clearly visible from the naked eye. These two signs can also help you to know if the tank is too humid or not.

Sometimes a weird musty odor may roam around the house or the tank due to excessive humidity.

The increased humidity allows the growth of molds or fungal growth, which is another indication of excessive humidity in the enclosure.

How Much Humidity Do Leopard Geckos Need?

The optimum humidity that a Leopard Gecko requires is 30-40%. Above this humidity can cause respiratory issues, skin disease-related issues, and more. The fungal growth that occurs due to excess humidity can also affect your Gecko’s health.

However, sometimes 70-80% humidity might help the Leopard Gecko shed skin. But it should be kept only for the shedding process. Once it ends, the humidity should be regulated back to the optimum level.

Can Leopard Geckos Survive High Humidity?

Leopard geckos do get stressed due to excess or high humidity inside the enclosure. When there is high humidity in the tank, it affects the health of the Gecko and also stresses it out.

The formation of mold or fungus can create different diseases in your Leopard Gecko very easily. The over-moisturized temperature can create respiratory problems in your Gecko as well.

Should A Leopard Gecko’s Tank Be Humid?

The tank of the Leopard Gecko should be 30-40% humid so that it matches the dry or semi-dry area of nature.

You can increase the humidity of the tank by using a humidifier, a large water dish, and lowering the air ventilation. These three processes will help in providing enough humidity inside the tank and make it livable for your Leopard Gecko.

Why Is The Humidity So High In My Leopard Gecko Tank?

The reason why your Leopard Gecko tank has high humidity is that it does not have a dehumidifier or proper air ventilation. Both of the processes cause high humidity buildup in the tank and makes your Leopard Gecko uncomfortable.

Final Words

Humidity is necessary for the survival of the Leopard Gecko in the tank. However, the humidity level should be optimum otherwise it can create a lot of health-related issues in Leopard Gecko. There are several ways to reduce humidity inside your Leopard Gecko’s tank. Following these processes, you can easily maintain optimum humidity inside your Leopard gecko’s enclosures. Thus, you can ensure a better and healthier environment for your Leopard Gecko.