Temp/Humidity Problem

I am having problems with the temps/humidity in my BP enclosure.

I currently have them in a 29-long with a screen top. There is an UTH on one end, and I was using a heat lamp as supplemental heat. I had one of those sticky thermometers on the side right above my substrate, and my temps were in the mid-80s, however i needed to mist 2 or 3 times daily to keep the humidity at a decent level.

I recently got another thermometer with a probe and the basking temp on the substrate measured at 99.2. I turned the heat lamp off, and have maintained a stable basking temp of 84-87, and my humidity is staying at 45-60% without misting, but my ambient temps are staying at about 72.

I tried covering 3/4 of the top with a piece of wood, and it has done nothing for the ambient temps.

If anyone has any suggestions as to what I can do, or what worked for them, it'd be great. I am currently in the process of building new wood enclosures for all my pets, but it's a time consuming process and it'll be a few weeks before every thing gets finished and my new thermostats and heat tape arrive. Until them I need to be able to keep them as comfortable as possible in their current homes.

Thanks.

I would use a sheet of plexi glass to cover about 3/4 of the screen top, or even aluminum foil taped to it to keep the humidy where it should be. Also leave the lamp on with the proper wattage to keep the ambiant temperature up, AFTER hooking the UTH to a thermostat or rheostat so that the bottom of the enclosure above the heater is at 90 degrees. That should do it. What are you using as substrait?

I've been using aspen shavings, but had the same problem with some other substrates as well.

You will be hard pressed to maintain suitable ambient temps in a glass aquarium during the winter while using only a UTH. Room temps are cool, and the glass doesn't retain heat all that well. You have a couple of options. You can use a lower wattage light or ceramic heat emitter to increase overall temps (will also add to the drying effect), and/or you could "insulate" the tank. I have used styrofoam which is butt ugly, but fairly effective. There is also Reflectix,which is sold by the roll at places like Lowe's or Home Depot (probably also online, but I haven't seen it cheap enough to make it worth shipping when it can be purchased locally. If you are concerned about humidity loss, using a moisture retentive substrate (mulch, cocofiber) and some form of moisture barrier at the top will probably be your best bet. With the open style of an aquarium, it is a common issue.