Baby Yellowfoot help

[Roose Bolton]

Hello everybody! So I just got my baby yellowfoot Montezuma (Monty) from the wonderful people over at The Turtle Source yesterday and I have some questions about lighting/humidity. I have him in a 30 gallon tank right now with cypress mulch substrate with about 3/4 of the tank having a layer of sphagnum moss over top. I just got a reptifogger in there today to try to keep humidity levels up (my one gauge says its around 90% and my other gauge says 60%... I think the one I got with the aquarium from the previous owner is broken though and just ordered a new one). The way the fogger covers everything in a white mist concerns me, though. Is that healthy? Is there any way to cut down on this or is it good? I am very concerned he doesn't get enough humidity in there and he HATES it when I use a spray bottle to mist. He hisses and jumps around when I use it and he is in there which is why I got the fogger in the first place, so I wouldn't have to traumatize him several times every day!

My second question is about lighting and heat. I have three lamps on top. One is a ceramic heat emitter (the large lamp in the center), a UVB fluorescent bulb and a halogen lamp for his basking (in the double domes) But I am wondering if maybe i have the wrong types of bulbs and/or if there would be a better way to set things up? I am attaching photos of his setup and of course one of the little dude chowing down on some spring mix.

(I apologize if this is a little disjointed. I just got off working a surprise double shift and am just very concerned for my little guy but also exhausted)

 

[dmmj]

@Yvonne G
@Jacqui can either of you help?

 

[Pearly]

Hello and welcome from Texas. Baby Monty is a cutie and looks like he's going to be a good eater. I keep the RF's so this same conditions apply as to the Yellowfoot. Ceramic heat emiters are awesome. I have one as well. Also got reptifogger after struggling with humidity for the first couple months and that pretty much fixed the problem. I can't tell from your pictures if you have something covering the top of the tank. Assuming that your lamps sit on top of the terrarium metal screen. Mine do too. If it's a large grade then it's ok but finer grade screens will filter out good deal of your UVB. Which brings me to another issue. Most members here don't like those coil type UVB lamps due to them potentially causing eye problems in baby torts. I have no experience with them but to be on the safe side I got the fluorescent tube for UVB, and separate basking incadescent bulb. I struggled with keeping humidity in my tank until i covered the top of mine with Reflectix (fire / electricity safe insulation material that I had found at Home Depot in construction isle. This has also helped me keep consistent temp regardless of what room temperatures where, the tank warm humid air stop escaping upwards. And this brings me yet to another, probably the most important point: your TEMPERATURES! It is critical that with that fogger and high humidity the baby is kept nice and warm! At all times! No night time temp drops at all! Keep him at 80-81 all the time. Temps under the lights will be higher, mine usually run around 86-87 around the bright side, but ambient temp inside their dark humid hides are always 80-81. The substrate temps inside the hides is always 79F. My babies never used to bask, until now! They will be 2 yrs old in June. I hear that our forest species by nature don't like things very bright and very hot like desert animals. Mine always seek out shady spots or hide under vegetation or in dark corners. If you would like to see how I had finally figured out about covering my tank I made a thread about it with some pictures for new members who stuggle with this stuff at the beginnings like I did until finally after spending countless hrs walking down the isles of home improvement, pet garden and craft stores looking for ideas. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Pearly's-40-gal-tank--covered-top.139373/ hope I got this link attaching deal right. If not I'll try again. Anyway you are on a road of discovery now and in company of so many who share your passion. Enjoy your experience and enjoy your little Monty Looking forward to seeing your posts and lots of pictures

 

[Roose Bolton]

All right @Pearly I followed some of your advice and he seems much happier. I covered the tops with tin foil but I'm going to go to Lowes and get some of the top stuff that you used. I also have a new 55 gallon terrarium on the way because my coworker wants to get rid of one and is giving it to me free! Whoo! Since covering it the humidity and heat is much much more manageable! I also gave him a plant (fake) and he loves it!