New waterdish, different behavior.

[Elohi]

I put a new, bigger terra cota water dish in the trio enclosure and I got some attitude for it. Humidity dropped to 61% and temp dropped to 84 while I had the lid partially off the enclosure. I put the water dish in the exact same place as the previous smaller one but I had to dig out a little substrate to get it level with the substrate. I thought ahead to feed them one of their favorite foods before hand so they wouldn't be in my way like they usually are when I need to work in their enclosure. This didn't seem to matter. Beans was the first to start bulldozing through the enclosure as fast as her little dinosaur legs would take her. Back and forth, bulldozing the food dish. Then she just wouldn't stay out of the dish while I was replacing the rocks around it. Totally in the way. Watson and freckles both seemed to suddenly be more energetic as well but mostly stayed out of my way. Then after I was done and the lid was returned to it's normal position, they all three sat in their dandelion feast and just stared up at me. I swear of tortoises could talk, they would have been telling me that they disapprove of the minor chamber change. They looked like glaring statues until I would move and their eyes would follow me with the slightest turn of head. I sat and ate my lunch with baby tortoises staring me down. Strangest lunch ever. So I don't know if it was the dish change or the sudden change in the humidity and temp that caused the behaviors but it was interesting.


Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

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Oh and that reminds me. Their substrate has become completely saturated with water from trying to keep the humidity up. I spray the enclosure and the torts several times a day, 3x minimum. The substrate is like a soggy sponge. Is this a problem that I need to try and remedy? It just seems TOO wet.


Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

 

[gtc]

Elohi🌎(Earth)[TURTLE]

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Oh and that reminds me. Their substrate has become completely saturated with water from trying to keep the humidity up. I spray the enclosure and the torts several times a day, 3x minimum. The substrate is like a soggy sponge. Is this a problem that I need to try and remedy? It just seems TOO wet.


Elohi🌎(Earth)[TURTLE]
[/quote]

Soggy wet substrate is a problem. If you want to keep humidity up you need to make a closed chamber. A constantly wet substrate may cause shell rot.

 

[Saleama]

What I want to know is how you got Leopard torts with Sulcata personalities? My Leos are just pretty little rocks and only seem to have a personality in the bathtub. It is rare that I see them out and about. they mostly hide under the moss and don't even move when I spray it down.
Wet substrate they can not get off of might pose a bit of an issue but from what I have heard, this is not a species that is subject to shell rot and as long as the temps are good. There is a member that has his on swampy floors. I can't remember if it is Will or not?

 

[Elohi]

Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

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Oh and that reminds me. Their substrate has become completely saturated with water from trying to keep the humidity up. I spray the enclosure and the torts several times a day, 3x minimum. The substrate is like a soggy sponge. Is this a problem that I need to try and remedy? It just seems TOO wet.


Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

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Soggy wet substrate is a problem. If you want to keep humidity up you need to make a closed chamber. A constantly wet substrate may cause shell rot.
[/quote]

It's closed chamber but it doesn't not hold enough humidity without spray downs. I have held off spraying it down at all today. I just sprayed the torts until I fix this. It's it WAY too wet in there. Humidity is currently 82% and temp is 90 F after returning the lid. I'm hoping that comes up a bit with a larger water dish under their incandescent heat/light source.



Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

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I've been intending to get an ultrasonic humidifier, I'm not sure how that will affect the substrate. If may collect water as much as spraying it down? Not sure.


Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

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What I want to know is how you got Leopard torts with Sulcata personalities? My Leos are just pretty little rocks and only seem to have a personality in the bathtub. It is rare that I see them out and about. they mostly hide under the moss and don't even move when I spray it down.
Wet substrate they can not get off of might pose a bit of an issue but from what I have heard, this is not a species that is subject to shell rot and as long as the temps are good. There is a member that has his on swampy floors. I can't remember if it is Will or not?

LOL. I'm not sure but they sure are full of personality.


Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

 

[Levi the Leopard]

You must have holes in your chamber. You shouldn't have to spray so much that things get soggy. That's another reason I'm against humidifiers...they add too much water and unless you have somewhere for all that water to go, it fills up the enclosure.

Will is the one who added a drain in his.

My substrate is only damp and the top layer of moss is dry in both chambers. In my tub chamber, I went over a month without spraying and the humidity stayed in the 90s.

 

[Elohi]

Well I have holes for my two domes. They rest atop the plexiglas.
And there are two small vents inside the handles of the tote. As an experiment, I have put duck tape over them both.




Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

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You must have holes in your chamber. You shouldn't have to spray so much that things get soggy. That's another reason I'm against humidifiers...they add too much water and unless you have somewhere for all that water to go, it fills up the enclosure.

Will is the one who added a drain in his.

My substrate is only damp and the top layer of moss is dry in both chambers. In my tub chamber, I went over a month without spraying and the humidity stayed in the 90s.

Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

 

[Levi the Leopard]

You'll be surprised how even the smallest holes make a big difference.

 

[Tom]

What are you measuring humidity with?

I have also had trouble maintaining decent humidity when the lights are outside the enclosure like yours is. The heat creates a chimney effect and it draws your warm moist air up and out of the enclosure, sucking cooler drier air in at every little crack and crevice. I had to make closed chambers with the lamps inside to maintain decent humidity at my place.

 

[Elohi]

You'll be surprised how even the smallest holes make a big difference.

So far a percent of humidity loss since covering the vents. It's been an hour. I had hoped for a couple of percentage points up. -sigh- :-/

I had been planning on an enclosure addition. Doubling their space with another identical tote. Maybe I should go ahead and get the supplies and move them into the new one and let this one dry out some? I have a growing colony of rollie pollies do I don't want to toss all the substrate and lose too many of them.
Should I move them into a new identical enclosure for now while I work on this issue? I always have fantastic humidity when I change out substrate, probably because it's no completely packed down? What you y'all do?


Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

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What are you measuring humidity with?

I have also had trouble maintaining decent humidity when the lights are outside the enclosure like yours is. The heat creates a chimney effect and it draws your warm moist air up and out of the enclosure, sucking cooler drier air in at every little crack and crevice. I had to make closed chambers with the lamps inside to maintain decent humidity at my place.

A digital acurite.


Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

 

[Elohi]

I checked the humidity again and it's the same 81%
And I noticed a bunch of new baby pollies! (Again) lol. These are why I don't want to throw out the substrate and start over.



Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

 

[Elohi]

So I have discontinued spraying down the enclosure, for now. And I notice something. Humidity will drop to 81% during the day and increase to 87% at night. The difference is an incandescent 65w flood light during the day vs a incandescent black bulb for night. And a CHE on 24 hrs a day. They both maintain temps where I need them but the flood bulb lowers the humidity.
Interesting. I'm going to try and hit Home Depot today for a new tote and peat. And grab some coconut coir to mix it with in the new tote. Going to set them up in the new one and let their current one dry out some. It's sunny out today so I'll put it out partially covered, so no cats come and take a pee in it.


Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

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I may also get supplies to make an outdoor sunshine enclosure. I've been using a black concrete mixing tub and I'd like something nicer that I can plant dandelions in for cover and snacks.


Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

 

[lynnedit]

I like a tube fluorescent bulb like the Reptisun 5.0 or 10.0 and then a black bulb for heat (CHE would work too), in species that need more humidity.
Still nice an bright, but not so drying, it seems. But that might not work for Leos,not sure

Your enclosure looks moist. Are you sure your humidity monitor is accurate? Humidity does increase when temps go down.

I wonder how it would be if you put a layer of gravel down first, then substrate?

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What about a small cold frame set on a brick or treated wood base?

 

[Elohi]

My substrate is actually sopping wet so that's why I'm wanting to pull them out and out them into a new enclosure while I dry this one out, then I'm going to combine the two, for double the space. It's not big enough for 3 hatchling anymore, they are growing like weeds lol.


Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]

 

[lynnedit]

That way you can keep your rollie pollies!