African Sulcata Indoor Enclosure

[Ezarate]

I'm planning on building a new enclosure like the picture below in our spare bedroom. I know humidity is always a concern. I was told to make him a little box he can go into to sleep and inside of that to place a mister, that and give him baths every other day. The only thing I'll do different from the enclosure reference is putting in Pond Liner to make it easy to clean. I was also going to use cheap clean potting soil as a substrate. Any suggestions?

I'm not going to go into details of why I cant make an outdoor enclosure.

 

[Tim Carlisle]

You are going to want to cover the top to maintain a humidity level of at least 80%. The sides of that enclosure are too low to accomodate a simple cover, so if your heart is set on that particular enclosure, you'll need to get inventive to raise the top enough to accomodate the lighting and heat sources which should be located within the enclosure unobstructed.

 

[Tom]

You'd be much better off building a large closed chamber. Essentially the same thing but with sides, a top, and a back. Make some sliding or hinged doors for the front, and hang all the heating and lighting inside. This will make it very easy and efficient to keep it warm, and cut way back on your power bill, while offering excellent stable conditions for your tortoise. Open tops never work unless the entire room stays 80-85 degrees and super humid all the time.

 

[Ezarate]

You are going to want to cover the top to maintain a humidity level of at least 80%. The sides of that enclosure are too low to accomodate a simple cover, so if your heart is set on that particular enclosure, you'll need to get inventive to raise the top enough to accomodate the lighting and heat sources which should be located within the enclosure unobstructed.

im always getting a mixed of responses with keeping it enclosed for humidity or just keeping it open. Also do you know of any good humidifiers? I used the zoomed mister but it stops working after a month of use every time.

 

[Tom]

im always getting a mixed of responses with keeping it enclosed for humidity or just keeping it open. Also do you know of any good humidifiers? I used the zoomed mister but it stops working after a month of use every time.

You shouldn't need a mister or humidifier. I don't like to run those. My preference is to contain the good air, rather than constantly trying to replenish it as it floats up and away into the room.

 

[Tim Carlisle]

Also....consider

im always getting a mixed of responses with keeping it enclosed for humidity or just keeping it open. Also do you know of any good humidifiers? I used the zoomed mister but it stops working after a month of use every time.

Reptifoggers work ok. If your enclosure is set up properly and your substrate kept moist, you may not even need a fogger. Just mist a couple or few times per day. That said, you might not want to use the potting soil for substrate. Too messy IMHI. Consider using something like orchid moss et al.

 

[Blackdog1714]

Once you have your closed chamber running you just add add some hot water daily to the substrate and humidity will easily hold at 80-90%. I had just added the cypress and did a 15 minute misting with
hot water (132 degrees). It jumped from 49% no water added to 83 % in the full enclosure with 90% +. I just do a daily misting of about 3 minutes to maintain this humidity. BTW I have a Leopard

 

[Tim Carlisle]

Once you have your closed chamber running you just add add some hot water daily to the substrate and humidity will easily hold at 80-90%. I had just added the cypress and did a 15 minute misting with
hot water (132 degrees). It jumped from 49% no water added to 83 % in the full enclosure with 90% +. I just do a daily misting of about 3 minutes to maintain this humidity. BTW I have a Leopard
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Gorgeous little leo!

 

[Maro2Bear]

Greetings. Maybe i missed it, but is this for a hatchling Sully or one much larger. As far as indoor enclosures & substrates, ive had much success with using the Cypress Mulch from Lowes. 2 cu ft of cypress for $3.00. Really hard to beat. I get a 5 gal bucket, thoroughly saturate the mulch, then fill up my sullys nightbox. Once saturated it really keeos the humidity levels up..

 

[Canadian Mojo]

im always getting a mixed of responses with keeping it enclosed for humidity or just keeping it open. Also do you know of any good humidifiers? I used the zoomed mister but it stops working after a month of use every time.

Because we have very hard water I use distilled water in my Zoo Med fogger and it's lasted for a year now.

If you have the same type of issue that might be the solution. Alternatively, frequent cleaning with vinegar or CLR might do the trick.

 

[Tony the Tort42]

Idea, build a pvc pipe frame around the enclosure, and drape a tarp over it to maintain humidity

 

[Blackdog1714]

Because we have very hard water I use distilled water in my Zoo Med fogger and it's lasted for a year now.

If you have the same type of issue that might be the solution. Alternatively, frequent cleaning with vinegar or CLR might do the trick.

With those distilled water is the best way to go. Anything else you get 3 months of life before it dies.

 

[Bikerchick]

You are going to want to cover the top to maintain a humidity level of at least 80%. The sides of that enclosure are too low to accomodate a simple cover, so if your heart is set on that particular enclosure, you'll need to get inventive to raise the top enough to accomodate the lighting and heat sources which should be located within the enclosure unobstructed.

I'm a little confused, I thought sulcatas did not need the high humidity like a red foot does? I've had a red foot for years but I recently acquired a Sulcata....

 

[Tim Carlisle]

I'm a little confused, I thought sulcatas did not need the high humidity like a red foot does? I've had a red foot for years but I recently acquired a Sulcata....

Lot of misinformation out there about them. Contrary to popular belief, they are not desert tortoises. Eggs are hatched during monsoon season when its very wet. They also spend much of their early years in humid burrows.

 

[Sue Ann]

Once you have your closed chamber running you just add add some hot water daily to the substrate and humidity will easily hold at 80-90%. I had just added the cypress and did a 15 minute misting with
hot water (132 degrees). It jumped from 49% no water added to 83 % in the full enclosure with 90% +. I just do a daily misting of about 3 minutes to maintain this humidity. BTW I have a Leopard
View attachment 287098View attachment 287099

Beautiful Leo