Can't get my humidity levels up :(

[Max138]

So I recently brought home a redfoot about 1.5 years old. His name is Boris. The pet store made this seem much easier than it is and I've been struggling with keeping the heat and humidity levels consistent as we live in Chicago and winters are dry/cold. Right now he's in a wooden converted toy box that's just over 3 ft × 3ft with a lid.

First question is that I will be building him a new enclosure. I plan on having him free range in the apartment during the day. I was told at the pet store that he wouldn't need as large of an enclosure as if I kept him in there all the time as long as I made sure the enclosure was accessible to him with like a door/ramp situation for him to get in and out. What size enclosure would he need?

The pet store gave me only wood chips for him but I've been seeing substrate is a thing? Is there something I should have under the chips to help retain moisture? Our humidity has been up and down. I put together a humid box with the sphegma? (I can't remember the name of the top of my head)... moss box which will get to 80% but drops over time. I'm sure the rest of the enclosure is much dryer. Also I feel like his night bulb which is ceramic isn't throwing enough heat. It's about 13 inches above the ground. Night time Temps without the other daytime lamp drop to about 70/75 and I worry because his humid box isn't staying warm enough to keep it humid and I don't want him sick. I was wondering if a tank heating pad from the petstore under his humid box at night will help keep it warm and humid?

Also he gets nightly soaks in his own tub. I have a seating ledge in my shower that doesn't get sprayed bu the shower and I put his tub up there and run the shower to create steam and he hangs in there for about 30 minutes every night although he's not a fan.

 

[lisa127]

First thing he needs is a totally enclosed habitat or you will just lose all heat and humidity. I use a portable greenhouse.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008QUSJCW/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
Mine is a bit older and larger than yours. But the greenhouse allows me to keep humidity in. For now you can cover that wooden box with clear plastic sheeting or clear shower curtain.

 

[wellington]

Also free roaming your house is a very dangerous and improper way to house a tortoise and way too cold at floor level. I too am in Chicago and my 5 year old leopards are housed in a heated enclosed third stall of a garage. Yours being younger and smaller for now you can house in smaller area, but it should still be at least a 3 or 4 by 6 or 8 for winter housing

 

[Anyfoot]

So I recently brought home a redfoot about 1.5 years old. His name is Boris. The pet store made this seem much easier than it is and I've been struggling with keeping the heat and humidity levels consistent as we live in Chicago and winters are dry/cold. Right now he's in a wooden converted toy box that's just over 3 ft × 3ft with a lid.

First question is that I will be building him a new enclosure. I plan on having him free range in the apartment during the day. I was told at the pet store that he wouldn't need as large of an enclosure as if I kept him in there all the time as long as I made sure the enclosure was accessible to him with like a door/ramp situation for him to get in and out. What size enclosure would he need?

The pet store gave me only wood chips for him but I've been seeing substrate is a thing? Is there something I should have under the chips to help retain moisture? Our humidity has been up and down. I put together a humid box with the sphegma? (I can't remember the name of the top of my head)... moss box which will get to 80% but drops over time. I'm sure the rest of the enclosure is much dryer. Also I feel like his night bulb which is ceramic isn't throwing enough heat. It's about 13 inches above the ground. Night time Temps without the other daytime lamp drop to about 70/75 and I worry because his humid box isn't staying warm enough to keep it humid and I don't want him sick. I was wondering if a tank heating pad from the petstore under his humid box at night will help keep it warm and humid?

Also he gets nightly soaks in his own tub. I have a seating ledge in my shower that doesn't get sprayed bu the shower and I put his tub up there and run the shower to create steam and he hangs in there for about 30 minutes every night although he's not a fan.

Hi there.

There should be no temps less than 80f. Ideally you want 82f to 88f. Humidity wants to be around 80%. I use coco coir as the substrate, I also have spagnhum moss piled up that they hide in. This is also a great way for the carapace(shell) to keep humid.
So put a layer of orchid bark ontop of the coco coir. I would advise you cover half the coco coir with orchid bark.
Redfoots at a young age don't like bright lights and no basking spot is required.
So set up a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) at one end on a thermostat. Set at 88f. At the opposite cooler end hopefully you will get around 80/82f. For light use a uvb strip bulb around half the length of your enclosure. Put it towards the same end as your heat CHE. So your cooler end will also be darker.
If you don't fully cover your enclosure heat and humidity will be lost, and cost you alot more electricity.
My coco coir with spaghnum moss on is around 4 to 5" deep. They dig in so I can only just see the carapace sometimes.

If you tort is not humid it will grow with pyramiding on its carapace.

Do you have a photo of your enclosure? Always check temp and humidity at tort level, not 3" above your tort.

There are many other ways to care for your juvenile redfoot, this is the way I'm doing it and up to now had no problems. (Touch wood)


Finally. WELCOME.

 

[J H]

I rescued an adult redfoot a year or two ago. I'm in Minnesota so similar probs to yours. BUILD A CLOSED CHAMBER!! I struggled with heat and humidity with no luck. I built a 3.5 x 7 if I remember right. I have a uvb tube light on one side and a 100 watt Che on a thermostat on the other. I stay at 85 degrees on average and 80+ humidity without any issues. I no longer have to mess with it at all. Get it dialed in and you are done. I have a few inches of organic soil and the Cyprus mulch over that.

 

[J H]

Don't know why pics doubled Sorry. Ps all plants except palm tree have been totally destroyed by Bob. Took about 3 days but he did it

 

[christinaland128]

I made my own fogger with a crane humidifier and some vinyl tubing. But you can't accomplish good humidity unless your enclosure is enclosed. I had decent humidity with a partially closed enclosure, but now that it's fully enclosed I get amazing humidity. https://instagram.com/p/BAxxygDnZ1q/