Hello all! I've been redoing my substrate, when I discovered heavy water damage (presumably from the moist coco coir and general humidity of the air) on the bottom. My enclosure is a unique one, (pics can be found on my profile, I believe) but I'd like to keep this idealogy and apply it to my next iteration of this.
As I'm going off to uni in the fall, I want to get as large of a head start as I can. This is to make sure that I can leave my tortoise's enclosure almost completely self sustaining, with maintenance ~once a week to not bog my parents down too much with Herb (my Russian).
Things I'd like to have in his enclosure, in no particular order, are:
A timed misting system**
A waterfall feature that keeps the water running*
A clean-up crew (I already have these, I'm working on starting the culture of dwarf whites and springtails)
A couple of natural, integrated hides, and a few removable ones.
Live(?) plants (in removable plant holsters in case of damage via tort).***
Timed lighting (already have figured out)
Sliding or swinging plexiglass (or similar material) front panels (lockable, but it's very important to me to not get these scratched by the locks)
A way to prevent water damage in the future (a wood sealant, some sort of expanding foam?)
Should be noted that he doesn't burrow, not to the point of being completely covered by substrate at least. He also doesn't brumate.
* I'm not talking like Niagara falls, but something to either trickle or pour into a reservoir or bowl like object, to allow for less evaporation (as water will be moving a bit), his waste to get swept away, and for him to bathe as much as his heart desires.
** I've got a clean up crew that I'm working on getting larger, so I need the humidity to be on the higher side (40-60%). Don't want these guys drying out!
*** What type of plants can I put in with a Russian? I know I can do succulents, but at the same time I'd think the humidity at ~50% would be too high for those?
Please, anyone who has any ideas give me a shout! I've got a few ideas, but different perspectives are ALWAYS appreciated.
For those who're already typing "you don't need a misting system for a tortoise, you don't need a water feature for a tortoise", please keep in mind my mother isn't the most fond of scooping dung or spraying water mist, and I'm trying to make this the least maintenance needed for my parents, who are already doing me a massive favor by agreeing to keep him alive and well.
Thank you for your time and effort.
As I'm going off to uni in the fall, I want to get as large of a head start as I can. This is to make sure that I can leave my tortoise's enclosure almost completely self sustaining, with maintenance ~once a week to not bog my parents down too much with Herb (my Russian).
Things I'd like to have in his enclosure, in no particular order, are:
A timed misting system**
A waterfall feature that keeps the water running*
A clean-up crew (I already have these, I'm working on starting the culture of dwarf whites and springtails)
A couple of natural, integrated hides, and a few removable ones.
Live(?) plants (in removable plant holsters in case of damage via tort).***
Timed lighting (already have figured out)
Sliding or swinging plexiglass (or similar material) front panels (lockable, but it's very important to me to not get these scratched by the locks)
A way to prevent water damage in the future (a wood sealant, some sort of expanding foam?)
Should be noted that he doesn't burrow, not to the point of being completely covered by substrate at least. He also doesn't brumate.
* I'm not talking like Niagara falls, but something to either trickle or pour into a reservoir or bowl like object, to allow for less evaporation (as water will be moving a bit), his waste to get swept away, and for him to bathe as much as his heart desires.
** I've got a clean up crew that I'm working on getting larger, so I need the humidity to be on the higher side (40-60%). Don't want these guys drying out!
*** What type of plants can I put in with a Russian? I know I can do succulents, but at the same time I'd think the humidity at ~50% would be too high for those?
Please, anyone who has any ideas give me a shout! I've got a few ideas, but different perspectives are ALWAYS appreciated.
For those who're already typing "you don't need a misting system for a tortoise, you don't need a water feature for a tortoise", please keep in mind my mother isn't the most fond of scooping dung or spraying water mist, and I'm trying to make this the least maintenance needed for my parents, who are already doing me a massive favor by agreeing to keep him alive and well.
Thank you for your time and effort.