Humidity and misting?

[Jeffweystan]

Hi, I have had my Russian tortoise for almost two months. I try to keep the tank humidity around 40-50% but It keeps dropping lower. If I don’t most the tank twice a day it will drop to 20-30%. I have two water bowls at different ends of my tank and I dont know what else to do to keep the humidity up. I have been debating about buying a reptile misting system that would most a couple times a day but not at night. Would it be okay to have a misting system or are there other options to keep the humidity higher?

 

[Tom]

Hi, I have had my Russian tortoise for almost two months. I try to keep the tank humidity around 40-50% but It keeps dropping lower. If I don’t most the tank twice a day it will drop to 20-30%. I have two water bowls at different ends of my tank and I dont know what else to do to keep the humidity up. I have been debating about buying a reptile misting system that would most a couple times a day but not at night. Would it be okay to have a misting system or are there other options to keep the humidity higher?

What sort of enclosure?
What substrate? Is it damp?

To keep humidity higher, reduce ventilation.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello! If a tank has a mesh top you won't be able to keep the humidity high enough. Just put some tape on vents and cover the top with a tote box, for example. Then it would be enough to pour some water in the corners every few days to keep lower substrate layer damp and maintain humidity.

From your post in Introductions I assume you have a glass tank and orchid bark substrate. Right? How large is the tank?

 

[wellington]

A tank? How big? You have an adult Russian and he needs a minimum of a 4x8 foot enclosure.
If you dampen the bottom layer of substrate, leaving the top fairly dry, it should hold the humidity without having to mist it a couple times a day
Pour a little bit of warm water into the corners. This should dampen the bottom. But also improve the enclosure size.

 

[Jeffweystan]

A tank? How big? You have an adult Russian and he needs a minimum of a 4x8 foot enclosure.
If you dampen the bottom layer of substrate, leaving the top fairly dry, it should hold the humidity without having to mist it a couple times a day
Pour a little bit of warm water into the corners. This should dampen the bottom. But also improve the enclosure size.

It is a 60 gallon tank with dimensions 48x18x16. Thank you for the tips, I will try that. For now he is still small and young but I will eventually get a bigger enclosure.

 

[Jeffweystan]

Hello! If a tank has a mesh top you won't be able to keep the humidity high enough. Just put some tape on vents and cover the top with a tote box, for example. Then it would be enough to pour some water in the corners every few days to keep lower substrate layer damp and maintain humidity.

From your post in Introductions I assume you have a glass tank and orchid bark substrate. Right? How large is the tank?

I have a 60 gallon 48x18x16 tank. It has a mesh top and currently I have towels on it where the lights aren’t.

 

[wellington]

It is a 60 gallon tank with dimensions 48x18x16. Thank you for the tips, I will try that. For now he is still small and young but I will eventually get a bigger enclosure.

Where did you purchase him from? If you got him from a pet store then he is older than three. He looks older than 3 too.
Which if that's the case, you got him from a pet store, then it's an adult and needs a bigger enclosure. If purchased from a breeder, then it could be 3

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I have a 60 gallon 48x18x16 tank. It has a mesh top and currently I have towels on it where the lights aren’t.

It's better to cover with something which doesn't absorb water, doesn't mold and resistant to fire. Aluminium foil is the easiest way to go and it could be cut around lights to cover the whole surface.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

MISTKING is by far the top-of-the-line misting system. So much better than the rest that I wouldn't even consider a different brand. And I'd be recommending it IF we were talking about Chameleons or Dart frogs or something along those lines. But for a tortoise, misting is an unnecessary inconvenience and a mister is an unneeded expense.
Close off the enclosure. It keeps warmth and humidity inside.