Humidity issues

Status
Not open for further replies.

teneb

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2008
Messages
23
Hi all,
I bought my first greek and I have him on ~70/30 topsoil sand. I'm a little concerned because the humidity is 40% during the day (which is OK) but it gets up to 70% at night! I've had a dehumidifier running to try and dry out the topsoil (which is where I think some of that humidity is coming from). It's also CRAZY humid in MN right now, but the airconditioner is helping with that.

I currently have Watson in a 20gallon long tank while I have a tortoise table built. Perhaps the increased surface area of the table will mitigate the problem?
 

Crazy1

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 21, 2007
Messages
6,068
Location (City and/or State)
Inland Empire, CA
teneb, when I had yearling DT in a tank the humidity was high. I bought a hanging dehumidifier for the closet. hung it in their tank much higher than they could reach it and it worked fine. Brought the humidity down to a resonable level in a few hours. Glass is noted for holding humidity so that may be one of your problems. Once I placed them in a tort table I had no more problems. Also, if you think your substrate is holding humidity place some in a cookie sheet in the oven and dry it out. Then when cool replace with what is in there now..
 

teneb

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2008
Messages
23
I just noticed one more thing that now has me worried. I've noticed that when Watson is just handing out, he sometimes does what I've started referring to "the chicken dance"....he'll have his head and lets partially out, but then twitch, drawing his head and legs in a little bit.

Kind of cute, but I noticed that when he...convulses...like that, a little bubble comes out of one of his nostrils. He doesn't have any sort of discharge, it's only when he exhales. I'm a little paranoid about respiratory infections now.
 

Crazy1

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 21, 2007
Messages
6,068
Location (City and/or State)
Inland Empire, CA
Teneb, what type of top soil did you use? He may be having a little trouble breathing due to the high humidity and that is what caused the bubble. Or he may be reacting to the topsoil? Is it organic? Does it have a smell. My organic topsoil had chicken poo and smelled horrible. I placed it outside for a day or two and placed my adult Greek in it but found he wouldn't settle. I got down to his level and the smell was strong. So I took him out until the smell dissipated. Now he is doing fine (used in an outdoor pen). Not sure if this would have anything to do with your little one. But you might think of placing s/him on shredded aspen. It is drier and there is less organisms in it to worry about. My small Greeks are now all on Aspen, and doing very well.
 

teneb

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2008
Messages
23
Thank you, I really appreciate the advice. I may try moving him to Coco Bark while he's in the glass aquarium.

I'm using just plain hum-drum topsoil from a bag I got at Wal-Mart and mixed it with play sand. I didn't sterilize or bake it. I may try that when his turtle table is done just to dry the soil out.

He's running around, acting like a happy little tortoise so I don't think he's distressed at all. All the same, I'll take steps to get him on a table ASAP.

Thanks again!
 

Crazy1

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 21, 2007
Messages
6,068
Location (City and/or State)
Inland Empire, CA
teneb, just make sure if you use coco bark mix it with playsand this helps keep it a little dryer. Also If you just picked up some topsoil from Wal-Mart was it Organic? If not it may have fertilizer or chemicals that will hurt your little one-you may not see the effects right away. If you are not sure it was organic, I would (my personal opinion) take it out and just place him on newspapers until you get something that is organic or more suitable. Even Tort carpet is better than something with chemicals or fertilizers in it.
 

teneb

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2008
Messages
23
Update: switching to CoCo bark has helped the humidity issue. Watson still has the occassional nose bubble but doesn't seem too bothered by it. We'll keep an eye on him all the same.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top