Humidity Level low?

[rei2rei]

Last year I adopted a radiated tortoise. This is my first tortoise! So, I'm constantly researching in hopes that I'm doing everything right!

He's pretty small. So, he’s currently living in a 20g glass aquarium. His temps are always around 80-90 degrees and his humidity levels pretty much stay at 50%. Is that a high enough humidity for him? Or should it be higher?

I use the Zoo Med Coconut Fiber as his substrate and wet it every morning. What else can I do to make the humidity higher if needed? I couldn’t find any information if radiated tortoises are prone to shell rot and am a bit worried about his constant wet substrate."

 

[wellington]

Yes, try to get the humidity to 70-80%. Have not heard of anyone having shell rot problems on rads.
To help raise humidity, cover the top of enclosure if it's not and add more plants or mist more often

 

[rei2rei]

Yes, try to get the humidity to 70-80%. Have not heard of anyone having shell rot problems on rads.
To help raise humidity, cover the top of enclosure if it's not and add more plants or mist more often

Thank you! Would adding a humidifier near the tank be a good idea? I'm going to try to add more plants in this weekend!

 

[wellington]

A warm air humidifier in the tank would help or attach a hose to it and have it go into the tank. Just in the room near it won't make a lot of difference.

 

[Sterant]

This past December I adopted a 3 year old radiated tortoise. This is my first tortoise! So, I'm constantly researching in hopes that I'm doing everything right!

He wasn’t cared for properly before I got him and is stunted in growth. He's VERY small. So, he’s currently living in a 20g glass aquarium. His temps are always around 80-90 degrees and his humidity levels pretty much stay at 50%. Is that a high enough humidity for him? Or should it be higher?

I use the Zoo Med Coconut Fiber as his substrate and wet it every morning. What else can I do to make the humidity higher if needed? I couldn’t find any information if radiated tortoises are prone to shell rot and am a bit worried about his constant wet substrate.

Can you send a picture of your tortoise and your enclosure? And what is very small? Can you provide a length and a weight?

 

[tortoiseplanet]

Yes, try to get the humidity to 70-80%. Have not heard of anyone having shell rot problems on rads.
To help raise humidity, cover the top of enclosure if it's not and add more plants or mist more often

How do you cover the top and still allow the uvb and heat bulbs to be effective? I was thinking of a glass or mesh cover. Although the glass will filter the uvb, and the mesh will release the humidity, leaving them both ineffective. Not sure how closed chambers really work with that in mind.

 

[wellington]

All that has to be inside the enclosure. Cuz yes, glass, mesh, plastic will all block the uvb and/or heat

 

[rei2rei]

Can you send a picture of your tortoise and your enclosure? And what is very small? Can you provide a length and a weight?

Attached is the enclosure. The UV light is on one side and I have a 60w heat lamp on the other. I keep a washcloth covering the mesh in the middle.

 

[Sterant]

Attached is the enclosure. The UV light is on one side and I have a 60w heat lamp on the other. I keep a washcloth covering the mesh in the middle.

That setup is going to be difficult to work with and get things right. You want all of the lights as @wellington mentioned inside the enclosure, but that tank is too small. Ideally you would want something with a front door so the top can be fixed and access is through the door. Do you have the ability to build a big box out of plywood? If so there are plenty of instructional threads on this forum on building closed chambers.

 

[wellington]

What you can do. Wrap the top of the lights/heat with tin foil. Not right, but where if plastic touched it, it would touch the tin foil, which will keep the plastic from melting. Then rig up a tent of plastic over the whole thing.
You can also wrap the whole lid in tin foil. Cut holes where the light/heat needs to shine/heat thru. Make the holes just a little bit bigger then the bulbs not the fixture.

 

[rei2rei]

What you can do. Wrap the top of the lights/heat with tin foil. Not right, but where if plastic touched it, it would touch the tin foil, which will keep the plastic from melting. Then rig up a tent of plastic over the whole thing.
You can also wrap the whole lid in tin foil. Cut holes where the light/heat needs to shine/heat thru. Make the holes just a little bit bigger then the bulbs not the fixture.

I will try the tin foil method tonight. If I just cover the mesh with tin foil and cut holes for the lights, will that work? He wont suffocate by doing this, right? It's a safe procedure? For some reason it worries me!

 

[wellington]

Cover the whole mesh cover in tin foil. Cut holes thru tin foil and mesh. Just a little bigger then the bulbs or Che. Set the light/heat domes over the holes on the tin foil.
Yes, it is safe. I use mostly plastic boxes for my hatchlings. I use tin foil all the time to keep the lights and heat from melting the plastic.

 

[Tom]

Here are some examples of closed chambers:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/our-new-closed-chamber-for-our-new-group-of-tortoises.138430/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/2015-growth-experiment.119874/
http://www.apcages.com/home/terrestrial/terrestrial.htm