Humidity

[klinej50]

Hi I know my humidity should be 80 for a leopard tort and it mainly stays at 75-80 but I spray the substrate to get it like this. I read something about shell rot and it's because wet substrate. Is it okay that I spray the substrate or should I change something?

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Re: RE: Humidity

Is it okay that I spray the substrate or should I change something?

Shell rot isn't as likely to happen with a Leopard. Regardless, you don't want the substrate saturated with water. Humidity is the water vapor in the air NOT how soggy the ground is. If you have to continually spray the enclosure to achieve the desired numbers, that means all your humidity is escaping.

My advice to you would be to find out where the humidity is escaping from and close that up.
In my tank converted to a closed chamber, the humidity stayed above 92% for almost 2 weeks. Then, yesterday all I did was dump the water dish and it went up to 99%. It will probably stay well above 80% for a few weeks without any spraying.

I'm sure others will chime in on how they would approach this.

Heather
Sent from my Android TFO app

 

[wellington]

The best way to keep humidity up is either a humidifier or pour the water into a corner of the enclosure. Will soak from underneath and keep top fairly dry. Then every so often stir it up so bottom is on top. Closing off the enclosure will also help.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Re: RE: Humidity

pour the water into a corner of the enclosure. Will soak from underneath and keep top dry.

This is a good tip for an open enclosure.


Heather
Sent from my Android TFO app

 

[klinej50]

I have a closed chamber that's why I don't know why my humidity isn't up. I spray it a couple times a day to keep it at 80. I have a heat lamp over the humid side as well.

 

[gieseygirly]

Perhaps your bulb is making it too hot, thus completing drying up the water in the air? My tortoises indoor enclosures are in a bedroom in which the door is never left open. I finally broke down and bought the Crane elephant room humidifier, and Oh My Gosh, what a difference. No problems with humidity now. I have a yearling Leopard in a very large open table and an older Russian in two Zoo Med tables. Obviously the Russian is on the opposite side of room due to not needing as much humidity. I use Zoo Med PowerSun bulbs and my leopard has a long baseboard heater that runs along the bottom of the table. The humidifier is on a plastic shelf which sit just above the top of the enclosure, and it's absolutely perfect!

 

[Tom]

If you have a closed chamber and are having to work that hard to keep humidity up, then there is an issue somewhere. Possibly too much ventilation, heat lamps creating a chimney effect, or your hygrometer might be off. Is it one of those stick on dial types? Those are not reliable at all. Get a digital one from any hardware store for about $10-20.

 

[klinej50]

Well I just recently added another heat lamp because it wasn't hot enough but I was still have problems before that. Also Tom what's a chimney affect?

---

My torts table is in an open part of the house so when I tried a humidifier it didn't work at all.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

If you have to spray daily to keep the numbers up, then it's not working right. You need to find the escape points and close them up.

The chimney effect is when the heat and humidity rises up and out of the holes at the top of the light domes the way smoke would rise up and out of a chimney. To solve this in my tank I used tape to cover the holes for the 7 watt light's dome and the 60 watt light's dome. the only 2 holes I left were the ones in the top of the dome for the CHE.

If I remember correctly you have a 2 part table. One half you covered and the other half is open, right? You can either fully enclose both sides or use a humidifier with a tube going directly into the enclosure. Maybe into the covered half.

Personally, I like the completely enclosed option.

 

[klinej50]

Yeah I do have the half and half. I think my humidity problems is because all the holes I have in my closed chamber. I will work on that today and get back at y'all.

 

[Tom]

Its not a "closed" chamber if half the top is open and there are holes in it.

 

[klinej50]

Well I have a humid side and there Is just a hole for the heat lamp

 

[Tom]

Well I have a humid side and there Is just a hole for the heat lamp

If the other half is open, you don't have as a humid a side as it might seem. I think your hygrometer and your need to add so much water all the time is confirming this. You have a partially covered open top, not closed chamber. Any opening is going to allow your heat and humidity to escape up into the room.

Have you seen this?
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-32333.html

 

[klinej50]

I haven't. I don't know how I would even go about building that. I'll try googling stuff and talk to my mom about building something like that. Thanks Tom hopefully that will fix my humidity problem.

 

[Tom]

Having a completely closed in chamber with the lights and heat contained inside will greatly lower the amount of electricity you are burning, completely solve your heat and humidity issues, and make it very easy to provide optimal conditions for your tortoise.

 

[klinej50]

Should the whole enclosure be closed?

 

[Tom]

That's how I do it, and I'll never raise sulcata or leopard babies any other way again. Some other species, like russians for example, don't need this, but its the only way to fly for tropical species.