Humidity

[MotherOfPearl]

Just wondering if anyone has suggestions for maintaining humidity in indoor hatchling habitats. I've seen some ZooMed and Exo Terra foggers and humidifiers, but am unsure what works best. I'm interested in getting a small humidifier of some sort, as I want to keep the humidity at higher levels while my tortoise is still a baby. So far I've been maintaining humidity by hand but it doesn't work so well, even when covering the top of the enclosure, and is becoming increasingly impractical - so I'm definitely looking for alternatives.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

2 words for you that will make your life easy.

CLOSED CHAMBER

For a species needing high humidity (Redfoot, young Leopards, young Sulcata) this is a cost effective, energy efficient, low maintenance way of providing the perfect hot and humid conditions.

You didn't mention what species you have. ??

If you have one of the 3 I listed above then please read up on closed chambers. It can make your life so easy.

Sent from my TFOapp

 

[MotherOfPearl]

She is a ~2 month old Eastern Hermann's

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Thanks for clarifying the species.

I don't know about your species. Hopefully those keepers will chime on how to manage humidity

Sent from my TFOapp

 

[Tom]

Closed chambers work well for ANY species. It is easy to maintain humidity at ANY level, even lower levels, if that is what you desire. Having an open top will be a never ending, never winnable battle for you.

 

[bigmoe530]

After reading some suggestions for a DIY mister/humidifier I was able to put together one. I had and old Sharper Image humidifier with a round circle opening (most do not have a single outlet but a grid type).
I had some 1/2' PVC and necessary elbows to connect it to my torts box. I haven't figured out the timing but it raised the humidity from 55% to 80% in less than an hour. Attached are 3 pix that show the build. Please comment.

 

[bigmoe530]

OOPS I forgot to attached the pix. Here they are

 

[MotherOfPearl]

Is yours a closed chamber? Or do you have gaps to make way for the PVC tube? I saw a tutorial for making your own humidifier out of a water bottle and a fish tank air pump so I think I may try it out before I buy anything. I have a screen top but I've started laying a towel over most of it.

 

[zenoandthetortoise]

I've used an aquarium pump with an air stone in a water bottle but the additional humidity 3-5% gain wasn't worth the effort. Once I built a plexiglas cover, misting periodically with a hand sprayer is all that's needed.

 

[WillTort2]

What is your substrate?

 

[bigmoe530]

The torts box has a plex cover, there are some gaps. The substrate is mostly coir with some sphagnum moss to help hold moisture.
Sophia is a Homey Hatchback and requires a moist environment.

 

[MotherOfPearl]

My substrate is Eco Earth coconut coir and areas of moss. Her cover is a screen but her lighting hood takes up some space on top. I've laid down two hand towels and that seems to help a bit. I tried making my own humidifier with a water bottle and aquarium air pump as well but it barely put out any air... It was a pain.

 

[MotherOfPearl]

OOPS I forgot to attached the pix. Here they are

Would I be able to like order a plexiglass top with the correct dimensions, or would Lowes or Home Depot perhaps cut a sheet to the size I need if I asked? Would there need to be any holes for air (kind of like when you catch a bug in a glass hat and you have to poke holes in the lid so it can breathe)? Would her UVB and heat lamp be okay to sit on top of the plexiglass? Would the UV rays still reach her?

I'm sorry, I know that was a lot of questions at once, haha... But I just spent $50 on a humidifier and I want to make the most of it, but even with the humidifier and laying towels on top of the screen lid, the hygrometer is only reading 50-60% :-/

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I meant catch a bug in a glass JAR** not a glass "hat" haha, way to go Autocorrect!