Mold In Tortoise Cage ?

Joined
Jul 16, 2020
Messages
35
Location (City and/or State)
Texas
Hello! My Indian Star tortoise baby’s cage started growing some mold, I’m changing the substrate out and cleaning the cage but I’m struggling to think of how to prevent it from happening again. I have my heat at 92ish in the hot end and the mid 80s in the cool, 80% humidity and I keep the substrate fairly wet. I think I need to increase ventilation and not get the substrate as wet, but then I think the humidity would drop below the needed 80 :/ I thought maybe I could add a hydro ball false bottom or something? I’ve not really heard of that for tortoises though. I’m not entirely sure what to do, does anyone have any advice? Thank you!
 

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Lokkje

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Tortoise Club
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Aug 19, 2019
Messages
1,142
Location (City and/or State)
Phoenix
I use orchard bark from the nursery that is much more loamy and dirt like on the bottom of my enclosure and then I use reptile pelleted orchard bark on the top that I buy from a reptile petstore here in town. I had a lot of trouble with mold until I started using that combo and my leopard digs right into the drier top into the more damp dirt and he is quite happy and my mold issue reduced by about 80%. I still get mold on the food pellets if I don’t change out the pellets every single day. It is in essence what the above suggestion had been to keep it wet or on the bottom than the top but it gives a layer that I find very handy.
 
Joined
Jul 16, 2020
Messages
35
Location (City and/or State)
Texas
I use orchard bark from the nursery that is much more loamy and dirt like on the bottom of my enclosure and then I use reptile pelleted orchard bark on the top that I buy from a reptile petstore here in town. I had a lot of trouble with mold until I started using that combo and my leopard digs right into the drier top into the more damp dirt and he is quite happy and my mold issue reduced by about 80%. I still get mold on the food pellets if I don’t change out the pellets every single day. It is in essence what the above suggestion had been to keep it wet or on the bottom than the top but it gives a layer that I find very handy.
Oh I’ve heard of people using orchid bark! I’ll definitely look into that thank you very much
 

Beasty_Artemis

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5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Aug 23, 2016
Messages
1,230
Location (City and/or State)
Oregon Coast
Hmmmm. I thought that white mark was a heavy water mark on my coco coir..... I will look again now!
 

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