My closed chamber 40 gallon tank help

[kirsten!]

So I have a 40 gallon tank I duct taped aluminum all around so it's closed. However the 100w basking light I have in it is making the temp 106 in the basking area, 90s in the cooler side. The basking bulb has a dimmer on it, so can I just dim that to make it 95, 80's on the cooler side? It seems dark in the tank though when dimmed, compared to my open tub my baby leopard has been in that has a mvb that keeps it 95 basking/80+ on cooler however only 30 humidity. I am sure the mvb will make it too hot, plus that can't be dimmed. Will my baby be ok in the dimmed tank or will it compromise his uva in take and cause other problems? The humidity is at 86 in it. How can I make it brighter in there if he needs the uva light on brighter? I cut the screen under the bulbs so the screen isn't filtering the lights. Weather permitting I will take him outside to get real sunlight for a half hour at least daily when I get home from work. Any suggestions how I can make it brighter/allow him to get full uva without being so hot? Or is the right temps and humidity the most important for now? I don't have any more room for other lights.

My tortoise hasn't moved in yet. Waiting for everything to be set before he does.

 

[kirsten!]

The other light has a 100w che in it turned off since it so warm with just the basking light. Probably won't even need to turn that on since it's too warm.

 

[Yelloweyed]

Try just the MVB on one side during the day - then check the temps. Keep the CHE on the other side on a thermostat if your evening temps drop.

When I had a tank, I had to check the temps throughout the day (stay at home mom) and sometimes I had to vent the foil tent and add water to the substrate.

 

[kirsten!]

I work full time so I can't stay at home and check temps. Does anyone have a good thermostat recommendation?

Anyway I ended up taking some of the foil off and putting my reptisun 10.0 bulb there. Now it's not completely closed, there is a small open section between the reptisun holder and screen but maybe with the too hot of temps it will cool it down some. I will test this thing for awhile before I put my baby in it. This is it with reptisun bulb and mvb. Will my little guy need sunglasses now? lol

 

[Yelloweyed]

How are the temps and humidity going?

 

[kirsten!]

It's actually going good. I haven't moved my baby in yet because I've been working all week and didn't want to leave him in a new enclosure when I can't monitor him, but I plan to move him in this weekend. With the mvb bulb the basking will get 93-96 ish, the cooler side (without the mvb) being around 86-82. The only thing is my 100w che will only warm one side of the tank at night. Right under the che it's 86, opposite side will drop down to like 76ish. So I don't know where to put his night box. :\ Humidity stays in the 80's so says that digital thermometer I have in the middle. I haven't had to add any more water to the enclosure.

 

[Yelloweyed]

What happens if the CHE is in the middle? If it's next to the MVB, then it will usually not turn on if it's on a thermostat (at least that's what happens in my enclosure). Sounds like the closed/covered is working for good humidity.

 

[kathyth]

I have successfully used both of these in many closed chambers.

 

[kirsten!]

I noticed mold growing in my enclosure tonight I'm using ecoearth and forest floor bedding. Why would mold grow? My tortoise hasn't even been in the enclosure; no hay or food.

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

Warm and wet places are great at growing mold. All you need is for spores to blow in and the conditions be right for them. Poor drainage/over watering can make mold much more likely to develop. You want the top layer of substrate to be able to dry out completely before adding more water. Are you running lights and heat yet?

 

[kirsten!]

I am. I'm guessing it grew because there was a day or two I left the lights off so I'll get some substrate, get a thermostat, keep the lights/heat on and move my baby in. The mold isn't that bad, just see some light spots it grew between the bigger pieces of forest floor bedding.

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

I'd remove the mold that you see, but know that ample spores will still remain behind. The heat and light fixture should help dry the surface layer. I also find the bioactive substrate route - a rich, layered substrate with earth worms, pill bugs, and other invertebrates helps keep things in check too.

 

[kirsten!]

Thanks! Should I remove all the substrate and replace or can I just remove the moldy parts? The top surface is almost all the way dry now. Is this ideal or does that mean to add more water now? Humidity is still above 80.

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

I would remove the moldy parts but wouldn't bother removing all the substrate. If you can keep the surface completely dry and humidity at 80% or above, that is the ideal. Only when the humidity drops should you add more water.