Plants, Humidity & Heating Pad

[ashleym]

I recently purchased several plants that I was going to plant out in the yard for my tortoise to eat on whenever I take him out (he's still very young) and just bring him some clippings for his feedings. I went ahead and put the Day Lily in the ground and the Aloe Vera and other succulent in a pot. I still have St. Johns Wort, Creeping Jenny, and a very large Pothos hanging basket plant that haven't been transfered into anything yet. I was curious if the Creeping Jenny would do well in the container with him or either of the other two? I think the Pothos would be entirely too big for his current enclosure.

His enclosure at the moment is temporary as I plan on building something else larger very soon, but I was reading that plants that are planted in the enclosure could aid in raising the humidity levels. He is currently in a large rubbermaid container. The lid that specifically goes to the container is off, but the container gets covered with a clear material (like a flexible clear acrylic) so that we are able to see him better.

How many times a day do those of you that have indoor enclosures mist/spray your tortoise housing and how moist are you getting it? Since my coco coir substrate still hasn't arrived in the mail, I opted for the "Eco Earth" substrate so that I would have something when he arrived. (We just got him this morning.) I'm not too fond of it but it seems to hold in moisture well. In order to put a live plant in there, do I need to add any top soil or would that work fine as is?

And for the last question.. I have an Exo Terra 4" x 5" heating mat also coming in the mail and got to wondering if that will be safe stuck to the bottom of the rubbermaid container. I hadn't really considered the possibility that it may not be safe until after ordering it. Thanks and any advice would be greatly appreciated as tortoise husbandry and caring for plants are both relatively new to me.

 

[wellington]

Heat mates are not really safe for babies, I would not use it. The plants can be planted right in the coconut coir, or whatever it is your using. However, if they had pesticides or fertilizer used on them, you need to wash all the dirt off the roots and wash the leaves. Then I would only feed the new growth that comes in, specially for a baby. As for humidity, if you poor water into the corners of the enclosure, it will soak the underneath and leave the top layer of coir fairly dry, but still giving humdity. Be sure to not let temps go below 80 and try to get the humidity to 80%. I used a humidifier to help with mine.

 

[ashleym]

Thanks for that info. I will definitely experiment with some of these things tomorrow. I am very excited to make things just right for this little guy.

 

[rayneygirl]

i mist in the morning, afternoon. yet if i feel the substrate is dry ill add some water into it. they get warm soaks everyday and when they're out grazing and its hot ill mist them occasionally.

 

[ashleym]

Just wanted to give a little update.. I went ahead and planted the Creeping Jenny and St. Johns Wort in the enclosure to help with ready access to more food and also aid in raising humidity. And all I have to say is wow, i'm glad I did this. I am still waiting on a meter in the mail to know the exact humidity levels but between the two plants, water dish, the heat from the lamp and misting a few times a day with keeping the top covered except a small area on top for the lamp, it feels very humid. As unattractive as these bins are, I think they are actually quite awesome at holding in humidity. I may just stick with them but get the biggest size I can find for awhile until he gets too big for it. I also went ahead and planted a seed mix I got from Carolina Pet Supply today in a separate, smaller bin. I'm pretty excited to get those going. Figured I would go ahead and show a picture from earlier. He is doing very well and seems to actually be enjoying his soaks more now also.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Quick tip for you.

Use some aluminum foil to close up the gaps around the heat lamp. It will make such a huge difference. Right now you are still losing a lot of humidity out of that small opening.
Once you close that little corner up you won't have to spray daily because the humidity won't be leaving. Right now you spray and saturate the ground but the water vapor in the air leaves.
Trust me, do this and watch the difference! Your substrate will even dry out a bit because humidity is in the air not about how wet the ground is.

I got a digital hydrometer from wal mart for $9. It reads temperature, humidity and records the high and low over a 24 hr period.

Sent from my TFOapp

 

[ashleym]

I got a digital hydrometer from wal mart for $9. It reads temperature, humidity and records the high and low over a 24 hr period.

Sent from my TFOapp

That was only $9!? I got tired of waiting so I went out and purchased one at PetSmart (nearest pet store to us) for I believe $7 and it only shows the humidity. It isn't a digital one though so i'm sure there's some play in the reading. I'm actually really impressed though by how high it was/is in there. It was all the way in the 90's so I took the top off for a bit and put it back on when it hit 75. I took the lamp off of the clamp part and have it hanging just below the top, enough to close it off but not so close that he can touch it. I have electrical tape running all down the wire to keep it in place and I punctured a decent style hole through the clear top for overnight to let a little air in there. I'm still a little paranoid to leave it completely closed with no air flow at all. I guess because this whole high temp/high humidity thing to me is so foreign and I would feel horrible if things got to be too much in the middle of the night. And some of the seeds I planted yesterday are already starting to sprout. Awesome!

 

[stinax182]

i can't really tell, but what are you using for a water dish? it needs to be shallow and not glazed. a terra cotta saucer for under a plant is perfect.


Sent from my MB886 using TortForum mobile app

 

[ashleym]

i can't really tell, but what are you using for a water dish? it needs to be shallow and not glazed. a terra cotta saucer for under a plant is perfect.


Sent from my MB886 using TortForum mobile app

It's a very shallow glass lid for a vase. I went through two other shallow bowls to try out in the beginning and it seems this is the most shallow. He is able to get in and out almost instantly. Every once in awhile he will struggle for a little while if he can't get a good grip.

 

[Tom]

Every once in awhile he will struggle for a little while if he can't get a good grip.

This is not good. You don't want anything to discourage them from using their water dish. The terra cotta saucer is a good suggestion and they only cost a couple of bucks at the hardware store.

 

[mainey34]

I like your setup. Your humidity seems to be doing great, but i would not worry if it goes over 80%... They do good in 80% humidity and above. As long as your temps are never below 80* you will be fine...

 

[jjsull33]

You also do not need to worry about air flow, opening the top to feed and water him daily will be enough air exchange, plus all the live plants in there are giving him more as well.

 

[ashleym]

I never even thought about a saucer as an alternative. Thanks guys. I'll have to get one. I could definitely see how with the texture it would be helpful. On the upside, the hole is in the corner of the adjustable top which isn't secured on so I can move it further to the side to close it completely if necessary.