Room humidifier/mini room-heater

[carey]

I'm planning on buying 2 Russians at the end of August (they will be my first tortoises though I have 5 turtles) I know that the torts gonna need humidity, but where I live, he will be living indoors at least 8 months of the year and I don't think it will be humid enough for him. Or warm enough in the winter. They will have an enclosure in my room,

Would it be smart to buy a non-medicated humidifier for my room for all year round? and a room heater for winter as well to ensure extra heat besides their UV lamps?

Thanks in advance x


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[Levi the Leopard]

How old will these Russian tortoises be? Their size/age will determine how much humidity they need.

If you get a baby hatchling then using a closed chamber will allow you to keep them in their required heat/ humidity while you can remain comfortable in your room. No need to make your whole room like hot and humid if you don't have to.

If you buy an adult or one over 4" in length than an open top table type enclosure will be fine with some misted substrate. You won't need to change your whole room environment.

With that said,
I'd like to suggest you only get 1 Russian. Since it will live 8 months in a year indoors with you, it really will be happiest alone.
I have 4. 1 male with 3 females. They live outside full time in a pen that is 20feet long and 6 feet wide. It's full of stuff for them and sometimes they spend the whole day in different areas from each other. This keeps them peaceable. If I put them inside in a "typical"enclosure I am sure I would have fighting issues. This species is KNOWN for that!

Heather
Sent from my Android TFO app

 

[jjsull33]

I agree with Heather Russians are fairly aggressive towards each other and do better alone, unless given a very large amount of room.

 

[carey]

I was planning on giving them as much space as possible, but maybe you both are right, maybe I should just start with one. I just fear that it will get bored/lonely. I know red eared sliders enjoy the company of other turtles in their tank, they use each other to pull the algae off of each others shells and everything.

But maybe it would be best to just get one tortoise. Thanks for all your feedback, both of you.

The tortoise I get will be about 4 inches. So no humidifier?

Thanks again.


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[lynnedit]

I also agree with one Russian tortoise (esp if kept inside). So it is great that you have come to that conclusion. They don't get lonely, and they are solitary in the wild. Their only interactions are to mate (not always peaceful), or to fight over food, when they meet.

At 4 inches, you won't need extra humidity. Just use a good substrate like Coir, separately or mixed with organic topsoil. Then mix in water about once per week and mix, to keep the underlayers moist. Mound it up and create some hills.

You will only need extra background room heat if the room is very cold and it is hard to maintain basking temps in your tortoise table.
Basking 95f, cool side 65 to 70f, in between about 80f. No need for night heat unless the room gets below 50f.
If you can't get temps up and maintain them, then you can get a space heater like an oil filled radiator to bump background room temps up.

Make your inside enclosure as large as you can manage; 6'x2' is OK, 8'x4' isn't too big. A 2' second level with a ramp allows the tortoise to climb.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Lynne is spot on.

Heather
Sent from my Android TFO app

 

[johnsonnboswell]

I'll add a few small things to the excellent advice already given. A drop in temperatures at night is good. My house is around 60 at night.

Put your light on a timer. The inexpensive timers from the hardware store work great.

 

[Tom]

I agree with all of the above. Nothing to add.

 

[carey]

@ Lynne, wonderful advice

Thanks so much everyone.


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