# Best way to measure humidity/temperature?



## chaseswife (Sep 15, 2014)

I am trying to follow all the advice on this forum for our new baby sulcata. We have him in a kids plastic sandbox (no sand though, of course) and I have been making a top for it. Shower curtains, duct tape, hot glue and wooden dowels is actually working out for me pretty well so far. I am about to put together the last piece and will be posting pictures when I am finished. But- even just having it enclosed so far it feels like a warm sauna whenever I reach in to add food or water. I know that I had it too cool and dry before, but now I worry that it is too hot and humid. I have become aware that my little sticky thermometer stuck in the corner is woefully inadequate. So this brings me to my question:

What is the best (inexpensive) option for measuring humidity and temperature? I looked at petsmart and petco, but it was just overwhelming. How do I pick something that actually works? Are there key words that I need to look for on packaging? And I always read about the 4 temperatures people ask for when someone is asking for help. Do people keep 4 different thermometers around the enclosure? 

Thank you guys so much! It is amazing how much information is being shared on this forum.


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## ZEROPILOT (Sep 15, 2014)

Home Depot has combi temp and humidity gauges. Cheap. ($10) Harbor Freight has non contact temperature thermometer "guns" for about $25.


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## Maro2Bear (Sep 15, 2014)

@chaseswife - to answer your question, yes people have multiple thermometers and hygrometers located in the different areas of their tort's enclosure. There are a lot of choices out there, we picked a few AcuRite up from Home Depot a few months ago on sale. The nice thing about some of these is that they have long leads where the temp is actually measured. So you can place your guage in a viewable spot, but have the end of the lead right where u want to measure.

Temperature guns/shoot and point are nice as well. They read out the temp exactly where you point it.


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## chaseswife (Sep 15, 2014)

I am almost out of money till payday. I told my husband I was done shopping for tortoise stuff till payday- but I just don't want to mess stuff up for Shrimp. Would 2 of the $10 Home Depot ones be sufficient to start? I could measure the basking spot and the cool side.


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## Maro2Bear (Sep 15, 2014)

Id get what you can now, but don't skimp on quality. You'll end up getting something that isnt accurate, or stops working etc. get what u can. Maybe you have a probe kitchen thermometer thst u can use as well.


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## Tom (Sep 15, 2014)

Here is where you learn your _next_ lesson in tortoise keeping... 

Pet stores don't have much to offer us tortoise keepers. Most of the stuff that is useful for us comes from the hardware store.

I use the $20 digital units with the wireless remote probe. You can just move the probe around and know the humidity and temp everywhere. Mine are Accu-Rite and I get them at Lowes.


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## chaseswife (Sep 15, 2014)

Thank you! Going to run out to Home Depot and see what I can find before the 2 year old gets too tired and grouchy.


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## mike taylor (Sep 15, 2014)

This one was ten dollars at the Home Depot .


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## chaseswife (Sep 15, 2014)

Yikes! I am so glad I got the thermometers. I checked them after 30 minutes. Cool side is 86 degrees and 89% humidity. Basking spot it 111 degrees and 45% humidity. basking spot is way too hot, right? I think it is supposed to be around 100. I have raised the light a lot and it still isn't showing a cool down on the thermometer. Do I just need a smaller/less bright bulb? It is not a coil bulb- just a UVA light. Shrimp goes outside for 30-60 minutes everyday so I wasn't worried about UVB inside, and there is no other heating element for the enclosure.


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## Tom (Sep 15, 2014)

chaseswife said:


> Yikes! I am so glad I got the thermometers. I checked them after 30 minutes. Cool side is 86 degrees and 89% humidity. Basking spot it 111 degrees and 45% humidity. basking spot is way too hot, right? I think it is supposed to be around 100. I have raised the light a lot and it still isn't showing a cool down on the thermometer. Do I just need a smaller/less bright bulb? It is not a coil bulb- just a UVA light. Shrimp goes outside for 30-60 minutes everyday so I wasn't worried about UVB inside, and there is no other heating element for the enclosure.



Yes, raise the bulb or use a lower wattage. You can also use a rheostat and dial in the correct temperature. Just make sure your bulb is a regular round one in a hood or a flood. Spots concentrate too much desiccating heat into a small area.

Unless that room stays no lower than 80 all night, you need some night heat. I suggest a CHE (ceramic heating element) set on a thermostat.


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## chaseswife (Sep 15, 2014)

I will get a smaller bulb. Is this an okay fixture for it to be in? We are not using the clamp that came with it.


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