# Misting or Fogger or Water Pouring



## Sonja215 (Mar 19, 2012)

Okay, my first question here: What creates better humidity in an enclosure for (1) a humid hide and (2) keeping my tort happy? Misting, a Fogger, or pouring water in the enclosure?

I have a Greek (Ibera I believe), I think he/she is not quite a year and definitely not a hatchling. I have a 20 gallon tank, w/top soil and coco coir. A few plants & a hide w/a heated rock. Lighting is 100W CHE & a Repti-Glo 5.0 UVB (not sure of wattage). The basking spot is usually in the high 90s, cool area is about 73-76, hide is about 81-83. I try to turn the Fogger on at least 15-20 minutes twice a day.

Tort likes to warm his belly! Or hers!


----------



## Sonja215 (Mar 24, 2012)

Hmmm, did I not ask the right question?


----------



## Arizona Sulcata (Mar 24, 2012)

As to which is "better" my answer would be I'm not sure. I think a lot of it is preference. I personally spray and it works great. Some people don't like spraying multiple times a day though so they get the fogger. A humid hide in my opinion is necessary either way.


----------



## Sonja215 (Mar 24, 2012)

Thanks for your response, I just want to make sure I'm providing enough moisture to the enclosure. I had to temporarily move my tort to another (smaller) enclosure because I have to clean his terrarium out. Started to get some mold.


----------



## nicoleandrocky (Mar 24, 2012)

I like misting better


----------



## ascott (Mar 24, 2012)

I pour every couple of days and mist from time to time....the pouring and the the top half to three quarters covered does the trick here....now, when summer time comes on it will likely involve a bit attention while they are indoors....I have a spot all planned out for them when spring actually  arrives and then day temps are steady and warm and they can be outside---this is where they are then watered from time to time when I turn on the lite sprinkler and or turn the misters I have set up on...

I personally feel that unless you live in a place where there is near zero humidity 100% of the time a humidifier / fogger can create too much wetness constantly...you know what I mean? 

I feel as though they should have a way to move from the wet/dampness to totally dry out..as a shell needs to be able to do this from time to time to remain a healthy living part of them....


----------



## DanaLachney (Mar 24, 2012)

I see no one has mentioned this but I don't think you should use the heated rock it can burn the torts


----------



## ascott (Mar 24, 2012)

I noticed the part about the heating rock as well...but I have different take on a heating rock than some....while I do not utilize that as a heating tool....I do believe that they can be used, if used appropriately....I would find that if you bury that warming rock a bit under the substrate and get that cord out of reach from the curious tortoise then it can be a good warming spot....however, if the rock is open bare surface and you are dealing with a hatchling or very young baby that baby can enjoy the warmth so much that they fail to move from the heating element and can indeed damage their shell....


----------



## Tom (Mar 24, 2012)

Depending on the design of the heat rock putting stuff on top of it could cause it to combust, or at the very least just burn out and cease to function. Hot rocks are not usually designed to be covered.

I don't know what Greeks need for humidity, but I simply pour water into my humid hides and keep the lid on. I rarely have to add more because it does not dry out inside the humid hide very quickly. As far as outside the hide, I have used one or all three of those methods depending on the enclosure, how dry the room is, how covered the top is and how humid or wet I wanted it to be... It just depends on the individual situation.

Is your 5.0 bulb a coil type or long tube type? The coil types can damage their eyes. Just saw another one the other day...


----------



## HonuFonu23 (Mar 24, 2012)

I mist my tort throughout the day. I mist him before I go work.. when I do get home it's feeding time/play time/sun bathing time. I do pour a bit of water on him while he's walking around outside. I soak him afterwards and mist his tank again. And then before bed, I mist him and his tank. He doesn't seem to mind but tries to "chase" the misting away. Ha ha. It's cute.


----------



## wildak (Mar 24, 2012)

I think it depends on where you live, how big your inclosure is and the species.

I live in Alaska an the winters are super dry and I use several methods combined for my Impressed tortoises and have a fogger on a timer that runs 15 minutes every hour and a half which wets their shells but litttle water is actually used with a fogger and it drys out fast so I pour water every couple days and spray 2 times a day.

With other species I do similar things just less since Impressa only seem happy when they're wet.
I have'nt studied Greeks much so I can't give advice on them .

A fogger with a small aquarium my be pretty intense fog and make it hard for them to breath or cause ri if your not careful. I think if you got a good timer that allows you to set the run time to the second it may work better.


----------



## EddieW (Mar 24, 2012)

Misting and a warm air humidifier


----------



## Madkins007 (Mar 25, 2012)

There are pros and cons to each. Foggers can chill the air and have causes respiratory issues in lots of animals. Any humidifier can make things so damp as to promote mold and mildew. Misting is a pretty short-term solution unless you have elements in the habitat to hold the moisture for a while, and pouring into an unheated substrate can lead to a clammy, cold material on the tort's belly.

(As for the hot rock, Tom makes some valid points. I prefer waterproof heating cables for warming my substrate and providing humidity.)

Another option you may want to consider is the 'Moist Root Shelter', championed by Edith Kruger- https://sites.google.com/site/tortoiselibrary/the-work-shop/shelter-hides

Or one of the other humidity options- https://sites.google.com/site/tortoiselibrary/the-work-shop/humidity-1


----------



## cljohnson (Mar 25, 2012)

I use a watering can with warm water so I don't cause a temp drop. I wet the substrate every two or three days. 
Because I use an open table I have a humidifier that runs 15 min. every hour. Starting an hour after the lights come on. When everyone's warmed up. Stopping an hour before lights out.


----------



## LittleTurtles (Apr 4, 2012)

I prefer misting, Monty LOVES it and will come out and stand for me to mist her, great way to make sure she's doing okay without needing to handle her or move her around (she does it on her own).....


----------

