# Humidifier Option/Opinion



## pguinpro (Jun 1, 2018)

To be quite frank the misting is not really helping and my toes doesnt like me spraying/misting all the time; he hates it. So I was thinking a fogger or humidifier. Any suggestions?


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## Via Infinito (Jun 1, 2018)

Lol I was so tempted to use this two fish sculpture thing in the enclosure, with a glass ball in the middle, then the two fish would shoot out water, and had mists oozing out. 
Like this LOL


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## Toddrickfl1 (Jun 2, 2018)

Its easier to keep humidity by just pouring water straight into the substrate and mixing it up, rather than misting.


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## Beasty_Artemis (Jun 2, 2018)

I bought a fogger the other day. I have it blow under the enclosed, humid side of my red foot's 
table. It feels like the humidity was improved...
I kind of just got it as a present for Artemis and if it doesn't show promise, ill probably toss it.


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## Tom (Jun 2, 2018)

pguinpro said:


> To be quite frank the misting is not really helping and my toes doesnt like me spraying/misting all the time; he hates it. So I was thinking a fogger or humidifier. Any suggestions?


What species and size tortoise are we talking about? How is it housed?

I am generally against using misters or humidifiers because they don't address the problem of: Why is your enclosure too dry?. Stop the humidity and warmth from leaving and you will have a better, more stable environment for raising a baby tortoise and you won't need a humidifier.


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## Yvonne G (Jun 2, 2018)

I don't have the need of a humidifier either. I have an enclosed habitat with wet substrate and there's condensation on the glass all the time.


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## pguinpro (Jun 2, 2018)

Tom said:


> What species and size tortoise are we talking about? How is it housed?
> 
> I am generally against using misters or humidifiers because they don't address the problem of: Why is your enclosure too dry?. Stop the humidity and warmth from leaving and you will have a better, more stable environment for raising a baby tortoise and you won't need a humidifier.


Sulcata; The top is covered but still have low humidity and the tort hates the wet substrate/misting. Only goes over for food and wont drink water. I wet his food so he gets some water. . .


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## TechnoCheese (Jun 2, 2018)

pguinpro said:


> Sulcata; The top is covered but still have low humidity and the tort hates the wet substrate/misting. Only goes over for food and wont drink water. I wet his food so he gets some water. . .



What makes you think he hates it? Because he absolutely NEEDS to have a water bowl, damp substrate, and humid enclosure to not pyramid or get sick. You need to be pouring water in the substrate and mixing it in and misting daily.
If you do all of this, you don’t need a humidifier


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## Tom (Jun 2, 2018)

pguinpro said:


> Sulcata; The top is covered but still have low humidity and the tort hates the wet substrate/misting. Only goes over for food and wont drink water. I wet his food so he gets some water. . .


Please read these for the correct info on how to house them and care for them correctly:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/


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## pguinpro (Jun 2, 2018)

Tom said:


> Please read these for the correct info on how to house them and care for them correctly:
> https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
> https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
> https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/


I've read that before and it doesnt cover this issue , nice try though.


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## pguinpro (Jun 2, 2018)

TechnoCheese said:


> What makes you think he hates it? Because he absolutely NEEDS to have a water bowl, damp substrate, and humid enclosure to not pyramid or get sick. You need to be pouring water in the substrate and mixing it in and misting daily.
> If you do all of this, you don’t need a humidifier


Well for starters he's never over there on that side and only in the hide or basking. Anyways I have humidity loss because only 8/10 is covered with aluminum foil and tape the other 2/10 has heat/up above it. I mix the substrate l, most, and soak certain areas and am only acheiving 86% for about 2 hours hence why I was thinking a fogger or humidifier might be beneficial or even a spray/mist system.


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## Tom (Jun 2, 2018)

Nice try? I give you the help you ask for and I get sarcasm in return?

From the care sheet I linked:

Indoor housing:
It must be noted that we now know sulcatas babies hatch during the start of the rainy season in Africa. It is hot, humid, rainy, and marshy in some areas. Yes the area is dry for 8-9 months out of the year, but it is a swamp during hatching season. During the dry season, sulcatas spend the vast majority of their time underground in warm, humid burrows. Keeping your hatchling in a dry, desert-like enclosure, is a big mistake and an invitation to disaster. It is also very un-natural for these animals. Imagine what would happen to an earthworm in a hot, dry enclosure with dry substrate. The same thing happens to the INSIDE of a baby tortoise. Your enclosure should be maintained such that an earthworm could live in it just as well as a hatchling tortoise. A damp substrate, a water bowl, and a humid hide should all be pre-requisites. Along with this, warm temps day and night are necessary. Sulcatas and leopards are NOT prone to shell rot at all, and they do not get respiratory infections in these damp conditions as long as temps are kept up. I shoot for no lower than 80 degrees day or night year round. Adults can tolerate colder temps in some circumstances, but this care sheet is for hatchlings and babies and is aimed at helping them thrive, not just survive.


The Actual Enclosure:
I have not been able to make any open topped enclosure work to my satisfaction. Low sided open topped enclosures like tortoise tables and sweater boxes are the worst. No amount of covering, or attempts to slow heat and humidity loss have worked well for me. There is just no way to keep the warm humid air where you want it. For about the last year and a half, I have only been using closed chambers for any tropical species of tortoise, and I couldn't be happier with them. Temperate species of tortoises that require drier conditions or a bigger night time temperature drop might fare better in the typical tortoise table set up. I will leave that for someone more experienced with those species to tell you in THEIR care sheet. Maintaining whatever temperature and humidity you want is easy and efficient in a closed chamber. They use a lot less electricity because all of your heat and humidity is trapped with nowhere to go. It also makes maintaining warm night temps a snap. Open tops allow all your warm humid air to escape up and into the room where your enclosure sits. Even if you cover most of the top, the heat lamps create a chimney effect and draw your heat and humidity up and out. Having the heat lamps outside, or on top of, the enclosure also lets the majority of the electricity you are using to produce heat float up up and away... A closed chamber can be made by covering the top of a tub or tank and minimizing ventilation, but its not easy and you burn more electricity. It works best if all the heating and lighting equipment is INSIDE the enclosure with the tortoise. Maintaining a small open topped box at 80 degrees with 80% humidity in a regular sized room that is 70 degrees and 20% humidity is VERY difficult, if not impossible in a practical sense. A closed chamber makes it easy.
Here is an older thread I did on closed chambers:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-32333.html

Humid Hide Boxes:
This offers the tortoise a more humid place to retreat to and sleep and can simulate some of the more damp micro-climates they might utilize in the wild. It is as simple as getting a $2 black dishwashing tub from Walmart, flipping it upside down and cutting out a small door hole. I keep the substrate under the tub more damp than the surrounding substrate and it works great. You can also use plastic shoe boxes. Some people like to put sphagnum moss in their hides or attach a sponge to the top. This is all fine, but I usually don't bother. This is a short paragraph, but this is a very important detail that should not be overlooked.

Substrate: I recommend coco coir, orchid bark, cypress mulch, plain additive free soil, or yard dirt if yours is suitable. All of these can be purchased in bulk at most hardware or garden center stores at a tremendous savings. I recommend against wood shavings or chips, ground walnut shell, corn cob bedding, rabbit pellets, compressed grass pellet bedding, newspaper pellets, hay, cedar, or any amount of sand.


The issue you asked about is specifically addressed. How to house the tortoise and maintain correct conditions is specifically addressed and explained. There is no mention of misters and humidifiers because if the care sheet is followed, they are not necessary or desirable.


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## pguinpro (Jun 2, 2018)

Also, this is a desert tortoise. Last time I checked the desert isn't wet...humid at times...


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## TechnoCheese (Jun 2, 2018)

pguinpro said:


> Also, this is a desert tortoise. Last time I checked the desert isn't wet...humid at times...



They are absolutely NOT a desert tortoise! They are born in the monsoon season of Africa, when it is very rainy, and extremely wet. Then, when it’s not rainy and wet, they spend all of their time in deep, HUMID burrows. Your tortoise absolutely NEEDS humidity.


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## pguinpro (Jun 2, 2018)

TechnoCheese said:


> They are absolutely NOT a desert tortoise! They are born in the monsoon season of Africa, when it is very rainy, and extremely wet. Then, when it’s not rainy and wet, they spend all of their time in deep, HUMID burrows. Your tortoise absolutely NEEDS humidity.


The African spurred tortoise (Centrochelyssulcata), also called the sulcata tortoise, is a species of tortoise, which inhabits the southern edge of the Sahara desert, in Africa.


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## Maro2Bear (Jun 2, 2018)

.....and, The African spurred tortoise is native to the Sahara Desert and the Sahel, a transitional ecoregion of semiarid grasslands, savannas, and thorn shrublands found in the countries of Burkina Faso, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sudan. *In these arid regions, the tortoise excavates burrows in the ground to get to areas with higher moisture levels, and spends the hottest part of the day in these burrows.* This is known as aestivation. Burrows may average 30 inches in depth; some dig tunnel systems extending 10 feet or more underground.


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## pguinpro (Jun 2, 2018)

I'm not saying he doesnt need humidity I'm saying he doesnt like the wet substrate so I was wondering if anyone has had success with higher humidity readings using a humidifier, fogger, or misters. If so I'd like to hear about it.


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## TechnoCheese (Jun 2, 2018)

pguinpro said:


> The African spurred tortoise (Centrochelyssulcata), also called the sulcata tortoise, is a species of tortoise, which inhabits the southern edge of the Sahara desert, in Africa.



And that’s Wikipedia. What Wikipedia doesn’t tell you, is that they live on the edge of forests, and like I said, are born in MONSOON season, in deep, HUMID burrows. Here’s a picture of the GRASSLANDS they inhabit-


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## TechnoCheese (Jun 2, 2018)

Actually, Wikipedia does say those things. I’m impressed.


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## Maro2Bear (Jun 2, 2018)

pguinpro said:


> I'm not saying he doesnt need humidity I'm saying he doesnt like the wet substrate so I was wondering if anyone has had success with higher humidity readings using a humidifier, fogger, or misters. If so I'd like to hear about it.



Yes... i had our young Sully in a fully enclosed chamber, good lighting, a moist cypress / coir / peatmoss substrate too. I opted to also have a mister turn on automatically for a few hours during the day to dramatically increase the humidity levels. Worked very well and ensured good moisture levels in addition to morning soaks. Hope that helps..


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## pguinpro (Jun 2, 2018)

Tom said:


> Nice try? I give you the help you ask for and I get sarcasm in return?
> 
> From the care sheet I linked:
> 
> ...


Like I said it doesnt cover humidifiers, misters, or foggers. I've posted a few times and people seem to keep posting that same link...


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## pguinpro (Jun 2, 2018)

Maro2Bear said:


> Yes... i had our young Sully in a fully enclosed chamber, good lighting, a moist cypress / coir / peatmoss substrate too. I opted to also have a mister turn on automatically for a few hours during the day to dramatically increase the humidity levels. Worked very well and ensured good moisture levels in addition to morning soaks. Hope that helps..
> 
> View attachment 240719


I've seen this one in some reviews seems to resolve the moisture loss issue.


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## TechnoCheese (Jun 2, 2018)

I’ve seen that, in a lot of cases, the foggers break really quickly. Definitely watch out for that.


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## pguinpro (Jun 2, 2018)

This is current setup, clearly one side is moist basking temp 91degrees and humidity currently 99% after misting right side. Will drop to 68% or less in 2 hours. He's been getting plenty of attention which is good [emoji28]


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## Briannesmith1 (Jun 2, 2018)

pguinpro said:


> This is current setup, clearly one side is moist basking temp 91degrees and humidity currently 99% after misting right side. Will drop to 68% or less in 2 hours. He's been getting plenty of attention which is good [emoji28]
> View attachment 240720



I had those same exact bowls you are using and my tort flipped himself, therefore I would sink the bowl more or get something different and save yourself the stress. I would recommend a terra cotta saucer and a rock slate for food dish (or just flip the food dish over and it is flat).


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## Tom (Jun 2, 2018)

pguinpro said:


> Like I said it doesnt cover humidifiers, misters, or foggers. I've posted a few times and people seem to keep posting that same link...


You clearly are not reading the responses that are being given. Read the last sentence of my last post to you.


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## pguinpro (Jun 2, 2018)

Tom said:


> You clearly are not reading the responses that are being given. Read the last sentence of my last post to you.


This would be like my third time reading info contained In the link from different forum members. I read you're statement at the end and didn't think it merited a response really because clearly under current circumstances, until I can do a new setup, a device is needed. I appreciate the info but I've already reviewed that link multiple times and others. This is the general discussion forum and I feel like the information within that link is geared more towards the introduction/new member sub forum. As clearly stated above I'm looking for a humidifier or other device option and am looking for opinions or for people to share their experiences. You're opinion is noted though and thanks again for the information but I really think if I am going to achieve stable humidity above 80% a device it required.


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## Redfool (Jun 2, 2018)

If you loose humidity quickly you may have to do a deeper wetting of your substrate. You can wet the substrate without spraying your tort. Misting only wets the top layer and dries quickly. Deep wetting gives a much longer evaporation time and your closed top will make condensation and keep the humidity in. Might be worth a try.


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## TriciaStringer (Jun 2, 2018)

I think I have a solution for you that is worked very well for me and is inexpensive. I had to temporarily house our yearling sulcata in a 50-55 gallon tote with holes in the lid for the lights. I covered the lights with foil and then covered the entire lid with an emergency blanket. The humidity never went below 85%. Pretty sure it was always in the 90s. It worked so well, I had to air it out because it was too wet and not losing moisture. This is not a good enclosure for the size tortoise I had, but it was a bit unexpected so we had to improvise until her 3’x8’ enclosure was completed. Hope this helps.


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## Via Infinito (Jun 3, 2018)

Actually if you want to be inexpensive, I do these 3 things:
1) I would just add a jug of water to the substrate now and then. I use coco coir and what's good about it is that in a few days the top surface is seemingly dry, but if you check the bottom layer, it is still very wet. It can last for half a month being that wet underneath.
2)Furthermore, I added a real plant in there, a very bustling bostern fern in a vase. That is placed right next to where he sleeps. The plant also raises humidity,
3) Lastly, I put a shallow water bowl, very adjacent to the basking spot (not directly underneath, next to it) So some of the heat warm up the water and evaporation occurs.

That alone will raise humidity up locally in the tank. 
I really don't want to make the whole enclosure all wet tho. There are specific corners I kept it very dry. So there are micro climates all around.


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## mike taylor (Jun 3, 2018)

It's really easy to to fix the enclosure you have . Spend money on a ceramic heat emitter and thermostat. Then pour water into the corner of the enclosure. Then cover the top with aluminum foil. Only leave a hole for the fixture . Cost of this is almost the same as buying a humidifier.


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## mike taylor (Jun 3, 2018)

If you look at the top of the red footed tortiose section I built a enclosure and listed all the stuff needed . It will work great for sulcata tortioses just by turning up the heat a little .I built it for a little over 100 dollars.


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## kaycov (Jun 6, 2018)

Maro2Bear said:


> Yes... i had our young Sully in a fully enclosed chamber, good lighting, a moist cypress / coir / peatmoss substrate too. I opted to also have a mister turn on automatically for a few hours during the day to dramatically increase the humidity levels. Worked very well and ensured good moisture levels in addition to morning soaks. Hope that helps..
> 
> View attachment 240719


I have the same, and the humidity level is always nice and high. Works great!


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## Kadels (Jun 6, 2018)

I'm having a similar issue. I have a 25-30 pound Sulcata, so she is outside. She kicks any and all substrate out of her house. I have put containers of water in her house - only to have her kick those out as well. So I'm looking for suggestions - and keep in mind that I live in Mosquito World, so *too much* moisture/standing water is a concern.


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