# Zoo Med Tortoise House Humidity



## Marci_redfoot (Oct 16, 2014)

Hello,

I'm considering purchasing two Zoo Med Tortoise Houses and connecting them for my redfoot. She is approximately 7 years old and her shell is about 8 1/2 inches long. I assume that I could line the bottom of the box with non-toxic plastic, to avoid rot issues from substrate moisture. I also was planning to partially cover the wire top to keep the heat and moist air in. 

Marci's current enclosure is not cutting it anymore, as I am constantly battling humidity and mold issues. I live in a small apartment, so the size of her enclosure has to be efficient and compact. This tortoise house will be about the same size as her current home, so I don't think that she'll feel cramped. (I let her outside every day to roam around for a few hours anyway.) Also, I think that she will like the two hides. I was just wondering if anyone has had issues, before I make the investment. 

Thanks!


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## Yvonne G (Oct 17, 2014)

I'm not a big fan of those pre-made tortoise tables. I know that one is definitely NOT big enough, but I've never actually seen two of them together with the tortoise inside for me to get a good mental picture of whether it is satisfactory or not. If it were me, I'd buy two large plastic totes, cut out opposing ends and put them together. Cheaper and easier.


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## lismar79 (Oct 17, 2014)

I would not spend the $ on buying two of those houses to combo them. Is there any way you could build your own ( a big wood box, lined with a plastic shower curtain would work better & be much cheaper)....


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## Yellow Turtle01 (Oct 17, 2014)

Yep, even just a big Christmas tree storage bin, they are enormous!


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## lisa127 (Oct 17, 2014)

or old furniture. I used an old dresser, took out all drawers and ribs, and turned it on it's back.


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## Tom (Oct 17, 2014)

How are you going to maintain the humidity that a redfoot needs with an open top? I don't think that two of those would be big enough for an 8.5" tortoise.

I think you need to make something like this:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/


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## lisa127 (Oct 17, 2014)

the thing I don't like about those tortoise houses is that when you combine them you get a long, narrow enclosure. which I know a lot of people have enclosures like that. but I prefer a more square type enclosure so there is plenty of space in every direction. in other words, two tortoise houses is 2 feet by 6 feet for a total of 12 square feet. I would rather have it 3 feet by 4 feet or something like that to make 12 square feet. 2 feet in one direction is so narrow.


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## Marci_redfoot (Oct 19, 2014)

Yvonne G said:


> I'm not a big fan of those pre-made tortoise tables. I know that one is definitely NOT big enough, but I've never actually seen two of them together with the tortoise inside for me to get a good mental picture of whether it is satisfactory or not. If it were me, I'd buy two large plastic totes, cut out opposing ends and put them together. Cheaper and easier.



I thought about putting together a few plastic bins, but I'm worried about insufficient air circulation. As well, I think that the UVB and heat lamps that I have would be really tricky to set up with a plastic bin, unless I constructed a wire top, which could compromise the humidity. As a new keeper, I'm just scared of making a mistake that could hurt Marci.


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## leigti (Oct 19, 2014)

I did buy two of those and connect them. It was for 4 1/2 inch Russian tortoise. It worked fine, I modified it a little bit by taking out the high dividers etc. but I would not recommend them for a larger tortoise and especially a red foot because they need more humidity.I would suggest getting a stock take instead.you know the kind they feed horses or sheep out of. they are already waterproof and you can get them in various sizes and shapes, round or oval for instance. and they can be deeper so you can make various terrain or even almost a two level enclosure all in one.The one I have is 150 gallons, but you would probably need A bigger one. Of course if your tortoise goes outside every single day for a few hours then you don't need a huge one just for night time.they do make them 2' x 6'.I will tell you from personal experience however, that the higher sides on the tanks, -20 inches high, will affect what kind of lighting you get.


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## Marci_redfoot (Oct 19, 2014)

lisa127 said:


> the thing I don't like about those tortoise houses is that when you combine them you get a long, narrow enclosure. which I know a lot of people have enclosures like that. but I prefer a more square type enclosure so there is plenty of space in every direction. in other words, two tortoise houses is 2 feet by 6 feet for a total of 12 square feet. I would rather have it 3 feet by 4 feet or something like that to make 12 square feet. 2 feet in one direction is so narrow.



This was one of my concerns too, the "long but skinny" aspect may make her feel cramped. I've had people tell me that redfoots like to sprint, so length is important.... I've seen her sprint the length of my living room without pausing for breath.... I was also concerned about the shallowness. I didn't know if this would allow enough room for the layers of substrate necessary to keep humidity levels up. I use 2 inches of organic compost/potting soil mix under 2-3 inches of organic sphagnum peat moss. I also sprinkle the top with timothy hay or cedar shavings. It may be a little lacking (vertically speaking).

Her current house is 4 x 4, but the shape is round, which I think may be driving her crazy. She consistently flips herself over at least once a week which is one reason why I wanted to make the change to her enclosure. I've measured the heat (93 on the warm side and 74 on the cool, dark, side) and humidity is consistently 70% or higher, so I don't think that she is searching for a warmer or cooler hangout. She just feels cramped.


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## leigti (Oct 19, 2014)

How much space do you have for an enclosure? How big of a "footprint" do you have room for? i'm thinking a large oval stock tank might work. And you can make them into a partially or even fully close chamber if you want to. That would help with humidity.


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## Marci_redfoot (Oct 19, 2014)

lisa127 said:


> or old furniture. I used an old dresser, took out all drawers and ribs, and turned it on it's back.





lismar79 said:


> I would not spend the $ on buying two of those houses to combo them. Is there any way you could build your own ( a big wood box, lined with a plastic shower curtain would work better & be much cheaper)....



I guess that I'm doubting my ability to construct a habitat that will effectively meet all of Marci's need on my own. Her current home I constructed, and it is deficient in several ways. I've even gone so far as to post a few ads on Craigslist looking to hire a local handy-man for the purpose of building an 8' x 4' enclosed table. However, the quotes I got were breathtakingly expensive. This was the largest do-it-yourself kit I could find online (aside from really large ones from the UK, which come with some truly painful shipping costs.)


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## Marci_redfoot (Oct 19, 2014)

leigti said:


> How much space do you have for an enclosure? How big of a "footprint" do you have room for? i'm thinking a large oval stock tank might work. And you can make them into a partially or even fully close chamber if you want to. That would help with humidity.



Her current home is a 4 x 4 "kiddie" pool, with a wood structure built around it along with chicken wire with non-toxic plastic lining to hold the humidity in. I can spare about 8 ft x 8 ft without driving my husband from my home, screaming. 

I did a search online for a stock tank, and some of these look like they might provide her with more room. Are these like in-ground fish ponds? They look very similar.


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## leigti (Oct 19, 2014)

There was a thread on here a while back where somebody used what was basically a plastic raised garden bed.and then they put a little greenhouse on top of it.so it didn't take a lot of do it yourself and it looked great. I wish I could find it if I do I'll try to forward the thread to you.


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## Marci_redfoot (Oct 19, 2014)

leigti said:


> I did buy two of those and connect them. It was for 4 1/2 inch Russian tortoise. It worked fine, I modified it a little bit by taking out the high dividers etc. but I would not recommend them for a larger tortoise and especially a red foot because they need more humidity.I would suggest getting a stock take instead.you know the kind they feed horses or sheep out of. they are already waterproof and you can get them in various sizes and shapes, round or oval for instance. and they can be deeper so you can make various terrain or even almost a two level enclosure all in one.The one I have is 150 gallons, but you would probably need A bigger one. Of course if your tortoise goes outside every single day for a few hours then you don't need a huge one just for night time.they do make them 2' x 6'.I will tell you from personal experience however, that the higher sides on the tanks, -20 inches high, will affect what kind of lighting you get.



Looking at these stock tanks, I think maybe I could cut two holes in opposing sides and stick a PVC tube through to mount the lighting at the appropriate height. I live in an apartment complex that regularly sprays pesticide, so going out is not an option other than trips to a pet-friendly local park. Unfortunately I can't do this every day.

I love the idea of a two-level enclosure. This should help with her climbing impulses in a safe way.


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## leigti (Oct 19, 2014)

Here is a picture of the one for my Boxturtle. It gives you the general idea, the lights are up about 15 inches away from the top of the turtle.

The heat lamps are on lampstands and the 48 inch tube light is laid on top of the tank with one and on the tank and the other on a wooden one by four across the tank. But there are a lot of different ways you can mount the lights.


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## leigti (Oct 19, 2014)

Here's a better picture of the lights, the other end of the tube light is just on the edge of the tank.


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## Marci_redfoot (Oct 19, 2014)

leigti said:


> Here's a better picture of the lights, the other end of the tube light is just on the edge of the tank.
> View attachment 100719



That is a great setup! How many gallons your stock tank? Do have issues with humidity levels?


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## leigti (Oct 19, 2014)

It is 150 gallons, Tuff brand. You will probably want a bigger one though because your tortoise is twice the size of mine. The exact dimensions are in my box turtle enclosure thread in that section. But I think it is basically 20 inches tall 34 inches wide and 52 inches long. I put Planson there, coconut Coir, leaves, and orchid bark. I added water to it frequently. I don't know what the humidity level is exactly, I don't have a meter for it, I guess I should get one.I may cover part of it during the winter to keep the heat in an increased humidity if needed. I don't know if Redfoot tortoises need more humidity then a Boxturtle.


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## Marci_redfoot (Oct 20, 2014)

Yes, I think that redfoots need more humidity... I'm shooting for 90%, but I haven't been able to get past 70% with my current enclosure. Thank you for the great advice. This really gives me some great options I didn't know were available.


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## leigti (Oct 20, 2014)

If they need that much humidity then a wooden enclosure really wouldn't work well without a lot of modifications. so I stock tank may be the way to go. Or maybe some kind of swimming pool thing. Either way it will probably have to be a close chamber and very well planted.


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## Marci_redfoot (Oct 23, 2014)

Maybe this is a bit of a stretch, but do you think that a plastic lined chicken coop might work? I've seen a few picture online of people keeping their larger tortoises in coops. It looks like there might be a few places to build some warm, humid, hides. There should also be plenty of room to mount lights and a ceramic heater. As well, it would be multi-level, which would satisfy her urge to climb (though I would need to modify the ramp with high rail for safety.) 
I was brainstorming about the substrate and I believe that I could build a plastic lined wooden base with a 5-6 inch high lip that would overlap the sides of the coop by a few inches. I could fill the base with my soil and mulch and just place the coop on top, which would make for relatively easy cleaning. As well, The top opens up in the upper area with a removable tray to allow for easy cleaning. This seems like it might work much better than anything I could build myself.There's even enough vertical space for me to plant vegetation inside.
I attached my potential layout. (Sorry for my terrible MS Paint skills!)


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## leigti (Oct 23, 2014)

Marci_redfoot said:


> Maybe this is a bit of a stretch, but do you think that a plastic lined chicken coop might work? I've seen a few picture online of people keeping their larger tortoises in coops. It looks like there might be a few places to build some warm, humid, hides. There should also be plenty of room to mount lights and a ceramic heater. As well, it would be multi-level, which would satisfy her urge to climb (though I would need to modify the ramp with high rail for safety.)
> I was brainstorming about the substrate and I believe that I could build a plastic lined wooden base with a 5-6 inch high lip that would overlap the sides of the coop by a few inches. I could fill the base with my soil and mulch and just place the coop on top, which would make for relatively easy cleaning. As well, The top opens up in the upper area with a removable tray to allow for easy cleaning. This seems like it might work much better than anything I could build myself.There's even enough vertical space for me to plant vegetation inside.
> I attached my potential layout. (Sorry for my terrible MS Paint skills!)
> View attachment 101100


With a lot of modifications that could work. I think I would be scared my tortoise would try to climb up the sides, that would be very easy for them to do. I would be scared they would fall from higher up and possibly get hurt or get flipped and not be able to flip back over.I guess I wasn't paying much attention, are you looking for an indoor or outdoor enclosure or both?I


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## leigti (Oct 23, 2014)

Another suggestion, look on Amazon under "raised bed Garden resin" there are some 4 x 8 kids there that may work or may be easily modified.I can't find the thread on this forum about the person who made one like that for their tortoise I will keep looking.


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## Marci_redfoot (Oct 24, 2014)

I saw a great kit on Amazon for a raised resin garden bed with two greenhouses that sit atop the enclosure, however the sides are very low and will allow just enough depth for the substrate. Marci is a little tank and will just plow over anything that is lower than 14 inches. I might be able to modify it a little easier than the coop setup, though. I'd like an indoor enclosure. I can set her current kiddie pool enclosure outdoors in the summer months.


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## leigti (Oct 24, 2014)

Maybe line the inside of it with a one by 12 board all around the edges. That way you can make the substrate deeper and he can't climb out maybe, maybe you could put a little lip around the top of the board also just as if it wasn't covered.


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## leigti (Oct 24, 2014)

I'm sure the one you found is the same one another one here on the forum has used. It works pretty slick I think.


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## Marci_redfoot (Oct 24, 2014)

I just took the plunge and ordered the raised garden bed with greenhouses from Home Depot. It's 25% off until Nov. 5th, so actually a little cheaper than my other options and requires fewer modifications. I'll post pictures of my setup, once I get it put together and decorated. 
Thank you guys for your help! It really was invaluable to me, as a new tort mommy. I LOVE Tortoise Forum. I've learned so much from reading the discussion boards and reviewing resources provided by members.


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