Condensation

[JoshGoldberg]

My enclosure was perfect. Only damp substrate all of the glass fogged up with hunidity and 90 degrees warm section. 105 under basking spot and 85 in cool section and 80 in the hide. Then my mum opened up the top to let lilzilla out to feed her... And left the top off. The cool side cooled down to the 70 degrees that my room is and all the water condensated on the substrate. Leaving it like a marsh... :| it wont un-marsh. What should i do?

 

[wellington]

I believe if you get the temps back up it should be fine. But @Tom might be able to answer this better. He has lots of experience with high humidity and closed chamber

 

[JoshGoldberg]

I believe if you get the temps back up it should be fine. But @Tom might be able to answer this better. He has lots of experience with high humidity and closed chamber

Its been this way for 2 days. Temps are the same now. Its just marshy

 

[wellington]

Post a pic. I don't think it will be a problem. If you want it too dry up some, you could leave it open for a bit.

 

[JoshGoldberg]

Post a pic. I don't think it will be a problem. If you want it too dry up some, you could leave it open for a bit.

Leaving it open will let the grasshoppers out :-}

 

[JoshGoldberg]

Leaving it open will let the grasshoppers out :-}

 

[wellington]

Do you have a screen to put over it for a bit?

 

[JoshGoldberg]

Do you have a screen to put over it for a bit?

Yes! Thank you for reminding me

 

[Tom]

If its too wet you need to let it air out.

Leaving the top off all day should not have had that effect. Quite the opposite.

You should not be housing grasshoppers with your tortoise. Put the grasshoppers in their own enclosure.

 

[JoshGoldberg]

If its too wet you need to let it air out.

Leaving the top off all day should not have had that effect. Quite the opposite.

You should not be housing grasshoppers with your tortoise. Put the grasshoppers in their own enclosure.

Okay. Also could the soil have marshed when the top was on and i didnt notice? Also is it bad to be that marshy?

 

[Tom]

Okay. Also could the soil have marshed when the top was on and i didnt notice? Also is it bad to be that marshy?

Yes it could have, and I have had marshy substrate before with no ill effect, but its not something I would advise. My tortoise was also outside in the hot dry air here for hours at a time when the substrate was wet like that.

Next time your tortoise is in its outside enclosure for a sunning session, I would open it up and run a fan in there to dry things out.

 

[JoshGoldberg]

Yes it could have, and I have had marshy substrate before with no ill effect, but its not something I would advise. My tortoise was also outside in the hot dry air here for hours at a time when the substrate was wet like that.

Next time your tortoise is in its outside enclosure for a sunning session, I would open it up and run a fan in there to dry things out.

I have trouble getting up humidity. I can keep it at a certain percent but i find it hard to get up. I dont know why as we have 46 percent humidity all around the house so it shouldnt be hard to double but i find it hard :-$

 

[Tom]

I have trouble getting up humidity. I can keep it at a certain percent but i find it hard to get up. I dont know why as we have 46 percent humidity all around the house so it shouldnt be hard to double but i find it hard :-$

Are you using a closed chamber? What are you measuring humidity with?

 

[JoshGoldberg]

Are you using a closed chamber? What are you measuring humidity with?

Closed chamber yes. And i have a heat and humidity guage with a probe on it

 

[Tom]

Closed chamber yes. And i have a heat and humidity guage with a probe on it

What brand and type of Hygrometer? Some of them are really inaccurate.

 

[JoshGoldberg]

What brand and type of Hygrometer? Some of them are really inaccurate.

Exo terra combometer

 

[Tom]

Exo terra combometer

As I feared. I have two of those. They are junk. Not even close. I don't have an easy solution. I used to recommend the accurate ones from the hardware store, but they changed them and now those are not even remotely accurate any more either.

 

[JoshGoldberg]

As I feared. I have two of those. They are junk. Not even close. I don't have an easy solution. I used to recommend the accurate ones from the hardware store, but they changed them and now those are not even remotely accurate any more either.

I dony know what to do then

 

[Tom]

I dony know what to do then

Gotta find an accurate one.

Anyone else have suggestions for currently available hygrometers that are reasonably accurate?

 

[G-stars]

Gotta find an accurate one.

Anyone else have suggestions for currently available hygrometers that are reasonably accurate?

I have a few different brands but my favorite and most accurate ones are these. This one is a dual reading one for outside and inside. Works like a charm for my use.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WTH3NQ/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20