enclosure humidity

RecklessCyanide

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my sulcata is about 2 and half years old, i use coco coir as main substrate.my enclosure is open top. The temperature is from 82 to 100F.(cold to hot) right now there are 2 problems

1. the substrate is wet and it sticks to his face and eyes, so that may cause some health issues like shell rot or mold growth?
2. if i don't wet the substrate, the humidity will just be as low as 40%

Any good suggestions for this ??
 

wellington

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It won't cause either of the two things you mentioned. However, pack the substrate down with your hands. The more you pack it the less likely it will stick to him so much.
 

RecklessCyanide

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It won't cause either of the two things you mentioned. However, pack the substrate down with your hands. The more you pack it the less likely it will stick to him so much.
because there is hay in his enclosure, when he eats it, he eats it along with some coco coir, will that cause impaction?
 

lismar79

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No it should not. I had the same issue and I put a layer of fir bark also called reptile bark down over the coco coir. Less mess that way.
 

Tom

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You need a closed chamber to hold in your humidity, and you need orchid bark for substrate.
 

RecklessCyanide

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You need a closed chamber to hold in your humidity, and you need orchid bark for substrate.
So after visiting the local vet, he said my sulcata has minor RI, and he thinks sulcata lives in a low humidity environment, and he wants me keep him in a low humidity enclosure, this is contradicted to what most people said here which is that they need high humidity, what should i really do??
 

Jodie

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The vet is wrong. I bet he doesn't even own a Sulcata. You need to keep him humid and warm. Keep your temps above 85F until he gets better, but keep the humidity up.
 

Keith D.

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The vet is wrong. I bet he doesn't even own a Sulcata. You need to keep him humid and warm. Keep your temps above 85F until he gets better, but keep the humidity up.
85 degrees or higher day and night...
 

fourfootgecko

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You can also scatter a few medium rocks on the substrate to keep it down. It also helps to file their nails. :)
Don't overwater it or it will get too sticky. It's also good to stir it around every now and then to check for mold or bugs.
 

Tom

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So after visiting the local vet, he said my sulcata has minor RI, and he thinks sulcata lives in a low humidity environment, and he wants me keep him in a low humidity enclosure, this is contradicted to what most people said here which is that they need high humidity, what should i really do??

Your vet is parroting the old incorrect info that has been repeated for the last 20 or 30 years. Its wrong. Babies hatch during the hot, rainy, humid monsoon season. During the dry times of the year, the sulcatas are unground in their warm, damp, humid burrows.

RIs are typically caused by temps being too low, especially at night. What are you using for night heat? What is the over night low temp? Often Ris can be "cured" by bumping up your over all ambient temp to 85-90 24/7, and keeping the temps that warm for at least two weeks after symptoms disappear.

Another possibility to consider is worms. Intestinal parasites can also caused symptoms that look like a RI. Did the vet run a fecal check? He should if he hasn't.
 

RecklessCyanide

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Your vet is parroting the old incorrect info that has been repeated for the last 20 or 30 years. Its wrong. Babies hatch during the hot, rainy, humid monsoon season. During the dry times of the year, the sulcatas are unground in their warm, damp, humid burrows.

RIs are typically caused by temps being too low, especially at night. What are you using for night heat? What is the over night low temp? Often Ris can be "cured" by bumping up your over all ambient temp to 85-90 24/7, and keeping the temps that warm for at least two weeks after symptoms disappear.

Another possibility to consider is worms. Intestinal parasites can also caused symptoms that look like a RI. Did the vet run a fecal check? He should if he hasn't.
because it's an open top enclosure, the area where it's at the lowest temp at night is at 82, but where he sleeps (in his hide) is around 90, and he stays there for entire night until i turn the UVB light on in the morning. he doesn't have any parasite. most likely it's an RI due to the low temp my setup was couple days ago. he gave me chlorpalm 250 for RI, don't know if it's any good or useful for him
 

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