PiL71

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Jul 7, 2018
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Massachusetts
Hello all! I've been redoing my substrate, when I discovered heavy water damage (presumably from the moist coco coir and general humidity of the air) on the bottom. My enclosure is a unique one, (pics can be found on my profile, I believe) but I'd like to keep this idealogy and apply it to my next iteration of this.
As I'm going off to uni in the fall, I want to get as large of a head start as I can. This is to make sure that I can leave my tortoise's enclosure almost completely self sustaining, with maintenance ~once a week to not bog my parents down too much with Herb (my Russian).

Things I'd like to have in his enclosure, in no particular order, are:
A timed misting system**
A waterfall feature that keeps the water running*
A clean-up crew (I already have these, I'm working on starting the culture of dwarf whites and springtails)
A couple of natural, integrated hides, and a few removable ones.
Live(?) plants (in removable plant holsters in case of damage via tort).***
Timed lighting (already have figured out)
Sliding or swinging plexiglass (or similar material) front panels (lockable, but it's very important to me to not get these scratched by the locks)
A way to prevent water damage in the future (a wood sealant, some sort of expanding foam?)
Should be noted that he doesn't burrow, not to the point of being completely covered by substrate at least. He also doesn't brumate.

* I'm not talking like Niagara falls, but something to either trickle or pour into a reservoir or bowl like object, to allow for less evaporation (as water will be moving a bit), his waste to get swept away, and for him to bathe as much as his heart desires.
** I've got a clean up crew that I'm working on getting larger, so I need the humidity to be on the higher side (40-60%). Don't want these guys drying out!
*** What type of plants can I put in with a Russian? I know I can do succulents, but at the same time I'd think the humidity at ~50% would be too high for those?

Please, anyone who has any ideas give me a shout! I've got a few ideas, but different perspectives are ALWAYS appreciated.
For those who're already typing "you don't need a misting system for a tortoise, you don't need a water feature for a tortoise", please keep in mind my mother isn't the most fond of scooping dung or spraying water mist, and I'm trying to make this the least maintenance needed for my parents, who are already doing me a massive favor by agreeing to keep him alive and well.

Thank you for your time and effort.
 

Maggie3fan

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But some of that stuff isn't necessary...I have kept turtles and tortoises for a long time, and I have never not ever not once ever misted an enclosure. If you have everything correctly misting is not needed, staple a shower curtain liner to the bottom and sides, water feature? Really? A couple of hides? They can only sleep in one. You talk about simplifying the whole thing for your parents, but you are making it way more complex than it needs to be. Water feature...puleez
 

PiL71

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5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2018
Messages
59
Location (City and/or State)
Massachusetts
But some of that stuff isn't necessary...I have kept turtles and tortoises for a long time, and I have never not ever not once ever misted an enclosure. If you have everything correctly misting is not needed, staple a shower curtain liner to the bottom and sides, water feature? Really? A couple of hides? They can only sleep in one. You talk about simplifying the whole thing for your parents, but you are making it way more complex than it needs to be. Water feature...puleez
I see what you mean, but I’d also like to make this aesthetically pleasing for myself. I also quite literally addressed the sarcasm in your last sentence before you even wrote it. As for the multiple hides, if you thought before you typed, you’d know tortoises need a few hides. A cool hide, a warm hide, and a humid hide. Thank you for the shower curtain idea. I’m assuming a back plate can hide this from sight? Like a cork back plate? As for the misting system, just because you don’t use it doesn’t mean others don’t. I’m trying to make this as self sustaining as possible with as little maintenance as possible. The complexity for me doesn’t matter, as long as my parents just gotta feed him. The water trickle was initially going to be keeping the water running, to suck waste into a filter and then pour clean water back in, and to discourage evaporation as moving water doesn’t evaporate as easily from my understanding. I understand where you’re coming from, but I’ve already got a very unique enclosure and I want to compound it. Thank you for the feedback, it is appreciated even if it wasn’t the nicest I’ve ever heard. Lastly, this is post sending it but I live in a climate where humidity doesn’t stay too long, so yes I have to mist him. Just because you’ve never misted an enclosure doesn’t mean it’s the same for everyone.
 

Canadian Mojo

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Ontario
Instead of a mister on a timer, you could use a fogger on a humidity gauge. It's fine tunable to whatever you want. With a fairly closed setup you won't need to refill too frequently.

For live plants, you might want to consider using elevated shelves with trailing or arching plants like pothos or spider plants. The tort can nibble but not trample the plants to death, and if you size and place it right, the shelf can also make a good hide.

I honestly don't see a water feature being viable unless you can find a way to keep the substrate from being dragged in. Even then, it's liable to be pretty high maintenance.
 

Maggie3fan

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I see what you mean, but I’d also like to make this aesthetically pleasing for myself. I also quite literally addressed the sarcasm in your last sentence before you even wrote it. As for the multiple hides, if you thought before you typed, you’d know tortoises need a few hides. A cool hide, a warm hide, and a humid hide. Thank you for the shower curtain idea. I’m assuming a back plate can hide this from sight? Like a cork back plate? As for the misting system, just because you don’t use it doesn’t mean others don’t. I’m trying to make this as self sustaining as possible with as little maintenance as possible. The complexity for me doesn’t matter, as long as my parents just gotta feed him. The water trickle was initially going to be keeping the water running, to suck waste into a filter and then pour clean water back in, and to discourage evaporation as moving water doesn’t evaporate as easily from my understanding. I understand where you’re coming from, but I’ve already got a very unique enclosure and I want to compound it. Thank you for the feedback, it is appreciated even if it wasn’t the nicest I’ve ever heard. Lastly, this is post sending it but I live in a climate where humidity doesn’t stay too long, so yes I have to mist him. Just because you’ve never misted an enclosure doesn’t mean it’s the same for everyone.
Oh come on! Don't be so freakin hostile. I meant what I said about your Mom, you ARE making it harder, and frankly, you don't know me enuf to insult me that way. If I was really being sarcastic I wouldn't have tried to make a funny. While I was half serious I mostly wasn't but now that you've opened the door...I don't waste my time on people like you...so hostile and no sense of humor
 

KarenSoCal

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and to discourage evaporation as moving water doesn’t evaporate as easily from my understanding.

Hmmm, I'm inclined to think this is not true. If water is moving, especially if it's fast enough to carry poop with it, some splash is to be expected. That splash is going to evaporate very quickly due to the vastly increased surface area. Just like how crushed ice melts faster than block ice. What the movement will do is prevent a film from forming on your water.

I've never needed a misting or fogging system, but I'd like to run this by you. We put a lot of money and effort into keeping our enclosures warm enough. To my knowledge misters and foggers produce a cool mist. What about using a warm mist vaporizer? I find a huge difference in my closed chamber if I spritz it with hot water (while Sulafat is not in it). It raises the ambient temp, saturates the air, and wets the substrate more thoroughly. The entire enclosure stays damp for much longer. Your mom is going to need to fill whatever you use, so you may as well enhance your heating and humidity rather than blow in cold air that holds so much less moisture. I think it would really lessen evaporation from your pool. Just a suggestion...
 

PiL71

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2018
Messages
59
Location (City and/or State)
Massachusetts
Oh come on! Don't be so freakin hostile. I meant what I said about your Mom, you ARE making it harder, and frankly, you don't know me enuf to insult me that way. If I was really being sarcastic I wouldn't have tried to make a funny. While I was half serious I mostly wasn't but now that you've opened the door...I don't waste my time on people like you...so hostile and no sense of humor
Bye~ You came at me being hostile and sarcastic, even making fun of the ideas I had, and now you're trying to play the victim after I give you that same exact energy back. Treat others the way you want to be treated, right?
" Water feature...puleez " - sarcasm, hostility.
" A couple of hides? They can only sleep in one " - completely unneeded. You've got more than one room in your house, but you can only sleep in one, right?
" I have kept turtles and tortoises for a long time " - you may have more experience over me, judging by what you've said, but you need to work on your people skills if this is how you treat everyone.
" If I was really being sarcastic I wouldn't have tried to make a funny. " - good thing you didn't make a funny, then.
" frankly, you don't know me enuf to insult me that way. " - practice what you preach, girlie.
" so hostile and no sense of humor " - I'm not hostile or have a bad sense of humor, but when I come on here asking for help, the least I expect is to not get insulted for typing an idea out. A user replied with a nicer way of telling me a water pump is unneeded, instead of mocking me for pushing the idea into the fray.

" unless you can find a way to keep the substrate from being dragged in. " is a good point, they gave me a difficult problem to solve and I see why my idea is not good.
" What about using a warm mist vaporizer? I find a huge difference in my closed chamber if I spritz it with hot water (while Sulafat is not in it). It raises the ambient temp, saturates the air, and wets the substrate more thoroughly. " - This user told me to scrap the idea of a misting system, and instead gave me a very viable way of fixing the problem I'm running into.
Please be more like them in the future, I didn't come on here giving you sh*t about an idea, so I expect the same treatment.
 
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