Help dialing in temps/humidity

[grandlinegirl]

Sorry to post another thread. I needed specific help with temps/humidity so thought I'd post in a specific section. My new baby Hermann's is coming Wednesday morning. That gives me pretty limited time to get everything settled.

I have a 50 gallon rubbermaid (temporary until my 7 foot enclosure is done) with eco earth substrate. I have a hole cut in the top with tinfoil around the edges. The light fixture is just sitting on it. I just got my acurite thermometers earlier today and put them in. Temps are as follows:

Warm side. 100 under the MVB with 35% humidity. The other side is at 82 with 66% humidity.

How do I get the humidity up with eco earth? Just keep misting? I was planning to add a humid hide. Should I put it in the warm or cool side?

I guess I'll have to get a lamp stand to hold the light further up. But will too much heat escape if the light is suspended above the bin and the hole is open? I don't want to cool the other side down too much.

Another question - how do you guys place your thermometers? I don't want to leave it right on the substrate beneath the bulb. I feel like it'll get clogged up and it'll be in the way and make it hard for the little tort to move.

I've got some fake plants to make the environment more inviting and to provide some cover. No real plants. I haven't found any organic, pesticide-free plants. I'm planning on growing some stuff but I don't know when I'll have real plants to put in there.

Also, this is the little one:

 

[wellington]

@HermanniChris can help and be sure to check out the caresheet.

 

[HermanniChris]

Please definitely read my care sheet at the top of this page. It sounds like you're trying to maintain a Hermann's tortoise in a closed-in enclosure. That does not work well for these tortoises due to the species' susceptibility to skin nodules. What you need to focus on are lesser temps and moist, deep substrate. Hermann's need to be able to burrow into well-hydrated substrate. This is where they will encounter the humidity they need. As for temps, watch the MVB, they can be VERY harsh on baby Hermann's leading to intense heat which causes them to deteriorate over time and perish. Raise it higher for sure to help decrease the intensity. These bulbs also dry out the substrate fast so be ready to add water to it often. You don't want it wet, you want it nice and moist. Fake plants work just fine, so do log hides and drift wood or cork bark. Fresh drinking water must be readily available.

If you need any further ideas you can view my Hermann's site: www.hermannihaven.com

 

[grandlinegirl]

Please definitely read my care sheet at the top of this page. It sounds like you're trying to maintain a Hermann's tortoise in a closed-in enclosure. That does not work well for these tortoises due to the species' susceptibility to skin nodules. What you need to focus on are lesser temps and moist, deep substrate. Hermann's need to be able to burrow into well-hydrated substrate. This is where they will encounter the humidity they need. As for temps, watch the MVB, they can be VERY harsh on baby Hermann's leading to intense heat which causes them to deteriorate over time and perish. Raise it higher for sure to help decrease the intensity. These bulbs also dry out the substrate fast so be ready to add water to it often. You don't want it wet, you want it nice and moist. Fake plants work just fine, so do log hides and drift wood or cork bark. Fresh drinking water must be readily available.

If you need any further ideas you can view my Hermann's site: www.hermannihaven.com

I've researched on here (and posted about enclosures) and read your site and haven't seen or been told anything about not keeping Hermann's in closed chambers. I've read about not keeping them in glass tanks. I guess I missed that. I don't really have a choice now. A lot of work and frustration has gone into building this enclosed chamber. My sister's boyfriend was nice enough to offer to make it. He paid for the wood and materials, so I've got to use it.

I've got 5-6 inches of substrate in the rubbermaid. I'm just not sure how to keep eco earth moist enough. When I first put it in there, I tried pouring some water in and mixing it around but it didn't work very well.

Hopefully I can get this all figured out for the little guy =\ I'll read over your info again.

 

[HermanniChris]

Then all I can say is keep close watch, very close watch of the skin particularly. You can easily cut ventilation into the wood that will help this. You definitely didn't read in any of my literature to keep them this way, the only thing you would have read was to keep them in Rubbermaid containers and only putting the lid on at night. Closed chambers work well for a variety of other species and I'm sure you read that on some of the other care sheets of his forum.

You're going to continuously struggle with trying to keep that particular substrate moist. That's why I suggest the mixes I do in my care sheet.

Another option that works very well is to use Nature's Care organic potting mix from lowes or Home Depot and mix it with cypress or hardwood mulch. You can also throw in some top soil to the mix. That'll help too.

 

[HermanniChris]

You know, reading back on your original post here, your humidity is overall lower in this closed enclosure so you may actually not have an issue, especially since the substrate is drying out. Definitely at least switch to the substrate I've suggested to keep it more hydrated for the animal and then test your humidity levels in the air. If they get too high, I would
Then cut some ventilation into the enclosure.

 

[Yvonne G]

(Or leave the door open???)

 

[grandlinegirl]

You know, reading back on your original post here, your humidity is overall lower in this closed enclosure so you may actually not have an issue, especially since the substrate is drying out. Definitely at least switch to the substrate I've suggested to keep it more hydrated for the animal and then test your humidity levels in the air. If they get too high, I would
Then cut some ventilation into the enclosure.

I did read about the mixes but I haven't been able to find any topsoil/potting mix here in my small town in Canada without additives. Everything I've seen has perlite or other additives in it. I searched for the Nature's Care potting soil but can't find it in Canada. It must not be available here. I'm sure as spring comes, there'll be way more options available. Right now there isn't much in the gardening centres. Gardening isn't huge during a Canadian winter.

I can get cypress mulch through the petstore, though! I'll add some of that into the substrate and maybe it'll help. It's what I use for my brazilian rainbow boa. And I'll keep my eye out at Home Depot/Lowes for acceptable topsoil/potting mix to add into the substrate.

Thanks for your help. I appreciate it