help dry

[wildponey21]

I have the hole 3rd floor for my room. I have my 7ft by 6 ft trot table in my room. Now i have a bed room and a living room. I have door that does to my were my torts. I have a humiderfer in my and it is 24/7. I close the door that it is oly in there. Now even with that it is still very, very dry in there. I don't know what else to do. Also does any one if VitaShell Cream works or if it is safe. I also use aspen wood shavings for bedding it is the only thing i found that i like. I have tried peat moss, angel hair moss. I don't like them. I have not tried cypress mulch yet i have good and bad things about that. Many people have mites when they use that. Thanks lokk forward to the help. \

P.S i have to red foots one is 5inch and the other is 7 inch

 

[Kristina]

Aspen is not an appropriate bedding for Redfoot tortoises. Your tortoise will not get mites from using cypress mulch. Wood mites and reptile mites are two completely different types of insect, and wood mites will not attach to a reptile. The little tiny bugs most often seen in cypress mulch are in fact NOT mites but springtails, which are completely harmless and in fact help to keep the enclosure clean. If you are worried about insects in your mulch, you can bake it at around 150* for 20 minutes or so in the oven. Whoever said that they got mites from using cypress mulch is 100% incorrect.

The moss that most of us use is neither peat moss or angel hair moss, but sphagnum moss. It can be purchased at Home Depot.

I suggest switching to a humid substrate immediately.

 

[wildponey21]

I dont see why aspen is not ok. Pine and ceder are bab and spry it every day with h20 it isclean and they6 like my little red foot like bury himself in it he did not with the moss or peatmoss.

 

[Marty333]

I would switch out the aspen with cypress mulch. Aspen bedding IMO is for hamsters and gerbils NOT reptiles especially Redfoots who require humidity. I buy the store frog moss and my redfoot buries into it along with the cypress mulch.

 

[matt41gb]

Go to a pet store, or a nursery. Get a block of coconut choir. Usually you have to soak it in a bucket of water for about 15 min. I believe at the pet stores it's called "Bed a Beast." Aspen bedding is one of the reasons that your tortoises are too dry. It will not hold moisture like coconut choir will. Use sphagnum moss on top for them to hide in and hold extra moisture. Believe me, you may not like it, but your tortoises will.

-Matt

 

[Madkins007]

I have the hole 3rd floor for my room. I have my 7ft by 6 ft trot table in my room. Now i have a bed room and a living room. I have door that does to my were my torts. I have a humiderfer in my and it is 24/7. I close the door that it is oly in there. Now even with that it is still very, very dry in there. I don't know what else to do. Also does any one if VitaShell Cream works or if it is safe. I also use aspen wood shavings for bedding it is the only thing i found that i like. I have tried peat moss, angel hair moss. I don't like them. I have not tried cypress mulch yet i have good and bad things about that. Many people have mites when they use that. Thanks lokk forward to the help. \

P.S i have to red foots one is 5inch and the other is 7 inch

Where are you located? Knowing your local climate really helps figure out something that will work better.

Some thoughts:
- Your humidifier may not be strong or large enough to properly humidify the entire room. The larger the room, the more mist it must throw out every minute to accomplish the job. If you cannot get a bigger unit, you may want to try a second unit.

- Humidifying a room you sleep and live in to the levels a Red-foot likes may not be a smart idea. Red-foots want around 70%, humans like 30-50%. High humidity is also tough on walls, books, etc. and can cause mildew.

- Humidity is also related to heat. You want the general temp for the torts about 85f. If you have heat lamps in the table, they are drying out the air so the torts are not getting humid air.

- Aspen is a very dry material and does not help with humidity. Because it is so dry, it can easily dehydrate young tortoises. Your bigger guys may not be as bothered by it, but dehydration is a serious concern for all pet torts.

- Peat and angel-hair moss are inappropriate for this. I have never read a serious article that recommends them. Long-fibered sphagnum moss works for some people, especially where the natural humidity is already high or moderate, but it is very acidic and many people struggle to keep it damp enough without it getting too wet or dry.

- Cypress mulch is used by hundreds of tortoise keepers with no problems. I would be interested in knowing where anyone has written anything bad about it, who knew what they were talking about.


You can try the Tortoise Library in my signature (http://ww.tortoiselibrary.com) for more ideas if you are interested.

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I dont see why aspen is not ok. Pine and ceder are bab and spry it every day with h20 it isclean and they6 like my little red foot like bury himself in it he did not with the moss or peatmoss.

Aspen does not hold and release moisture the way a good Red-foot substrate should. Cedar is known to cause health issues with many species and should be avoided. Pine may be a hazard as well, although there are fewer clinical studies for this.

 

[Yvonne G]

Rochester, NY