How to make the cage better?

[CharlieS2020]

Hey please help me I worried my tortoise cage is n9t the best and I want to improve it. Right now I have eco earth as a substrate wood wallls some rocks,fake plants and I built in hide. And for a water dish I have a small dish witch my tortoise loves and a b8g brick for her to eat on. Charlie is a Hermann tortoise so she 8 one of the smaller ones right now Charlie is around 1 ish year old. I also have a chicken wire top. With the h8ult in hide I have had people tell me to take it out. I’m worried to do that because my tortoise sleeps in there a lot and also under a peice of wood. Any suggestions to help keep humidity in the cage and decor I should add or any thing I should change there will be a photo 9f the cage down below thins. Also I am worried of the walls getting mold from the wet substrate. Any adv8ce is aprishiated. Charlie

 

[Lyn W]

Hi Charlie
Open tables make controlling humidity and heat very difficult.
Eco earth substrate is coco coir isn't it? It does look dry so needs to be moistened (not soaking wet) by either pouring water into the corner and mixing it in or spraying regularly;
Many people use a layer of orchid bark on top to slow down loss of humidity and make it less messy.
You could take it all out and line the table with plastic to protect the wood and maybe try to get a portable plastic greenhouse to place over it. There are pictures of people doing this if you search the Enclosures threads

If you are increasing humidity you need to make sure your temps are correct.
humidity + correct temps = healthy tort
humidity + too cold = sick tort.

This will help you with temps

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

What lamps are you using ?
You will need increase the size of his enclosure soon.
4 x 8 feet is the minimum recommended for the smaller species but the bigger the better.

 

[CharlieS2020]

Hi Charlie
Open tables make controlling humidity and heat very difficult.
Eco earth substrate is coco coir isn't it? It does look dry so needs to be moistened (not soaking wet) by either pouring water into the corner and mixing it in or spraying regularly;
Many people use a layer of orchid bark on top to slow down loss of humidity and make it less messy.
You could take it all out and line the table with plastic to protect the wood and maybe try to get a portable plastic greenhouse to place over it. There are pictures of people doing this if you search the Enclosures threads

If you are increasing humidity you need to make sure your temps are correct.
humidity + correct temps = healthy tort
humidity + too cold = sick tort.

This will help you with temps

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

What lamps are you using ?
You will need increase the size of his enclosure soon.
4 x 8 feet is the minimum recommended for the smaller species but the bigger the better.

For the uvb light I am using a a zoo med uvb light strip thing it was recommended to me by s9meone on the forum and for heat a 65 what light thing w8tch was also recommended to me by people on this forum. And the substrate is coco coir yes. Also I have a plastic on the bottom it’s just the sides I am worried about. Charlie is only 1 year old you s7re she will need a bigger cage soon and if so can you give me some advice on how to make it. I like making my changes by hand. And my dad also helps me build.

 

[CharlieS2020]

Hi Charlie
Open tables make controlling humidity and heat very difficult.
Eco earth substrate is coco coir isn't it? It does look dry so needs to be moistened (not soaking wet) by either pouring water into the corner and mixing it in or spraying regularly;
Many people use a layer of orchid bark on top to slow down loss of humidity and make it less messy.
You could take it all out and line the table with plastic to protect the wood and maybe try to get a portable plastic greenhouse to place over it. There are pictures of people doing this if you search the Enclosures threads

If you are increasing humidity you need to make sure your temps are correct.
humidity + correct temps = healthy tort
humidity + too cold = sick tort.

This will help you with temps

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

What lamps are you using ?
You will need increase the size of his enclosure soon.
4 x 8 feet is the minimum recommended for the smaller species but the bigger the better.

Hi also one more question do you think I should take out the built in hide to give Charlie some more room to walk?