how wet is too wet for substrate?

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tertle

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Hi everyone! I have a CH since 48 hours ago, my main concern atm is the substrate.

I have about 2 inches of cyprus mulch and on top of that i have about an inch of forest moss which i got in a dry brick at the pet store.

I think i was super eager the first day and over-misted him, his entire substrate is very wet.

The top layer is very moist, as u go deeper it gets wetter and although there isn't any standing water or pooling at the bottom of the tank, it's still very wet. i am worried about shell rot so i haven't misted the tank at all for aboout 24 hours hoping it would dry up a little.

When i look at the glass, and look under the substrate, there is fog/air bubbles indicating high humidity. If there was alot of water pooling at the bottom i would've definitely changed the substrate, but atm it's not to the point of water pooling so i'm not sure as to what i'm suppose to do?
 

Edna

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Hi, Tertle. Welcome to the forum.
Please tell us more about yourself and about your CH (?). What species, how old, etc. What is the surface temp of your wet moss? I ask because wet moss has a lot of surface area and can get very cold under some circumstances. That would be my first concern. Shell rot doesn't happen overnight, and your substrate will dry out with air exchange, so as long as your temps are OK, don't worry.
 

Madkins007

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(By CH, do you mean 'cherry head'?)

As a rule of thumb- one good method is to have a very deep- 4-6"- layer of substrate (I don't bother with layers any more) and try to keep the bottom layer wet and the top dry. If your top layer of moss is wet, try taking it out and wringing it dry or letting it dry in the sun.

Moderate the humidity by covering or uncovering the top- more covered = more humid.

Unlike Edna, I have found that 'contact rot' can happen pretty quickly and heal very slowly.
 

mightymizz

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Madkins- Could you elaborate more on the idea of having the bottom most part of your deep substrate wet?
I have heard about some people keeping the surface layer somewhat moist, but not too wet, thus allowing the heat from the emitter over the day to dry it out allowing humidity. Obviously, the question would then get asked as it is being asked here, how wet is considered too wet.

I'll be following along.
 

Madkins007

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Basically, pile up about 4-6" of cypress or other hardwood mulch and pour water in until the bottom 1-2" is 'filled' with water. Mulch is good for this as it wicks the water up slowly, but not so much the top layer gets wet. You need a thick layer of stuff to make this work.

Now- as long as there is SOME heat, the water will wick up and convert to vapor, then rise up as humidity and leave the habitat.

You can increase the activity two ways- cover it more, or heat the bottom wet layer.

Covering- Covering the top regulates how quickly the warm, humid air leaves. You have to cover most of the top to slow it down even a little and in dry areas we often have to cover all of the top.

Heating- I like Big Apple Herp heat ropes for this (http://www.bigappleherp.com/Big-Apple-Flexible-Heat-Ropes ) The heat converts the water to vapor faster, and warms the substrate gently as the heated vapor rises through it.

You can also use these two in combination for even better control- with heated water, you can leave the top more open to accomplish the same goal.

There are also other methods here- https://sites.google.com/site/tortoiselibrary/the-work-shop/humidity-1
 

tertle

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Hey all, all these posts are very helpful, taking notes and gonna apply them. CH for cherry head sorry did not realize i just went off on a tangent and made my own abbreviation!
 
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