Humidifier question?

[jdelagarza001]

Is it okay to leave my humidifier on 24/7 during these cold months? That is the only way that I can keep the humidity constant. I know it won't last long (I have a Reptifogger), and I will be getting a human humidifier.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I don't use humidifiers for humidity but something in your post caught my attention..
Regardless of it being cold outside right now, your indoor enclosure temperatures should still be maintained nice and warm. So, if your temps are still right on, the question about running the humidifier should be easy.
Yes you still can have humidity in these cold months because it won't be cold in the enclosure.

 

[jdelagarza001]

Yes, my temps run in the 80s due to a ceramic heater, but it gets dry 70% humidity level without the humidifier. Everything that I have read says that levels should be at least 80%.

 

[TortoiseWorld]

Team, if you don't use a humidifier how do you get levels above 80%? What do you use?

 

[mtdavis254817]

I have a humidifier that runs all day in my sulcatas room. It does increase the heat about five degrees

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Re: RE: Humidifier question?

Team, if you don't use a humidifier how do you get levels above 80%? What do you use?

2 words....

CLOSED CHAMBER

I keep humidity in the high 80s and high 90s for weeks without having to spray water.

 

[jdelagarza001]

I am making myself crazy with all of the gauges and checking them, making sure the moss and coconut are not too wet, checking shell for shell fungus, etc. [GRINNING FACE WITH SMILING EYES] will I get everything right very soon? I seriously am going nuts!

 

[Levi the Leopard]

My dirt is dry on top in the closed chamber. Don't have to worry about wet substrate or shell rot.

Maybe you could look into that....sure is easy to maintain once it's set up.

 

[Madkins007]

It can be tough to balance all the needs of our torts, especially when our local habitat is very different than theirs.

Here in Omaha, these are some tips I have used.

1. Don't just humidify the habitat, humidify the tortoise room. Otherwise, the dry room will suck the habitat dry unless it is VERY airtight, which has its own problems.

2. Tropical fish tanks make GREAT humidifiers, to the point that many Europeans use them in their greenhouse-sized indoor habitats.

3. Run a humidifier in the habitat, even 24 hours if needed, but make SURE your heat stays up and that the surfaces don't get clammy. Good drainage, decent airflow, thermostatic controls, etc. will help.

4. Aim for a thick layer of of a substrate that allows drainage and also wicks liquids. If you put down a layer of about 3-4" of cypress mulch, and get & keep the bottom inch soaking wet and at least somewhat warmed, the water will move upwards as warm vapor and provide humidity and avoid the damp surface layer.

5. Try to control the airflow. Ideally, you'll have fairly small vents up top to let out the hot, humid rising air slowly, and slightly larger vents down low to let in fresh air.

6. Use live plants (maybe inside pots sunk in the substrate) to raise the humidity. It also offers other benefits like cleaning the air.

7. Never done it, but read about it. If you want to get fancy, try a recycling rain system. Thick layer of well-drained substrate, heater cables on the bottom, small pump sucking water out of the bottom up to perforated tubing up high to make rain, then use a timer to run it every couple hours. The heated water reservoir will create humidity on its own between rains.

 

[TortoiseWorld]

My dirt is dry on top in the closed chamber. Don't have to worry about wet substrate or shell rot.

Maybe you could look into that....sure is easy to maintain once it's set up.

Team,we use closed enclosures but still humidity is difficult to maintain at high levels, what do you use to make humidity for your enclosure? Do you you use a house humidifier, a fogger, a cool spray mister? What do you use to make the humidity?

 

[Tom]

I am making myself crazy with all of the gauges and checking them, making sure the moss and coconut are not too wet, checking shell for shell fungus, etc. [GRINNING FACE WITH SMILING EYES] will I get everything right very soon? I seriously am going nuts!

If you want to stop driving yourself nuts and have a very easy time of it, please read this: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-32333.html

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Team,we use closed enclosures but still humidity is difficult to maintain at high levels...

If your are losing your heat and humidity, then your enclosure is not "closed". You have too much ventilation. If you have the lights on top and outside the enclosure it creates a chimney effect and pulls the warm humid air up and out of the enclosure. Please see the above link for how to do this. In the above enclosures, my humidity hovers around 80%, my substrate is dry on top, and the only maintenance I have to do is dump and occasional water bowl in the enclosure and then refill it with clean water.

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1. Don't just humidify the habitat, humidify the tortoise room. Otherwise, the dry room will suck the habitat dry unless it is VERY airtight, which has its own problems.

5. Try to control the airflow. Ideally, you'll have fairly small vents up top to let out the hot, humid rising air slowly, and slightly larger vents down low to let in fresh air.

1. I agree that for an open enclosure humidifying the whole room is a useful tactic, if possible. However the second sentence is quite false. None of my closed chambers are anywhere near "airtight". They most certainly are not "VERY" airtight. Having the heat lamps and lights inside the enclosure, is a big part of preventing the loss of the warm humid air.

5. Venting it the way you describe is ideal for creating a chimney effect where warm humid air escapes out the top and cool dry air from the room is drawn into the enclosure at tortoise tortoise level. Not good advice Mark. Have you actually done it this way? I have been called in to help people with enclosure ventilation as you describe and all their humidity problems were solving by closing and covering those vents.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Re: RE: Humidifier question?

Team,we use closed enclosures but still humidity is difficult to maintain at high levels, what do you use to make humidity for your enclosure? Do you you use a house humidifier, a fogger, a cool spray mister? What do you use to make the humidity?

Then you have holes somewhere.
I do not use any misters or sprayers or humidifiers.
When I set the chamber up, the top soil was moist enough to give me humidity in the 80s. Since then I spray a few squirts of water *maybe* every few weeks. Or I, like Tom, dump the water dish into the enclosure every now and then.

 

[jdelagarza001]

I want to thank all of you for your responses. I love the terrarium that I have, but unfortunately it has a fine wire mesh as the top. I took your advice and went to the hardware store and bought a 1/4" piece of plywood. My husband plans to rig everything tomorrow.
Jennifer

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*1/4 inch thick

 

[Levi the Leopard]

My terrarium top is also a mesh screen. I covered it with clear wrapping paper and taped it all along the edges. Then I cut out holes for the light/heat to still go through the screen.
Just in case your plywood top doesn't work out...

 

[TortoiseWorld]

Tom and Team, would this be a good substrate set up?
A Hydor Hydroset heat cable system installed on the bottom floor of the enclosure, the bottom would be water tight.
Then on top of the cables 2" of reptibark , and another 2" jungle mix on the top.
Thanks for your help, I'm trying to design a new closed enclosure now because I'm getting more B. star babies.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I have no experience with heat cables.

 

[TortoiseWorld]

or a portable oil filled radiator under the enclosure?

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Re: RE: Humidifier question?

or a portable oil filled radiator under the enclosure?

I use one of these in my outdoor heated tort house but not with the indoor enclosure.

 

[InvertaHerp]

Could a humidifier be kept in the enclosure?

 

[sibi]

How do you intend to make the floor water right? When you spray water in the beginning in order to start bringing the humidity level up, it's gonna get wet on the bottom. No?

Tom and Team, would this be a good substrate set up?
A Hydor Hydroset heat cable system installed on the bottom floor of the enclosure, the bottom would be water tight.
Then on top of the cables 2" of reptibark , and another 2" jungle mix on the top.
Thanks for your help, I'm trying to design a new closed enclosure now because I'm getting more B. star babies.

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I have a shed as an outside enclosure, and, yes, I use a humidifier inside the shed to help keep humidity levels high.

Could a humidifier be kept in the enclosure?