Humidifiers

[Capri]

I was just looking into getting a humidifier for my 4 inch red footed tort. She has topsoil, cypress mulch and sphagnum moss. She has gotten shell rot recently and we are having a hard time figuring out how to keep the humidity up while keeping her dry so a humidifier seems like a good option. She has a humid hide that have spongers glued to the top (out of reach) to hold the humidity in there but the rest of her home isn't great at holding humidity. It gets really dry on the top. The soil is on the bottom and does a decent job but not the best. I was looking for a tiny humidifier because she's so small and we could make it fit in her home and I don't want to over power her with it. Do you think any of these would be ok? http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=mini+humidifier
I'm not sure what to look for and really don't want to buy a huge reptile one because it seems like overkill if something more simple would work equally as well. I also put some tin foil on the top of her home to trap the heat a little better. Right now she's in an aquarium but I want to get her out of that as soon as possible. We are currently building a new home for our Russian that wasn't in the best conditions when my boyfriend's parents got her so we are working at that and then hopefully our red foot will get a bigger and better home.

 

[Tom]

A closed chamber makes this easy. Your substrate can be dry on top, but your humidity can be nice and high since it can't escape.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-32333.html

 

[zenoandthetortoise]

I've never used a humidifier, but use cypress and orchid bark over 2" of coco coir. The picture (if it attaches ) is about half the tortoise table. In the center (to the right of the frame) is CHE on a thermostat, directly over the water dish. The table is entirely covered with plexiglass panels. Between evaporation and watering the plants occasionally the humidity stays in the mid 80's while the substrate is dry to the touch. Humid hide is visible in lower left, filed with damp spagnum moss. Humidity in there is in 90's.

 

[mike taylor]

Like Tom said a closed chamber is the way to go. The top of the substrate needs to be dry. If you dig down into it is it wet or damp ? If so you are good . Now just trap it in with a cover over your enclosure .

 

[Capri]

Thanks for the help! I ordered some seeds and plan on putting them in there to help with the humidity. I have tinfoil over the screen to help for now but want to get her into a better enclosure soon. We created the great pyramid of Capri a few weeks ago and she loves it!

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Also, it is moist on the bottom. When the humidity reader says a little over 85% when you put it in the substrate which is where she spends the majority of her time

 

[wellington]

If you get a humidifier, get a warm mist one and try to get one that has a round output area, where the mist comes out of. That way, if you want, you can pipe it into the enclosure and not have to put the whole thing in the enclosure. That's what I did.