Humidity Musings [emoji848]

[margosha]

Ok, so be forewarned... this might be silly post, but I wanted an outside opinion on something I've been internally debating the past few days, mostly just out of curiosity.

I try to keep the humidity in the 60-70% range for my baby Russian, which I hear is ideal, but most days it is slightly outside that range on either the hot side or the cool side. Because of the air flow in my house and depending on how much of the tank I leave open, my options are:
~ 56% hot side
~ 67% cool side
or
~ 65% hot side
~ 76% cool side

I know, I know... humidity isn't that critical for a Russian, and that these ranges are very minimal in difference, and probably make no actual difference to his well-being... but being cursed as a perfectionist, I am just curious if my tort would be more comfortable in one range over the other? Or if one range is slightly more beneficial than the other? Ah! This is what happens when work is slow and you have too much time to think...

 

[wellington]

I would want the higher humidity on the hot side. The hot side is what would cause pyramiding without humidity. Russian can pyramid. They don't as easily as some others but they still can.

 

[JoesMum]

How big is this enclosure? As far as I can make out in smaller enclosures variations in humidity are unlikely to make a lot of difference

 

[margosha]

How big is this enclosure? As far as I can make out in smaller enclosures variations in humidity are unlikely to make a lot of difference

Just for while he's a baby, it's a 55 gallon (almost) closed chamber tank, but it's pretty narrow so that makes it rather long. I have two hygrometers in there, one on the hot side, and one on the cool. They are calibrated, so I think they're pretty accurate.

 

[margosha]

I would want the higher humidity on the hot side. The hot side is what would cause pyramiding without humidity. Russian can pyramid. They don't as easily as some others but they still can.

Yeah especially since he is still so small, and I know babies need more humidity. He spends most of his day on the hot end anyway, so I have been keeping his tank in that second range, so thanks for your validating input!

 

[JoesMum]

Just for while he's a baby, it's a 55 gallon (almost) closed chamber tank, but it's pretty narrow so that makes it rather long. I have two hygrometers in there, one on the hot side, and one on the cool. They are calibrated, so I think they're pretty accurate.

And are these hygrometers the digital probe tyor and measuring the humidity at tortoise level?

 

[margosha]

And are these hygrometers the digital probe tyor and measuring the humidity at tortoise level?

I use these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HDW58GS/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

They are at tortoise level.