Mold and moisture issue

[Autiwara]

The new enclosure holds humidity maybe a bit too well (80-95%), so there's a lot of moisture collecting at the plastic cover that drips down into the soil and makes it wet.

I try to turn the soil whenever I see that it's too moist, but today I noticed there's a lot of mold forming on the wooden hides. I know it's pretty inevitable but he only wants to use those bendable wooden hides... I took them all out and scrubbed them with water and vinegar and left them to dry, but I know it'll happen again if I don't fix the moisture issue.

I have a pulse controller for my CHE but the sweetspot makes it so it's not hot enough to vapourize the moisture or dry the soil properly because he always goes in and out of the tub. If I turn off the DHP and put the CHE on full then the warm side is 30-32⁰ and the cold side is 25⁰, I'm not sure if the difference is too drastic?

I'm considering buying more cococoir to mix into the soil to hopefully get a drier surface area. I was thinking of reptibark at first but have heard it molds easily?

 

[Yvonne G]

Redfoot toetoises are prone to shell rot/fungus, so you need to be careful about how wet the substrate is.

 

[Autiwara]

Redfoot toetoises are prone to shell rot/fungus, so you need to be careful about how wet the substrate is.

I know, that's why I need to fix this but I don't know how to keep the humidity high and the temps correct without the soil becoming wet. That's my problem.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Maybe a thin layer of bark would help?

 

[Autiwara]

Maybe a thin layer of bark would help?

I've considered it but I'd probably need to turn the soil anyway and the bark would then mix with the soil

 

[jaizei]

drying out the hide thoroughly, like in the oven for a bit on low temp, and then applying mineral oil may help with the mold

 

[RandyTortoise]

Just leave the top off for a few weeks. Or less. It will dry out and kill the mold as well. Then start from there with less moisture in the soil.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Wooden hides will always eventually mold in the humidity our red foots thrive in, pain I knowwe use large plastic hides, here’s some options

This was originally a plastic cat house, we turned it upside down and cut an entrance.

I’ve since covered it in a stone pattern vinyl.


This was a plastic stool we cut the legs down on


This is actually the top of an indoor cat litter boxit has a section for a plant on top, and we were able to use the bottom piece as a second hide for outside


The temps you mention with the CHE on don’t sound too bad, 25 is a smidge too cool, but, for an adult red foot, a smaller area with that reading is doable, providing the majority is 26-30 range.

Reptibark aka orchid bark shouldn’t mould, it’s if there’s any organic matter missed, but the bark itself can’t mould. I think a bark layer could help you, even once you have to mix it all in together, you could add more on top