Mold in enclosure.

[Ben1233546]

I just cleaned out my tortoise's table and I have found that there is mold on the base of her table. It has appeared in two places, one is just beneath where her water dish is and the other is in the area she sleeps in. I think the mold appeared beneath her dish because when she gets in she pushes some of the water out and it goes through the substrate and it hits the table and has no where to go. I don't know how mold got into where she sleeps. I put some newspaper down and then I put some cypress mulch on top of it. Is there anyway I can remove it? If not is it bad and I should get a new table? You can see the mold by clicking the links below.

http://imgur.com/a/pFhAn

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Ben, and welcome to the Forum!

Most of us here encourage moist habitat, at least the underlayment, so this tells me you're trying to keep your tortoise dry. May we know what kind of tortoise and what size/age we're talking about here?

What we do is line our wooden tort tables with plastic sheeting or some other type of water repellant, because we add water to the substrate so that we can have a more humid environment for the tortoise.

As long as your table is empty, you can use white distilled vinegar which you can buy cheaply from the supermarket.

Pour some vinegar into a spray bottle without watering it down.

Spray the vinegar onto the moldy surface and leave it to sit for an hour.

Wipe clean the area with water and allow the surface to dry. Any smell from the vinegar should clear within a few hours.

But once its clean and dry, consider lining the habitat with a shower curtain or plastic sheeting and read our care sheet for your species of tortoise.

 

[Ben1233546]

Hi Ben, and welcome to the Forum!

Most of us here encourage moist habitat, at least the underlayment, so this tells me you're trying to keep your tortoise dry. May we know what kind of tortoise and what size/age we're talking about here?

What we do is line our wooden tort tables with plastic sheeting or some other type of water repellant, because we add water to the substrate so that we can have a more humid environment for the tortoise.

As long as your table is empty, you can use white distilled vinegar which you can buy cheaply from the supermarket.

Pour some vinegar into a spray bottle without watering it down.

Spray the vinegar onto the moldy surface and leave it to sit for an hour.

Wipe clean the area with water and allow the surface to dry. Any smell from the vinegar should clear within a few hours.

But once its clean and dry, consider lining the habitat with a shower curtain or plastic sheeting and read our care sheet for your species of tortoise.

I have a female red footed tortoise and she is about 4 years old and she is 5 inches in length. I just cleaned her out so I won't be able to do that for a while, is there any risks to her if I leave it for a bit longer?

 

[Yvonne G]

Oh, then for sure you need a humid environment. You'd be better off keeping a RF tortoise in a large plastic tub/bin. The mold won't hurt the tortoise, but living in a dry environment might. They come from a very warm and humid country.

 

[Ben1233546]

Oh, then for sure you need a humid environment. You'd be better off keeping a RF tortoise in a large plastic tub/bin. The mold won't hurt the tortoise, but living in a dry environment might. They come from a very warm and humid country.

Is there any other way besides using a plastic tub? Like putting some plants near in the room/near the table.

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum!

 

[Yvonne G]

Is there any other way besides using a plastic tub? Like putting some plants near in the room/near the table.

With a plastic tub you can put the plants right inside with the tortoise. Some of our members have made beautiful habitats. Let me see if I can find some for you...

 

[Ben1233546]

With a plastic tub you can put the plants right inside with the tortoise. Some of our members have made beautiful habitats. Let me see if I can find some for you...

What plants would you recommend to put in her table? Also where should I keep her when I'm cleaning the mold out since she could be out for 3 hours or more?

 

[Harmonious]

You can keep her in a plastic storage bin or I've laid newspaper in a spare bathroom or bathtub for short term, just while you're cleaning the mold. But, you definitely need to modify your habitat for adequate humidity. It's a pain to replace your substrate so soon, but far better than the damage that tortoise could suffer from an improper home. Good plant lists:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/redfoot-yellowfoot-ultimate-edible-safe-plant-guide.11955/

http://www.lllreptile.com/articles/2-list-of-nontoxic-plants-for-your-terrarium

http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/houseplants.htm

http://m.thetortoisetable.org.uk/m/tortoise_home_1.asp

 

[Ben1233546]

You can keep her in a plastic storage bin or I've laid newspaper in a spare bathroom or bathtub for short term, just while you're cleaning the mold. But, you definitely need to modify your habitat for adequate humidity. It's a pain to replace your substrate so soon, but far better than the damage that tortoise could suffer from an improper home. Good plant lists:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/redfoot-yellowfoot-ultimate-edible-safe-plant-guide.11955/

http://www.lllreptile.com/articles/2-list-of-nontoxic-plants-for-your-terrarium

http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/houseplants.htm

http://m.thetortoisetable.org.uk/m/tortoise_home_1.asp

What basic plant would you recommend? Would I need to keep it in a pot in the actual table? Also what wattage heat bulb would you recommend for a red foot?

 

[Harmonious]

Aloe and a number of houseplants like pathos, money tree, rubber tree, several types of small palm type plants should all be pretty easy to find. These aren't for food, but they are non-toxic and shouldn't harm your tortoise if she gets curious. Up until now I've kept mine in pots. Pots can come in handy for elevating plants that aren't meant for consumption or protect them from being trampled before they're established. I am currently renovating because of a mold issue and I'm experimenting with planting some in the substrate. It's hard to give definitive answers when there are so many variables- enclosure size, open vs. closed, substrate type, etc. The bulb wattage will be determined by the size of your enclosure and how far away it will be. Most companies give some idea of what temperature at x inches away will be on their packaging. You'll want to check temperatures frequently until you find what works best is your enclosure. You're aiming for an ambient temp of 75-80 and 90-95 in the basking area. I prefer mercury vapor bulbs. There's tons of info on this site and plenty of knowledgeable people (far more than myself) to help you get things right.

 

[Ben1233546]

Aloe and a number of houseplants like pathos, money tree, rubber tree, several types of small palm type plants should all be pretty easy to find. These aren't for food, but they are non-toxic and shouldn't harm your tortoise if she gets curious. Up until now I've kept mine in pots. Pots can come in handy for elevating plants that aren't meant for consumption or protect them from being trampled before they're established. I am currently renovating because of a mold issue and I'm experimenting with planting some in the substrate. It's hard to give definitive answers when there are so many variables- enclosure size, open vs. closed, substrate type, etc. The bulb wattage will be determined by the size of your enclosure and how far away it will be. Most companies give some idea of what temperature at x inches away will be on their packaging. You'll want to check temperatures frequently until you find what works best is your enclosure. You're aiming for an ambient temp of 75-80 and 90-95 in the basking area. I prefer mercury vapor bulbs. There's tons of info on this site and plenty of knowledgeable people (far more than myself) to help you get things right.

I have seen people are recommending Sphagnum Moss, is it any good and is it safe for her?

 

[Harmonious]

It is and it's good for humidity. How big is your tort? If using sphagnum you'll definitely have to keep your plants in pots

 

[Ben1233546]

It is and it's good for humidity. How big is your tort? If using sphagnum you'll definitely have to keep your plants in pots

She is 5 inches long (12.7 cm)