My first enclosure build.

[DanB]

OMG what a difference a little light can make. I got an LED plant light and installed it today and Marvel has never been more active. He has come out of hiding and is checking everything out. I thought he might not like the LED's but he seems to love them.

The purple is much more pronounced in the pics then with the eye.

 

[Yvonne G]

I really like your enclosure.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

Just throwing this out there because no one else has. While the enclosure is beautiful, the chances of further growth in your Redfoot Pyramiding are very high. There's not going to be any way to keep constant 80-90% humidity with an open top, and your tortoise is still within that crucial stage of development for Pyramiding.

 

[CarolM]

Just throwing this out there because no one else has. While the enclosure is beautiful, the chances of further growth in your Redfoot Pyramiding are very high. There's not going to be any way to keep constant 80-90% humidity with an open top, and your tortoise is still within that crucial stage of development for Pyramiding.

That was why I initially asked about it being a closed chamber. However as no-one was bringing up the point about keeping the humidity at a high level, I was starting to think that the care was slightly different to what I have been learning on the forum, and that the humid hide was enough for a red foot. I am glad that someone else brought it up.

 

[DanB]

It has been brought up a number of times and explained. The humidity at his level is between 75% and 85%.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

It has been brought up a number of times and explained. The humidity at his level is between 75% and 85%.

Im just giving you a heads up, not trying to argue. I doubt your humidity gauge is working then. I have a closed chamber with 85-90% humidity and when I remove the lid humidity immediately falls to 50-60%. How are you keeping it at 75-80% humidity?

 

[DanB]

First let me say this, I fix weather equipment for a living so I think my humidity readings are correct being I used a calibrated meter.

I live in South Florida between the ocean and the everglades so the yearly average humidity is 78.2% here, I just checked it inside my house and its 62.3% and this is our dry time of the year.

Sensor placement, This will have a major impact on your readings. I have 3 inches of dirt covered by 2 inches of cypress mulch. The dirt is very wet which gives off its moisture. The higher you get from the bottom the lower the humidity gets. At his level humidity is in the proper range. If you go up 6 inches it will be in the mid 60's. If you measure under the plants he likes to hang out under you will get readings in the 90's.

I spray down his enclouser every morning and every night to ensure the dirt stays very moist.

Having a lot of live plants helps with keeping the humidity up as the plants are always giving off moisture.

People keeping saying if it was that humid then everything should be wet all the time. Condensation is a result of dew point not just humidity, and the temp difference between the enclouser and the surrounding air is not different enough to cause condensation.

And lastly, as you know he will burrow down into the dirt/mulch when he is resting and that is the most humid of any area in the enclouser. If I stick the meter into one of these holes its almost 100%.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

First let me say this, I fix weather equipment for a living so I think my humidity readings are correct being I used a calibrated meter.

I live in South Florida between the ocean and the everglades so the yearly average humidity is 78.2% here, I just checked it inside my house and its 62.3% and this is our dry time of the year.

Sensor placement, This will have a major impact on your readings. I have 3 inches of dirt covered by 2 inches of cypress mulch. The dirt is very wet which gives off its moisture. The higher you get from the bottom the lower the humidity gets. At his level humidity is in the proper range. If you go up 6 inches it will be in the mid 60's. If you measure under the plants he likes to hang out under you will get readings in the 90's.

I spray down his enclouser every morning and every night to ensure the dirt stays very moist.

Having a lot of live plants helps with keeping the humidity up as the plants are always giving off moisture.

People keeping saying if it was that humid then everything should be wet all the time. Condensation is a result of dew point not just humidity, and the temp difference between the enclouser and the surrounding air is not different enough to cause condensation.

And lastly, as you know he will burrow down into the dirt/mulch when he is resting and that is the most humid of any area in the enclouser. If I stick the meter into one of these holes its almost 100%.

Like I said just trying to give you a heads up on what people have found to work. I hope you can pull it off because you'd be proving a lot of people wrong but I've yet to see a smooth Tort here raised the first year or two in an open table utilizing many different methods of misting, humid hide, etc. Even in South Florida. I wish you the best of luck though.

 

[DanB]

I totally appreciate your concern and the help you're trying to give. I guess time will tell.

Here is the equipment I use.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Hey Dan, thanks for the updates. What humidity/temp gauge is physically in your enclosure.

Good luck - lucky YOU and torts in humid Florida!

 

[Toddrickfl1]

I totally appreciate your concern and the help you're trying to give. I guess time will tell.

Here is the equipment I use.

Ya I've never even seen anything like that. I've honestly had my doubts about humidity being the sole factor in Pyramiding. I even considered an open enclosure for my newest hatchling and utilizing some different methods to keep the carapace moisturized. Im just paranoid about having a Pyramided tortoise, and since I've been here I have seen close chambers work. So humidity definitely has to be a factor. I do think with your background in your field though you could probably contribute greatly to the dialogue that's been going on here.

 

[BrianDallas]

I lined my enclosure with clear acrylic sheets. Little tricky to cut, but you can piece them together with silicone caulk which will create a water tight tub(if you do it correctly). I can now dump water directly into their substrate which really helps keep the humidity up. After i did this all my new Rads have smooth shells now! I also gave their diet a bump too so I don’t really know if it was the humidity or diet(or both!)

 

[DanB]

Hey Dan, thanks for the updates. What humidity/temp gauge is physically in your enclosure.

Good luck - lucky YOU and torts in humid Florida!

Right now I have a cheep set of dial temp and humidity indicators in his enclouser but they are always about 10% off. That is why I check with the work meter I showed above. I do have this on order and it should be here in a few days, I will calibrate it against my work meter and then should be good to go.

 

[Maro2Bear]

I’m ready to move to Florida....

Your Redfoots i know love it, and i KNOW our Sully would just love to be grazing on green grass n weeds from Florida. 365 x 24 hours seven days a week.

Plus i can kayak in WARM water.

 

[DanB]

If your not from Fl you want to move here, if your in FL you want to move away. I hate not having 4 seasons, the Redfoots may love the high humidity but I don't. Hurricanes suck.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

If your not from Fl you want to move here, if your in FL you want to move away. I hate not having 4 seasons, the Redfoots may love the high humidity but I don't. Hurricanes suck.

I moved away from South Florida in 2005 and I can confirm this statement lol.

 

[Maro2Bear]

If your not from Fl you want to move here, if your in FL you want to move away. I hate not having 4 seasons, the Redfoots may love the high humidity but I don't. Hurricanes suck.

But - the TAXES are better. Uncle Sam wants all of our money here.

Yes, four seasons are nice.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

But - the TAXES are better. Uncle Sam wants all of our money here.

Yes, four seasons are nice.

Ya but the cost of living is outrageous

 

[Chasen]

OMG what a difference a little light can make. I got an LED plant light and installed it today and Marvel has never been more active. He has come out of hiding and is checking everything out. I thought he might not like the LED's but he seems to love them.

The purple is much more pronounced in the pics then with the eye.

View attachment 263364 View attachment 263365

Looks great! What's in the jar?

 

[DanB]

Had an orange go bad in the kitchen and the fruit fly's moved into the enclosure, Its 50% apple cider vinegar, 50% water with a few drops of dish soap in it. covered in cling wrap with some holes in it. I was skeptical at first when I saw it online but it really works. In one day they were down 90% and the liquid is full of dead bugs.