Open enclosure

[sruiz14]

Hey everyone! So i currently have an open enclosure for my tortoise, recently moved to New Jersey from South Florida. I have been trying to keep up with the humidity in the area.
Just wanted to get any suggestions on how to keep my tortoise enclosure humid. I have heard of a humidifier for reptiles, I was just assuming I would have to close the top part of the enclosure?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

What type of tortoise did you transport from high humidity so Florida?
I don't see him.
As you already seem to know, closing the top is the easiest way to trap humidity and some heat that wasnt an issue either in so Florida

 

[sruiz14]

He was walking around the apartment. He is a sulcata tortoise, around 2 years old now. Any suggestions with what i can cover this enclosure with? Would a greenhouse cover work and add a humidifier?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Baby Sulcata need high humidity. But I do not keep them and certainly cant help you much with a two year old.
Let's ask @Tom
Does a 2 year old Sulcata need very high humidity? If so, how would best be achieved?
You'll hear from all of us that you need to stop letting the tortoise roam the house right away. Too many bad things can happen. In fact I can't think of even one good reason to do it.

 

[sruiz14]

Baby Sulcata need high humidity. But I do not keep them and certainly cant help you much with a two year old.
Let's ask @Tom
Does a 2 year old Sulcata need very high humidity? If so, how would best be achieved?
You'll hear from all of us that you need to stop letting the tortoise roam the house right away. Too many bad things can happen. In fact I can't think of even one good reason to do it.

I usually let him roam around for an hour or so unless he falls asleep in his favorite corner lol. I try to bathe him daily and let him dry off around the house so the substrate doesnt get attached. Humidity has averaged around 40% but i read online it should be higher. He has been pyramiding as well so that’s what is making me nervous

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

I don't want you to feel attacked or unwelcome, but I need to point some mistakes out in order to help you and your tortoise. I'm glad you are here and hope you stay, but all of these things need to be pointed out so you understand and can change them.

1. There is no way to maintain the correct temperatures and humidity with an open top unless you heat and humidify the whole room 24/7. You need a large closed chamber. Like this: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/ or these: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/new-stack-of-animal-plastics-closed-chambers.165626/
2. The tortoise should never be loose on the floor. Much too cold down there and so many of them get sick, injured, impacted or killed down there. Everyone thinks its safe and swears they supervise carefully right up until the day they realize it isn't safe, and then its too late. This tropical species of tortoise needs warm temps day and night. I doubt its 80 degrees down on the floor.
3. That water bowl is hazardous and needs to go ASAP. Best to use a large terra cotta plant saucer for food and water.
4. Food bowl is much too deep with those vertical walls.
5. Never trust the clamps on those lamps. The clamps always fail eventually. This can not only harm or kill your tortoise, it can burn your whole house down. Suspend that lamp from overhead by building a frame of wood or PVC.
6. Those dial type stick-on thermometers are notoriously inaccurate and unreliable. Switch to a $10 digital unit from the hardware store.

To answer your original question: Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. If your tortoise is still growing, it needs that humidity. I know of no size or time frame where humidity doesn't matter. Once they get large, it becomes less important and harder to make them pyramid, but all ages will benefit from at least moderate humidity.



These might offer some tips for your species:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/