Some Forstenii questions.

[Gryphken]

Hello everyone, my name is Gryphken.
I'm new here and I'm so glad I discovered this site, finally I can exchange knowledge concerning Forstenii's.

To start off for my first thread, I would like to ask some questions.
Havn't found all the answers yet true the search function, so here I go!

Q1: I'm planning on rebuilding my 2y old Fortenii's Terrarium, I want to build a platform so I can expand he's living area a bit.
Any idea's which materials won't get moldy? I was thinking about styrofoam. Like the backgrounds some people have to imitate rock. Just hope he's not going to bite pieces out of it.

Q2: A very important one, what sort of lights do I need for sure and how long do I let them on?
Untill now I gave him natural supplements, but I have the idea that light would work better on him, he's still kind off small. So I guess I need UVB, anything else ... ?

Q3: The water spraying isn't working for me like it should, it dry's out very fast.
So I was thinking of buying a fog-machine, does anyone has experiance with this on Forstenii's?
How do they react to it?
Will it get to moisted? Cause I don't want to damage my little friend's shield.
How long should I turn it on?
And what's a good humidity-level?

The fog-machine I'm planning to buy: SuperFog Nano - Lucky reptile

Q4: He loves to climb stuff, but instead of taking a safe route down again, he always let himself fall off hights. Any ideas why he does that?

Thanks in advance,
Gryphken

 

[IBeenEasy]

A 1: you can use wood and just water proof it, or cover it with plastic (paint tarps) , better to water proof it. or buy tiles to cover the wood, this worked well for me, and tiles were pretty cheap
A:2 ALL tortoises need UVB daily, the supplements are needed as well, but you should have his UVB light on for at least 7 hours a day, also give him some outdoor time when you can, he will benefit from the natural sun
A3: this species of tort needs a decent amount of humidity to thrive , i would try to keep the levels between 60 % - 80 percent, the fogger will do no harm, but not only does the air need to be humid, but you still need to spray the substrate daily, DO NOT SOAK the substrate, but a misting every day will keep it perfect along with the fogger.
A4: torts will be torts, if you have made him walking ramps and things like that, just put a siding or fencing to keep him from falling, some torts will just climb no matter if they fall or not, so you just have to take pre cautions in that aspect, hope this helps!