Sulcata Indoor Housing

[rocillo.a]

Its temperature ranges from 30c to 34c
and its humidity ranges from 95% to 100%, but most of the time 100%.

is this good for sulcata?

 

[Tom]

30 is fine for an ambient day and night. 34 is not as warm as I would like it under the basking lamp. 36-37 would be better. No need for 100% humidity. 80%, or something near there will get the job done.

 

[rocillo.a]

30 is fine for an ambient day and night. 34 is not as warm as I would like it under the basking lamp. 36-37 would be better. No need for 100% humidity. 80%, or something near there will get the job done.

i am planning to build a larger enclosure. 48"long, 24"wide and 24"High
but i don't know which material is best (cheap and can be used for a long time).

i saw your tortoise Sudan. its shell is smooth like a glass, or a tile..
is Sudan grows with that humidity?

it is really beautiful.

I only mist the enclosure (above photo) every morning, once a day, and it always give me a 99% of humidity. sometimes it drops to high 80s.
will 99% humidity cause problem? will it cause anything bad for my sulcata? Oh good Lord, i don't wanna lose another tortoise. i have learn from mistakes, that is why i am doing my best.

Thank you Sir Tom,
you always give us (newbies) a helping hand.

 

[Tom]

When you build your new enclosure, you might as well go big. 48x24" is good for a hatchling, but your tortoise will outgrow that pretty quickly. So you won't be using a 48x24" enclosure for "a long time". I build mine from plywood and line the bottom with thick plastic sheeting to hold the damp substrate.

It would be very difficult (but not impossible) for me to maintain 100% humidity here. That being the case, I have never raised one with humidity constantly that high, so I don't know what will happen. If you want to do an experiment and see, we will all learn from it. Or you could add ventilation and reduce your humidity to levels that have already been tried and tested.

I grew my Sudan babies with the conditions listed in the care sheet. 80%ish humidity, 80 degree ambient temp that rises to 90ish during the day, and a 100 degree basking spot. They also went outside for sunning sessions in my dry climate here about 5-6 days a week. Only an hour or so for babies and gradually more time outside as they gain size.

 

[mikeh]

I have done the experiment of constant very high humidity @Tom mentions. I have removed all overhead direct heat sources and only indirect heat was used to ensure the humidity is true everywhere in the closed chamber. After 8 months of constant humidity averaging 90% (85-90% during the day and 95-99% at night) I can report no health issues. However it did have some adverse effects on shell growth. While the baby leopard tortoise didn't pyramid, keratin forming the scutes came in noticeably thicker making the vertebrae scutes appear somewhat swollen and the growth rings failed to form properly. It just looks as continues growth instead of rings. As the spring came the yearling now spends full days outdoor at moderate 45-60% humidity outdoors and nights at very high humidity indoors. I am since beginning to see nice fine ring formation and thinner keratin layer.

This suggests that daily humidity variations or achieving a moderate sweet spot grows the shell more cosmetically perfect then constant very high humidity.

 

[rocillo.a]

I have done the experiment of constant very high humidity @Tom mentions. I have removed all overhead direct heat sources and only indirect heat was used to ensure the humidity is true everywhere in the closed chamber. After 8 months of constant humidity averaging 90% (85-90% during the day and 95-99% at night) I can report no health issues. However it did have some adverse effects on shell growth. While the baby leopard tortoise didn't pyramid, keratin forming the scutes came in noticeably thicker making the vertebrae scutes appear somewhat swollen and the growth rings failed to form properly. It just looks as continues growth instead of rings. As the spring came the yearling now spends full days outdoor at moderate 45-60% humidity outdoors and nights at very high humidity indoors. I am since beginning to see nice fine ring formation and thinner keratin layer.

This suggests that daily humidity variations or achieving a moderate sweet spot grows the shell more cosmetically perfect then constant very high humidity.

Thank you.
but what do you mean rings failed to form properly?

can you send some photos of it? we will appreciate that.
and this will be a NEW issue.

thanks bro.

 

[rocillo.a]

When you build your new enclosure, you might as well go big. 48x24" is good for a hatchling, but your tortoise will outgrow that pretty quickly. So you won't be using a 48x24" enclosure for "a long time". I build mine from plywood and line the bottom with thick plastic sheeting to hold the damp substrate.

It would be very difficult (but not impossible) for me to maintain 100% humidity here. That being the case, I have never raised one with humidity constantly that high, so I don't know what will happen. If you want to do an experiment and see, we will all learn from it. Or you could add ventilation and reduce your humidity to levels that have already been tried and tested.

I grew my Sudan babies with the conditions listed in the care sheet. 80%ish humidity, 80 degree ambient temp that rises to 90ish during the day, and a 100 degree basking spot. They also went outside for sunning sessions in my dry climate here about 5-6 days a week. Only an hour or so for babies and gradually more time outside as they gain size.

i'll will try to sprinkle water once a day now, every morning, to make sure that everything will be fine. I don't wanna take the risk for my tortoise.
Okay i'll try to make a wooden enclosure, you were right it will be outgrow quickly. Enclosures made out of glass here in the Philippines are really expensive.

Thanks again Sir Tom. now i know that 100% humidity is not the only key to have a tortoise with smooth shell.

 

[rocillo.a]

I have done the experiment of constant very high humidity @Tom mentions. I have removed all overhead direct heat sources and only indirect heat was used to ensure the humidity is true everywhere in the closed chamber. After 8 months of constant humidity averaging 90% (85-90% during the day and 95-99% at night) I can report no health issues. However it did have some adverse effects on shell growth. While the baby leopard tortoise didn't pyramid, keratin forming the scutes came in noticeably thicker making the vertebrae scutes appear somewhat swollen and the growth rings failed to form properly. It just looks as continues growth instead of rings. As the spring came the yearling now spends full days outdoor at moderate 45-60% humidity outdoors and nights at very high humidity indoors. I am since beginning to see nice fine ring formation and thinner keratin layer.

This suggests that daily humidity variations or achieving a moderate sweet spot grows the shell more cosmetically perfect then constant very high humidity.

i really appreciate your response,
Rhyno is kept in a 90+ humidity and this is the result, you can see the growth ring and its very smooth.