When I use a closed system enclosure and keep topping up the water dishes that evaporate to create the humidity I require, The coir eventually gets too wet, this wet coir is cooler than the air temperature. So my torts either dig into the colder coir and risk getting RI or they don’t dig in and risk pyramiding. (Well that’s what I’m thinking).
The idea is to get the torts to dig in and keep warm and moist, thus hopefully growing them smooth. If I add a layer of orchid bark or cypress mulch to keep them off the coir it defeats the object of letting them dig into warm moist substrate.
So the thought process is, how do I get them to want to dig in and not risk getting cold with high humidity? Naturally in the wild you would expect the ground to go through cycles of wet followed by evaporate through the heat of the sun.
If I had a vivarium with 1” of pebbles then 3” of coir for the substrate. This would offer some drainage and moist coir for them to dig in. But eventually you would end up with that much water in the pebbles the coir would become too wet again.
What if I made a tray the same size as the vivarium base at 1” high and placed heat matts in the tray on stats, Then sat the viv on the tray. The volume of air in the tray would be around 85f. With the tray insulated on the 1” high sides and on the base, the warm air would be forced to go up through the viv base to the pebbles and coir.
The coir would be constantly 85f and evaporating stopping it getting too wet. This would also maintain a higher humidity level and slow the water dishes evaporation process.
The torts would want to dig into the warm coir and hopefully keep them well hydrated and grow on smooth.
I know many have said it’s not good to heat from below but do you think this would be a safe method.
Thoughts please.
The idea is to get the torts to dig in and keep warm and moist, thus hopefully growing them smooth. If I add a layer of orchid bark or cypress mulch to keep them off the coir it defeats the object of letting them dig into warm moist substrate.
So the thought process is, how do I get them to want to dig in and not risk getting cold with high humidity? Naturally in the wild you would expect the ground to go through cycles of wet followed by evaporate through the heat of the sun.
If I had a vivarium with 1” of pebbles then 3” of coir for the substrate. This would offer some drainage and moist coir for them to dig in. But eventually you would end up with that much water in the pebbles the coir would become too wet again.
What if I made a tray the same size as the vivarium base at 1” high and placed heat matts in the tray on stats, Then sat the viv on the tray. The volume of air in the tray would be around 85f. With the tray insulated on the 1” high sides and on the base, the warm air would be forced to go up through the viv base to the pebbles and coir.
The coir would be constantly 85f and evaporating stopping it getting too wet. This would also maintain a higher humidity level and slow the water dishes evaporation process.
The torts would want to dig into the warm coir and hopefully keep them well hydrated and grow on smooth.
I know many have said it’s not good to heat from below but do you think this would be a safe method.
Thoughts please.
