Tortoise table advice needed

[Yus]

Hey I’ve got 3 questions for yall
I have an 4x8 house for my Redfoot and I’m encountering some problems, namely the wood I’m using for beams (the enclosure itself is covered and has lights hanging; t8 uvb and 2 ceramic bulbs one of which is not always on, has insulation and a pond cover to protect the wood at the base)
The wood on the beams although stained and waterproofed is going to be an issue so what could I replace it with? (I’m thinking pvc trim but still on the fence)
Secondly the air gets very stale and stinky in there thoughts on me adding a fan to circulate it? (It is for the most part a sealed environment)
Lastly; what kind of plants should I be looking for seeds for as ground cover I can plant in the dirt/cypress mulch/coco coir
Thank you!
Attached is a rough pic of the enclosure

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Hello and welcome!

Few things to give a heads up on, t8 uv tube are considered quite outdated as they aren’t as effective as the new t5 bulbs, when it comes time to replace I’d get yourself either the Arcadia prot5 kit 12% or the zoomed reptisun 10.0
I’m also noticing you’re running a humidifier in there, they aren’t recommended as it isn’t good from them to be breathing in the water droplets, they also focus on getting the top layer too wet which isn’t ideal for red foots, they’re much more prone to fungal issues.

I wouldn’t personally add a fan if all your ground temps are reading well, I think it’ll potentially zap your humidity, I wouldn’t worry about them not getting enough air or anything because no enclosure is air tight, but you do want it as closed as possible.

For your frame to put the covering on, perhaps you could look into those pvc pipes that slot together with attachments? Or even a greenhouse frame!

You might find this thread below useful, I provide some examples of closed chamber set ups, you can use it to make sure you’ve got the right levels, substrates etcthere’s lots of visual examples and even a good diet list, hopefully it’ll inspire. I also cover how to appropriately maintain your humidity without the need for a humidifier

Young red foot/ cherryhead set up

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information on an effective example of a starter enclosure for a red foot/cherry head😊 Care advice for these guys is painfully behind, fb pages, YouTube, pet stores, they’re all repeating the same outdated advice, this forum is made of...

tortoiseforum.org

This one is also good to familiarise yourself with

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

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Hope this helps! Feel free to come back with more questions