This is my Yearling red foot tortoise enclosure. I know the lighting is a little off but I am trying to work on it. It was too cold and I completely had the lighting off. Right now I have a flukers CHE, uvb coil bulb (I have a strip bulb and am waiting to install it.) I will run the infared on cold days In the winter. The one on the rack is running nothing, it's just there. I struggle with humidity, is there any way to fix this without a cover? Could I get another CHE and ads a repti fogger? Thanks for any feedback, and please correct me on anything i am doing wrong. he is getting bigger and I am really trying I am just inexperienced. He is about 3.5 inches on the shell and almost a year and a half old. I feed large meals every other day with some protein thrown in every once and awhile. My main problems are just lighting and humidity. Also please forgive my terrible plant care. The allovera is gone and i need to clear it out but I am trying to help the spider palm. I've had him for over a year an I always freak out that he is fairly inactive. other people have told me this is bormal for babies, but i feel that it is past this point. This is why i am trying to increase temp.
Trying to improve red foot enosure
- Thread starter Jaxattack
- Start date
Avuwyy
Active Member
The only way to contain humidity would be to cover the enclosure in some way. You could get a fogger, but the water for it would have to be warm, and it wouldn’t fix the humidity issue much since it will all escape out the top.
I was going to talk about the coil bulb but you addressed that it was being changed. Coil bulbs are not suitable for tortoises, and once you change that the enclosure should brighten a considerable amount. Also unsure whether there is anything overhead or nearby to provide the lighting plants need, but installing LEDs for plant growth may help save your plants. Plants need a certain type of light to thrive, and just like with humans, too much UVB can damage them.
Have you got any hides? I can’t really see any in this image. Offering access to a hide (Or a number of hides) will offer safe spaces for your tortoise to travel between and may increase the tortoise’s activity. With your tortoise being so young they will still seek hiding spaces instead of just wandering out in the open. Access to different hides will accommodate this and help them feel safer in their enclosure. (Plus, by adding sphagnum moss to a hide you are giving your tortoise access to the humidity they need, which could help somewhat..)
So recommendations? Cover the enclosure. Heat and humidity will be contained this way. Change the bulb as soon as possible to brighten the enclosure and provide your animal with suitable UVB. Buy some more hides if you haven’t got hides already (I can’t see past the bulb reflector). And perhaps get some LEDs for plants if you’re wanting to grow plants in the enclosure.
I was going to talk about the coil bulb but you addressed that it was being changed. Coil bulbs are not suitable for tortoises, and once you change that the enclosure should brighten a considerable amount. Also unsure whether there is anything overhead or nearby to provide the lighting plants need, but installing LEDs for plant growth may help save your plants. Plants need a certain type of light to thrive, and just like with humans, too much UVB can damage them.
Have you got any hides? I can’t really see any in this image. Offering access to a hide (Or a number of hides) will offer safe spaces for your tortoise to travel between and may increase the tortoise’s activity. With your tortoise being so young they will still seek hiding spaces instead of just wandering out in the open. Access to different hides will accommodate this and help them feel safer in their enclosure. (Plus, by adding sphagnum moss to a hide you are giving your tortoise access to the humidity they need, which could help somewhat..)
So recommendations? Cover the enclosure. Heat and humidity will be contained this way. Change the bulb as soon as possible to brighten the enclosure and provide your animal with suitable UVB. Buy some more hides if you haven’t got hides already (I can’t see past the bulb reflector). And perhaps get some LEDs for plants if you’re wanting to grow plants in the enclosure.
Thank you, yes I have 4 hides, one of them I large and built into the enclosure with a roof so it stays humid in there.
