Young Russian tortoise humidity

[Romanov]

Do you need 70-80% humidity for a 9month old Russian tortoise? I read lots of stuff online about when they’re that young they need a closed chamber with high humidity to avoid pyramiding and to make sure they’re fully hydrated. But now I’ve been reading that they don’t need that high humidity and having it that high for my tortoise will cause respiratory issues?
Is this set in stone or is some of this just peoples opinions? I really want to make sure my tortoise grows properly and is healthy

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello!
1. Higher humidity is a keystone in preventing pyramiding in growing tortoises. Especially, under artificial lightning and heating.
2. Respiratory issues often arise when tortoise is kept too cold and cannot properly warm up during basking.
3. Humidity gradient for Russian tortoises is 80-50% across the enclosure (it happens naturally when basking lamp is on, as relative humidity depends on temperature).
4. There are different approaches to raising tortoises (moving them outside as soon as possible, controlling growth rate through food intake etc.). The "closed chamber" approach is more universal and produces more predictable results, independent of climate, individual growth rate etc. because the environment is tightly controlled.
5. For a 9 months old tortoise higher humidity is still beneficial. Reaching almost adult size usually takes up to 2-3 years (varying on individual growth rate, husbandry and so on). However, you can let your tortoise outside more and more as it grows until it can stay outside full time.

You can stick to the following guide as one of the proven and safe care sheets:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Ask questions if you have any!

 

[Romanov]

Hello!
1. Higher humidity is a keystone in preventing pyramiding in growing tortoises. Especially, under artificial lightning and heating.
2. Respiratory issues often arise when tortoise is kept too cold and cannot properly warm up during basking.
3. Humidity gradient for Russian tortoises is 80-50% across the enclosure (it happens naturally when basking lamp is on, as relative humidity depends on temperature).
4. There are different approaches to raising tortoises (moving them outside as soon as possible, controlling growth rate through food intake etc.). The "closed chamber" approach is more universal and produces more predictable results, independent of climate, individual growth rate etc. because the environment is tightly controlled.
5. For a 9 months old tortoise higher humidity is still beneficial. Reaching almost adult size usually takes up to 2-3 years (varying on individual growth rate, husbandry and so on). However, you can let your tortoise outside more and more as it grows until it can stay outside full time.

You can stick to the following guide as one of the proven and safe care sheets:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Ask questions if you have any!

Until what age is the closed chamber and daily soaks recommended til? I read that you stop daily soaks once they reach around 100 grams?

So I can assume the information in these two texts are incorrect then?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Until what age is the closed chamber and daily soaks recommended til? I read that you stop daily soaks once they reach around 100 grams?

So I can assume the information in these two texts are incorrect then?

The age they need it up till is debated I believe, I think most recommend till 2-3years old.

Many sources still recommend raising hatchlings drier, despite years of proof as to why it’s not the best.

In the second image, there’s multiple contradictions, it says a closed chamber with limited air flow causes fungus which causes illness, if that were the case our red foot who needs high humidity for life would be sick as a dogan appropriately maintained closed chamber isn’t harmful, @Tom can better explain all this!

 

[Romanov]

That’s perfect, thanks for all the info. Just one thing regarding the closed chamber. Should it always be closed or should open it a bit at night to allow fresher air to circulate or anything like that? Or should it just be perpetually closed?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

That’s perfect, thanks for all the info. Just one thing regarding the closed chamber. Should it always be closed or should open it a bit at night to allow fresher air to circulate or anything like that? Or should it just be perpetually closed?

Closed day and night is fine, you’ll create plenty of air exchange when opening to do daily husbandries, plus they’re never air tight

 

[Tom]

Do you need 70-80% humidity for a 9month old Russian tortoise? I read lots of stuff online about when they’re that young they need a closed chamber with high humidity to avoid pyramiding and to make sure they’re fully hydrated. But now I’ve been reading that they don’t need that high humidity and having it that high for my tortoise will cause respiratory issues?
Is this set in stone or is some of this just peoples opinions? I really want to make sure my tortoise grows properly and is healthy

1. Do you need 70-80% humidity? No. They can survive much lower humidity than that. The question should be "Is that humidity level good for them?" Yes it is, and it will keep them hydrated, help to prevent bladder stone formation, and prevent pyramiding.

2. Most of what you read will be the usual old wrong info. I've raised 1000's of babies tortoises of many species, including Russians, in these conditions. Not only does it not harm them or cause respiratory infections, it makes them THRIVE. This is not "some people's opinions". This assertion is based on decades of raising lots of tortoises in different ways and observing the results. I've done many side-by-side experiments with groups of clutch mates to determine what works best and why.

Until what age is the closed chamber and daily soaks recommended til? I read that you stop daily soaks once they reach around 100 grams?

So I can assume the information in these two texts are incorrect then?

3. There is no magical age for this. Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. If the tortoise is growing, you want that humidity. There is never an age when a closed chamber enclosure is not good for a tortoise of any size or age. Using a closed chamber makes maintaining the correct conditions easy, vs. fighting the cold dry room air in most homes.

4. I recommend soaking daily until they reach 100 grams. After that, I start skipping a day now and then, but I don't stop soaking. I continue to taper off the soaks as they grow, and in most cases soaking one to three times a week will get the job done and keep an adult tortoise properly hydrated.

There is a lot of confusing and contradictory info out in the world. Most info sources are all repeating the same old wrong stuff. If closed chamber caused respiratory problems, people like me who have raised 1000's of hats,ings in them would have noticed that. You'll see that wrong info often repeated. It's really sad and frustrating. If you want the current and correct info that we can back up with many cases, facts and proof, read the thread that Alex left for you in post number 2.