Zoo Med Tortoise House Humidity

[Marci_redfoot]

Hello,

I'm considering purchasing two Zoo Med Tortoise Houses and connecting them for my redfoot. She is approximately 7 years old and her shell is about 8 1/2 inches long. I assume that I could line the bottom of the box with non-toxic plastic, to avoid rot issues from substrate moisture. I also was planning to partially cover the wire top to keep the heat and moist air in.

Marci's current enclosure is not cutting it anymore, as I am constantly battling humidity and mold issues. I live in a small apartment, so the size of her enclosure has to be efficient and compact. This tortoise house will be about the same size as her current home, so I don't think that she'll feel cramped. (I let her outside every day to roam around for a few hours anyway.) Also, I think that she will like the two hides. I was just wondering if anyone has had issues, before I make the investment.

Thanks!

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm not a big fan of those pre-made tortoise tables. I know that one is definitely NOT big enough, but I've never actually seen two of them together with the tortoise inside for me to get a good mental picture of whether it is satisfactory or not. If it were me, I'd buy two large plastic totes, cut out opposing ends and put them together. Cheaper and easier.

 

[lismar79]

I would not spend the $ on buying two of those houses to combo them. Is there any way you could build your own ( a big wood box, lined with a plastic shower curtain would work better & be much cheaper)....

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Yep, even just a big Christmas tree storage bin, they are enormous!

 

[lisa127]

or old furniture. I used an old dresser, took out all drawers and ribs, and turned it on it's back.

 

[Tom]

How are you going to maintain the humidity that a redfoot needs with an open top? I don't think that two of those would be big enough for an 8.5" tortoise.

I think you need to make something like this:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/

 

[lisa127]

the thing I don't like about those tortoise houses is that when you combine them you get a long, narrow enclosure. which I know a lot of people have enclosures like that. but I prefer a more square type enclosure so there is plenty of space in every direction. in other words, two tortoise houses is 2 feet by 6 feet for a total of 12 square feet. I would rather have it 3 feet by 4 feet or something like that to make 12 square feet. 2 feet in one direction is so narrow.

 

[Marci_redfoot]

I'm not a big fan of those pre-made tortoise tables. I know that one is definitely NOT big enough, but I've never actually seen two of them together with the tortoise inside for me to get a good mental picture of whether it is satisfactory or not. If it were me, I'd buy two large plastic totes, cut out opposing ends and put them together. Cheaper and easier.

I thought about putting together a few plastic bins, but I'm worried about insufficient air circulation. As well, I think that the UVB and heat lamps that I have would be really tricky to set up with a plastic bin, unless I constructed a wire top, which could compromise the humidity. As a new keeper, I'm just scared of making a mistake that could hurt Marci.

 

[leigti]

I did buy two of those and connect them. It was for 4 1/2 inch Russian tortoise. It worked fine, I modified it a little bit by taking out the high dividers etc. but I would not recommend them for a larger tortoise and especially a red foot because they need more humidity.I would suggest getting a stock take instead.you know the kind they feed horses or sheep out of. they are already waterproof and you can get them in various sizes and shapes, round or oval for instance. and they can be deeper so you can make various terrain or even almost a two level enclosure all in one.The one I have is 150 gallons, but you would probably need A bigger one. Of course if your tortoise goes outside every single day for a few hours then you don't need a huge one just for night time.they do make them 2' x 6'.I will tell you from personal experience however, that the higher sides on the tanks, -20 inches high, will affect what kind of lighting you get.

 

[Marci_redfoot]

the thing I don't like about those tortoise houses is that when you combine them you get a long, narrow enclosure. which I know a lot of people have enclosures like that. but I prefer a more square type enclosure so there is plenty of space in every direction. in other words, two tortoise houses is 2 feet by 6 feet for a total of 12 square feet. I would rather have it 3 feet by 4 feet or something like that to make 12 square feet. 2 feet in one direction is so narrow.

This was one of my concerns too, the "long but skinny" aspect may make her feel cramped. I've had people tell me that redfoots like to sprint, so length is important.... I've seen her sprint the length of my living room without pausing for breath.... I was also concerned about the shallowness. I didn't know if this would allow enough room for the layers of substrate necessary to keep humidity levels up. I use 2 inches of organic compost/potting soil mix under 2-3 inches of organic sphagnum peat moss. I also sprinkle the top with timothy hay or cedar shavings. It may be a little lacking (vertically speaking).

Her current house is 4 x 4, but the shape is round, which I think may be driving her crazy. She consistently flips herself over at least once a week which is one reason why I wanted to make the change to her enclosure. I've measured the heat (93 on the warm side and 74 on the cool, dark, side) and humidity is consistently 70% or higher, so I don't think that she is searching for a warmer or cooler hangout. She just feels cramped.

 

[leigti]

How much space do you have for an enclosure? How big of a "footprint" do you have room for? i'm thinking a large oval stock tank might work. And you can make them into a partially or even fully close chamber if you want to. That would help with humidity.

 

[Marci_redfoot]

or old furniture. I used an old dresser, took out all drawers and ribs, and turned it on it's back.

I would not spend the $ on buying two of those houses to combo them. Is there any way you could build your own ( a big wood box, lined with a plastic shower curtain would work better & be much cheaper)....

I guess that I'm doubting my ability to construct a habitat that will effectively meet all of Marci's need on my own. Her current home I constructed, and it is deficient in several ways. I've even gone so far as to post a few ads on Craigslist looking to hire a local handy-man for the purpose of building an 8' x 4' enclosed table. However, the quotes I got were breathtakingly expensive. This was the largest do-it-yourself kit I could find online (aside from really large ones from the UK, which come with some truly painful shipping costs.)

 

[Marci_redfoot]

How much space do you have for an enclosure? How big of a "footprint" do you have room for? i'm thinking a large oval stock tank might work. And you can make them into a partially or even fully close chamber if you want to. That would help with humidity.

Her current home is a 4 x 4 "kiddie" pool, with a wood structure built around it along with chicken wire with non-toxic plastic lining to hold the humidity in. I can spare about 8 ft x 8 ft without driving my husband from my home, screaming.

I did a search online for a stock tank, and some of these look like they might provide her with more room. Are these like in-ground fish ponds? They look very similar.

 

[leigti]

There was a thread on here a while back where somebody used what was basically a plastic raised garden bed.and then they put a little greenhouse on top of it.so it didn't take a lot of do it yourself and it looked great. I wish I could find it if I do I'll try to forward the thread to you.

 

[Marci_redfoot]

I did buy two of those and connect them. It was for 4 1/2 inch Russian tortoise. It worked fine, I modified it a little bit by taking out the high dividers etc. but I would not recommend them for a larger tortoise and especially a red foot because they need more humidity.I would suggest getting a stock take instead.you know the kind they feed horses or sheep out of. they are already waterproof and you can get them in various sizes and shapes, round or oval for instance. and they can be deeper so you can make various terrain or even almost a two level enclosure all in one.The one I have is 150 gallons, but you would probably need A bigger one. Of course if your tortoise goes outside every single day for a few hours then you don't need a huge one just for night time.they do make them 2' x 6'.I will tell you from personal experience however, that the higher sides on the tanks, -20 inches high, will affect what kind of lighting you get.

Looking at these stock tanks, I think maybe I could cut two holes in opposing sides and stick a PVC tube through to mount the lighting at the appropriate height. I live in an apartment complex that regularly sprays pesticide, so going out is not an option other than trips to a pet-friendly local park. Unfortunately I can't do this every day.

I love the idea of a two-level enclosure. This should help with her climbing impulses in a safe way.

 

[leigti]

Here is a picture of the one for my Boxturtle. It gives you the general idea, the lights are up about 15 inches away from the top of the turtle.The heat lamps are on lampstands and the 48 inch tube light is laid on top of the tank with one and on the tank and the other on a wooden one by four across the tank. But there are a lot of different ways you can mount the lights.

 

[leigti]

Here's a better picture of the lights, the other end of the tube light is just on the edge of the tank.

 

[Marci_redfoot]

Here's a better picture of the lights, the other end of the tube light is just on the edge of the tank.View attachment 100719

That is a great setup! How many gallons your stock tank? Do have issues with humidity levels?

 

[leigti]

It is 150 gallons, Tuff brand. You will probably want a bigger one though because your tortoise is twice the size of mine. The exact dimensions are in my box turtle enclosure thread in that section. But I think it is basically 20 inches tall 34 inches wide and 52 inches long. I put Planson there, coconut Coir, leaves, and orchid bark. I added water to it frequently. I don't know what the humidity level is exactly, I don't have a meter for it, I guess I should get one.I may cover part of it during the winter to keep the heat in an increased humidity if needed. I don't know if Redfoot tortoises need more humidity then a Boxturtle.

 

[Marci_redfoot]

Yes, I think that redfoots need more humidity... I'm shooting for 90%, but I haven't been able to get past 70% with my current enclosure. Thank you for the great advice. This really gives me some great options I didn't know were available.