Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm having difficulty keeping the humidity up in winter for my redfoot, despite soakings and spraying the substrate (cypress mulch) Would a fogger be a good idea or is there a danger of resperatory problems?

Many people would (and probably will) argue this point, but I know there are also some who agree that keeping the substrate very moist is not absolutely necessary. One alternative would be either to set up a separate section, like a large hide box, with a substrate that you can keep easily at the right moisture level and are willing to change often. The problem I find with keeping large turtles is that if you try to keep the substrate moist all over the cage, you have to change it extremely often, or it will become quicly infested with flies, mites, and the like. I tend to find it easier either to only change the substrate often (and keep it moist) in one section such as the hiding area, or go with option two. Option two requires much less work than option one, as option one still requires a good deal of work in keeping up with the hide box substrate. In this method, you basically don't worry so much about keeping the substrate moist, you just make sure to ALWAYS keep a large container of fresh clean water in the cage, that your tortoises can easily climb in and out of any time they want. It should not be shallow or deep. Too shallow isn't good enough, and too deep means they could drown. If they can stick their head out easily from a normal standing position, it should be about right. I personally have had no problem with this method, but some people would tell you that option 1 (the moist hide box) is the minimum you should do.

You will have to make your own decision on that, but those are some alternatives for you.
~Kyle

np.
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