Me again ... cleaning table?!?!

[ditzyangeluk]

Yes, sorry, me again!

This may seem a strange question but ..

How do I clean out the inside enclosure/tortoise table? I mean, do I clear everything out every 3 weeks and start over or partially do it or what?

I mean, if I do it all, doesn't that upset the balance/humidity/whatever?

Sorry to be dense!

[becciwales]

I spot clean every day. Then do a full change every 6-8 weeks unless I think it needs it sooner xx
It needs misting every day and a good watering twice a week x

[ditzyangeluk]

I am getting a Hermann ... can't wait!!!

Is a 'spot clean' easy to do .. as in can their poop be found easily! Others have said they do a complete substrate change twice a year?

The misting and good watering, for humidity? How is the 'good watering' best done?!

[emma_mcraf]

I spot clean each day, change water, wash down food tiles, etc. Every other day I put a watering can over and churn up the substrate to ensure it soaks down into the lower levels of the soil as the top soon dries out.

Mine usually wee, poo and pass urates in their baths so the tables are kept pretty clean, with the odd exception.

I change the topsoil every 4 months or so. Although they come in at night, through the summer months they spend most time outside, as Kelly says, so it's absolutely pointless changing the substrate then.

[ditzyangeluk]

Re humidity:
"I put a watering can over and churn up the substrate to ensure it soaks down into the lower levels of the soil as the top soon dries ou"

I have had the following suggestions;

(1) Water it thoroughly, let it soak in and then water regularly as you would a plant pot
(2) run a short piece of hosepipe down to the bottom- leave it in permanantly, and just top it up through the pipe
(3) poke holes into the dirt and fill them up with water
(4) for top soil, you want it to be moist underneath, and dry on top
put the moist bag of soil in the habitat, and the lights will dry out the top layer
When you dig down with your finger and feel that its getting dry, you add water, maybe even a whole jug full, in a corner so it runs under and moistens the bottom
If you cover the top, as the soil dries out the moisture rises up into the air in the covered habitat making it a humid environment

ANY of them right/any good?

[GemJam]

I have a Hermann tortoise too!
I currently operate option 1. As Becci said the soil is watered thoroughly, then I mist the top layer every day and water thoroughly again when needed (usually twice a week). I currently change the soil every 8 weeks, but as the tort tends to do her business in her water or when she has a bath, so I might do it every three months instead now.

[ditzyangeluk]

So what about the other ideas for keeping humidity up, or is it not so desperate for Hermanns?

(1) run a short piece of hosepipe down to the bottom- leave it in permanantly, and just top it up through the pipe
(2) poke holes into the dirt and fill them up with water
(3) for top soil, you want it to be moist underneath, and dry on top
put the moist bag of soil in the habitat, and the lights will dry out the top layer
When you dig down with your finger and feel that its getting dry, you add water, maybe even a whole jug full, in a corner so it runs under and moistens the bottom

There was I thinking I had the gist of it

[Pussygalore]

get yourself a childs small garden rake to turn the surface and an old fork/spoon is ideal for picking up poo, I used to top up occasionally with fresh soil but like Stells rarely did a whole clean. The hatchlings had a clean table when they were born and it would see them through to when they were sold and the adults were outside all summer, their houses which had readi grass were simply 'mucked' out when needed but they didn't really mess in them as they'd be outside most of the day. You don't want a sterile home as they'd not have it in the wild and need to build up their immune system and I never had a smelly table. Humidity I think I mentioned on RFUK I used to put a piece of corkbark in the table near but not under the heat and water underneath, the bark is non absorbant and the soil would stay damp for longer then the exposed, the bark retained the warmth underneath and the area was a lovely humid hide, the torts would dig and go under the bark or you can sort of hollow it out for them.