Why are vivariums and glass tanks bad?

[Leila]

Hi there,

My vet advised against vivs because of the lack of ventilation. The heat breeds bacteria and with no ventilation the bacteria just builds up.

Cheers
Leila

[TANK]

a while ago i went into a pet shop near by and they were selling baby redfoots and they were in a Vivarium and they were so incredibly stressed out i actually felt like talking to the shop keeper about these conditions!!!

[Desdemona]

I myself haven't got a viv but a friend of mine has and after reading numerous posts about vivs and why they were so bad, he replaced the glas panels with pond mesh panels. He says they provide good ventilation and are not so stressing since the torts can see there's something and won't be confused as they are with glass panels. And anyway his torts only stay inside in the viv when the weather is too bad. As he lives in southern France, that's not very often.

I must say I can see his point but would like your opinion about such customised vivs, out of curiosity.


Desdemona

[owenmorris]

just a my opinion on viv's if your like me and not very good at diy you could always buy a viv or a cabinet without glass doors.Mine has no glas doors and is much more efficient at keeping heats correct in either side of the unit.at one end its 90.F and the other end is 70.F at all times during day and night time never goes above or below 70.F due to it all being pulse thermo controlled.And as for humidity I use Oregon Scientific equipment for all my readings two sensors in viv and one in outdoor enclosure.What I dont understand is how so many people say herms dont like humidity.Humidity is high in most european countries as we all know during summer months.My torts are outside in enclosure now where my weather station is showing 83% humidity which is exactly what weatherwatcher software is forecasting so can someone please explain how torts dont like humdity.Inside my viv (with no glass) its 45-50% humidity at all times with water in at all times and a 50-50 mix of play sand and sterilized topsoil.

[nina]

I thought that humidity in the substrate was good but humidity in the air isn't necessarily so good. In the wild torts often burrow down in the soil on hot days, and the soil below the surface can be much more damp than above. Also, many people think hydration is important in prevent pyramiding, and recommend for indoor enclosures a hot, damp end (dampening the soil and sand mixture) and a cool dry end for sleeping, so that the tortoise can burrow into the damp bit and that helps prevent dehydration. On the Russian Tortoise.org site they specifically recommend keeping an area of the soil substrate damp to prevent pyramiding and RNS. A general humidity in the air, though, could encourage mould spores to grow and could be unhealthy. I might be talking complete nonsense here, so someone please correct me if I'm wrong on this.

Nina

[sandy]

Tortoises need a temperature drop at night. It can go down to 12-15 degrees C. This is what
happens in the wild.
Here in the UK, my tortoises dont get any extra heat at night at all. I do have a greenhouse heater
that will switch on if temperatures drop to far.
When the temps do start to drop here, my tortoises stay in their greenhouses untill they have warmed
then go out to enjoy any sunshine/bright lights they can get<g>.

[owenmorris]

nobody still telling me what I asked

[nina]

I'm no expert on this, but maybe it is humidity in an enclosed environment, like a viv, without adequate air circulation that is bad for them. In the wild, even if it is humid, there would be adequate air circulating, to stop the build-up of mould spores, etc. This is just a guess. Having said that, my Horsfield comes from an area that I think might be a dry heat (not sure) - it's all the 'stans' (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgistan, Kazachstan, etc.) My Ibera comes from Turkey, Syria, and maybe Greece, but I'm not sure if they have a humid or a dry heat.

Nina

[saucysqueezy]

Originally Posted by nina

I'm no expert on this, but maybe it is humidity in an enclosed environment, like a viv, without adequate air circulation that is bad for them. In the wild, even if it is humid, there would be adequate air circulating, to stop the build-up of mould spores, etc. This is just a guess. Having said that, my Horsfield comes from an area that I think might be a dry heat (not sure) - it's all the 'stans' (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgistan, Kazachstan, etc.) My Ibera comes from Turkey, Syria, and maybe Greece, but I'm not sure if they have a humid or a dry heat.

Nina

that's pretty much one of the main reasons - you can buy little circular fans which make sure the air gets circulated now, but having the doors opens or in the case of owen is definately the best option. When the glass doors are shut the heat builds up and the temperate is harder to control and leads to respritory problems

[sandy]

Air/humidity cant circulate in a viv.