Closed "Chambers"

RichM

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Noob question,- if the worry about the hot spot is that it is drying out the shell: In a closed chamber system why not use belly heat? If, in a closed chamber with a controlled overall ambient heat you used belly heat to provide a hot spot, would that prevent the drying of the shell or cause any other problems for overall tortoise health? I've seen reference to using pig blankets for supplementary heating and if the air temp is already 80 or whatever you need it to be does hot spot heat being under, rather than over, the tortoise matter?
 

Markw84

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A main reason to provide basking light and heat is to allow them a more realistic basking behavior. That is for both thermo-regulation and for UV exposure and the subsequent vitamin D3 production. They are "programmed" to do these behavior responses from stimuli from overhead solar light/heat. They do not respond the same way to substrate heat

Also, the production of D3 happens in the skin of tortoises. They need UVB to allow the skin to produce pre vitamin D which happens quite quickly with proper UVB AND heat exposure. That is then converted to D3 in the skin if the skin is allowed to heat properly. That takes more time and is a lot of the basking activity you see. None of that can happen with substrate heat

I believe the references you saw to pig blankets for heat were in the application of creating ambient heat in a night box, not to provide or replace a basking light
 

Tom

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Noob question,- if the worry about the hot spot is that it is drying out the shell: In a closed chamber system why not use belly heat? If, in a closed chamber with a controlled overall ambient heat you used belly heat to provide a hot spot, would that prevent the drying of the shell or cause any other problems for overall tortoise health? I've seen reference to using pig blankets for supplementary heating and if the air temp is already 80 or whatever you need it to be does hot spot heat being under, rather than over, the tortoise matter?

I've tried a few variations of this and it has not worked as well as a conventional basking lamp for me.

Give it a try, document your findings and share with us. Perhaps you will discover something I missed.
 

BrianWI

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I use a heat mat under the humid hides for night heat. Worked good years ago for me and am doing with my new sulcata. But for my basking area I am using a UVB florescent coil type (I have access to a high end light tester. I read the UVC worries and there is almost none in this bulbs spectrum. If anything,the UVB exposure is a touch low) and a CHE. Small tank for now.
 

Tidgy's Dad

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I think these threads should be kept fresh.
Mostly, Nobody's going to read thought 11 pages.
 

Tom

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what temperature should the basking light be at I have a powersun 100watt Mercury Vapor UVB

Usually MVBs are too hot for closed chambers. Usually your basking temp should be around 95-100.

What species are we talking about?
 

RIO'S MOM

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Building this enclosure this week. Need lighting/heat fixture and wattage recommendations from you experts. Have ONE male red foot between 10 and 50 years old(?). Total guess, but he has made a sex toy out of a fake rock, and he actively pursues this activity! He's a rescue. Have had him for about two months.

This enclosure is on end. It measures 4'×5.7'×2.8'. I am waterproofing the inside with a membrane with 0 VOCs. It's 90% complete. Has a plexiglass lid yet to be installed (thanks to pics above from Maggie3fan!) And a front plexiglass door. Doing the floor with sheet linoleum. And moving on to lighting fixtures. I'm gathering a CHE on a thermostat is the way to go for heat. Have both. Do I also want UVB and infrared ? Or Just UVB and CHE ?

Help! I'm a newbie. THANKS !
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M

Maggie Cummings

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My, my, my...so easy to get our feathers ruffled, huh Maggie? :p In Tom's defense, this is a thread about closed chambers, and I really don't think you've ever posted pictures of THAT tort table before. I like that one.

Not seriously, I was mostly just being sarcastic, and what I really should have done, and still might... is my version of Tom's 'closed chamber' doing it almost the way he says only mine has 2 chambers and is closed. And that tort table i did post houses my adult T.ornata ornata not babies, so really wasn't appropriate for this thread actually.
 

RIO'S MOM

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Building this enclosure this week. Need lighting/heat fixture and wattage recommendations from you experts. Have ONE male red foot between 10 and 50 years old(?). Total guess, but he has made a sex toy out of a fake rock, and he actively pursues this activity! He's a rescue. Have had him for about two months.

This enclosure is on end. It measures 4'×5.7'×2.8'. I am waterproofing the inside with a membrane with 0 VOCs. It's 90% complete. Has a plexiglass lid yet to be installed (thanks to pics above from Maggie3fan!) And a front plexiglass door. Doing the floor with sheet linoleum. And moving on to lighting fixtures. I'm gathering a CHE on a thermostat is the way to go for heat. Have both. Do I also want UVB and infrared ? Or Just UVB and CHE ?

Help! I'm a newbie. THANKS !
View attachment 186348 View attachment 186349
This discussion is happening here:


http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/recommend-lighting-fixture-closed-4×6-shelter.146283/
 

Pearly

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Building this enclosure this week. Need lighting/heat fixture and wattage recommendations from you experts. Have ONE male red foot between 10 and 50 years old(?). Total guess, but he has made a sex toy out of a fake rock, and he actively pursues this activity! He's a rescue. Have had him for about two months.

This enclosure is on end. It measures 4'×5.7'×2.8'. I am waterproofing the inside with a membrane with 0 VOCs. It's 90% complete. Has a plexiglass lid yet to be installed (thanks to pics above from Maggie3fan!) And a front plexiglass door. Doing the floor with sheet linoleum. And moving on to lighting fixtures. I'm gathering a CHE on a thermostat is the way to go for heat. Have both. Do I also want UVB and infrared ? Or Just UVB and CHE ?

Help! I'm a newbie. THANKS !
View attachment 186348 View attachment 186349
Omg!!!! "Newbie"??!!! You should start manufacturing those for reptile keepers who like myself have "2 left hands" when it comes to making things like enclosures:)
 

RIO'S MOM

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Omg!!!! "Newbie"??!!! You should start manufacturing those for reptile keepers who like myself have "2 left hands" when it comes to making things like enclosures:)

I told Hubbs that you said this. He smiled. He IS very crafty with everything. Perfect husband! I posted some more progress pics in the thread below.
All critiques and advice welcome... BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE AND ITS FULL OF DIRT ! LOL
 

RIO'S MOM

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Didn't take film off of front plexiglass yet

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CHE on thermostat, and moved UVB to another cord with timer. Lamps secured to Ubolts with springs that keep them snug to venting ports.

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Linoleum, MEMBRANE from Lowes on five walks, FLEX SEAL as baseboard, silicone caulking on all seams. Have yet to FLEX SEAL bottom 3"of loft hutch. Thermostat probe has since been secured and housed at substrate level with a corner PVC pipe. We also removed those unnecessary hutch latches on the vertical.

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Loft hutch doors open and slide out cleaning tray in loft. Ramp on full length of open side. Ramp protected with MEMBRANE(upper) FLEX SEAL (lower). Plexiglass for window
 
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cmacusa3

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This is probably one of the best I've seen!!!!! I'm guessing the ramp won't be so steep once the substrate is put in and The only suggestion I have is putting a side on the ramp.
 

RIO'S MOM

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Oh yah, one more thing, because of height, we had to keep it low. So Hubbs built this to keep it off the ground and make it easy to move around for cleaning the room. Old picnic table top with industrial casters.

my Hubbs.
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RIO'S MOM

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FLEX SEAL being applied to substrate effected bottom of LOFT Hutch. (This hutch by the way is from Petco. It's meant for rabbits. It's coated with anti-fungal waterproofing stain ) we modified the hutch a LOT. Was screened in, removed all screen. Took off a wall and door on the ramp side, widened ramp. Switched loft door from screen to plexiglass, took off unnecessary hardware.
http://t.petco.com/shop/en/petcosto...s/trixie-natura-animal-hutch-with-outdoor-run
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The probe wire is duct taped to the wall and the ceiling. It is placed at substrate level free moving inside the open PVC pipe bolted to the corner frame piece so Rio can't get to it, at the warm end of the vivarium. That's the ramp from the loft laying on the floor.
 
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