Hello everyone! I just bought my first tortoise just over a week ago, a Russian named Tevye (see attached pic). After doing a lot of reading here, I'm so thankful for you guys already! The minimal reading about the tortoises I did before rushing to PetSmart was probably not a good way to start this hopefully lifelong endeavor. Lucky for me, it's not too late to correct most of the errors I've already made.
I have one quick question right off the bat: I've noticed that his heat lamp doesn't give off enough heat. The hottest part under the lamp is usually between 80 to 85 degrees F (I have a separate lamp for UVB that doesn't give off heat). Should I get a bulb with a higher wattage to correct the problem, or should I perhaps add a ceramic heat source to the mixture? If ceramic, how do I know which wattage is best?
I'm looking forward to becoming an active member of this community! I've always had a special affinity for reptiles, and a 50-year-long or more relationship will certainly be special.
I have one quick question right off the bat: I've noticed that his heat lamp doesn't give off enough heat. The hottest part under the lamp is usually between 80 to 85 degrees F (I have a separate lamp for UVB that doesn't give off heat). Should I get a bulb with a higher wattage to correct the problem, or should I perhaps add a ceramic heat source to the mixture? If ceramic, how do I know which wattage is best?
I'm looking forward to becoming an active member of this community! I've always had a special affinity for reptiles, and a 50-year-long or more relationship will certainly be special.