Indoor leopard tortoise lighting.

[Mr. turtle]

Hey guys! I am buying the zoo med tortoise house for the two baby leopard tortoises i am going to buy. I was wondering what kind of lighting to use. I was going to use the solar glo 100-160 watt MVB bulb. Which wattage should i use for them? Thanks!!

 

[Mr. turtle]

Actually its 125-160 watts. Sorry

 

[Markw84]

A zoo med tortoise house is not a good enclosure for a leopard tortoise. You cannot provide the proper stable heat and humidity with that style enclosure. A leopard will have a hard time staying healthy and will pyramid if it does grow in that type enclosure. Tortoise's should also not be kept in pairs. So consider getting only one or setting up two separate enclosures.

Do some research here and see what is recommended here. Most advice you will see elsewhere and from pet stores is old and outdated.

Start by going to the species specific forum section. Under Africa and leopard tortoises - read the thread towards the top on how to raise a healthy leopard or sulcata

Come back with more questions

Its great you are looking into things before you buy!

Also, the area you live is important in giving advice for you. Where are you located?

 

[Mr. turtle]

A zoo med tortoise house is not a good enclosure for a leopard tortoise. You cannot provide the proper stable heat and humidity with that style enclosure. A leopard will have a hard time staying healthy and will pyramid if it does grow in that type enclosure. Tortoise's should also not be kept in pairs. So consider getting only one or setting up two separate enclosures.

Do some research here and see what is recommended here. Most advice you will see elsewhere and from pet stores is old and outdated.

Start by going to the species specific forum section. Under Africa and leopard tortoises - read the thread towards the top on how to raise a healthy leopard or sulcata

Come back with more questions

Its great you are looking into things before you buy!

Also, the area you live is important in giving advice for you. Where are you located?

I heard it works for red foot tortoises. We are getting one of those instead. But thank you. And i have done a TON of research on every type of pet tortoise. This zoo med tortoise house will be ok for a red foot baby.

 

[Neal]

I heard it works for red foot tortoises. We are getting one of those instead. But thank you. And i have done a TON of research on every type of pet tortoise. This zoo med tortoise house will be ok for a red foot baby.

Generally speaking, most types of manufactured tortoise enclosures are "ok" for containing any sort of tortoise, the work is ensuring that every space in the enclosure provides the tortoise with what it needs to be healthy and grow. The big problem that a lot of people have with this specific enclosure is that it provides no help with maintaining adequate humidity and temperature levels without some modifications or a lot of extra effort.

The amount of effort and cost of maintaining adequate parameters could easily be offset with something that is a little more closed up that you could make for probably a fraction of the cost.

Whatever you decide to do, set up your enclosure first then test and retest everything to make sure it can maintain the temperatures and humidity at whatever levels you want them to be at. Do this long before you bring the tortoise home.

 

[daniellenc]

For the money you'll spend on that a $15 tub actually works better and is larger which means you get more use out of it. Simply cut a whole to place the CHE over, and mount the lights to the inside lid. My tub is almost 4 ft long, 2 ft wide, and 18 inches high from Target.

 

[Tom]

I heard it works for red foot tortoises. We are getting one of those instead. But thank you. And i have done a TON of research on every type of pet tortoise. This zoo med tortoise house will be ok for a red foot baby.

Those ZooMed houses are not good for any species. They are too open for babies and species that need humidity, and too small for adult Testudo that don't. Is it the person selling it to you that is telling you it is good to go?

We stand to gain nothing by arguing with you. We are trying to prevent you from making a common error. In time, after your tortoises is pyramided and permanent damage is done, you will realize we were steering you the right way. I hope you don't have to learn the hard way.

 

[Mr. turtle]

Those ZooMed houses are not good for any species. They are too open for babies and species that need humidity, and too small for adult Testudo that don't. Is it the person selling it to you that is telling you it is good to go?

We stand to gain nothing by arguing with you. We are trying to prevent you from making a common error. In time, after your tortoises is pyramided and permanent damage is done, you will realize we were steering you the right way. I hope you don't have to learn the hard way.

What will work then?

 

[Tom]

What will work then?

To hold in heat and humidity, you need a large closed chamber. You can build one or buy one. Here is one that I built years ago:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/

You can buy one here:
http://www.apcages.com/home/terrestrial/terrestrial.htm

 

[SteveW]

As a temporary and cheaper option, I've had luck using 110 gallon stock tanks with plexiglass lid. You can hang lights, CHE, as needed and still keep everything tucked in. Overall I've had much better luck shopping at Home Depot and Tractor Supply than pet stores.

 

[Mr. turtle]

To hold in heat and humidity, you need a large closed chamber. You can build one or buy one. Here is one that I built years ago:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/

You can buy one here:
http://www.apcages.com/home/terrestrial/terrestrial.htm

Could i buy the old one from you? If not its ok. If u let me buy it how much and would you ship? You can text me privately about it. Thanks!

 

[Tom]

Could i buy the old one from you? If not its ok. If u let me buy it how much and would you ship? You can text me privately about it. Thanks!

I don't have anything for sale. Sorry.

 

[Mr. turtle]

I don't have anything for sale. Sorry.

Ok. Thanks!

 

[Martin Martinussen]

Easy to build one..
Pallet with pool liner in the bottom.. rocks,plants or what ever to hold the sides up..
a greenhouse top.. to keep heat and humidity up

 

[Reptilian Feline]

If you have time to construct something, that is the best option. Simpler setups can be made with stock tanks (popular among turtle keepers) or the kind of plastic boxes with lids that IKEA sells. It will depend on the size of the tort of course.

Good luck with your tort!

 

[SteveW]

If you have time to construct something, that is the best option. Simpler setups can be made with stock tanks (popular among turtle keepers) or the kind of plastic boxes with lids that IKEA sells. It will depend on the size of the tort of course.

Good luck with your tort!

Dude. Did you just call me a turtle keeper? Just because I like stock tanks and in fact have a redcheeked mud and a southern painted DOES NOT make me a turtle keeper. I can stop anytime I want...

 

[Reptilian Feline]

Dude. Did you just call me a turtle keeper? Just because I like stock tanks and in fact have a redcheeked mud and a southern painted DOES NOT make me a turtle keeper. I can stop anytime I want...

Hey, I'm a turtle keeper too I wish I could get a proper stocktank for my Medusa, but he likes to watch us so that wouldn't be nice to him. Plastic containers are so easy to work with, they might not be pretty, but they ARE functional.