Little Dudes enclosure.

[Ashes]

This is currently my little guys home. When he's bigger and we are in a different house, he will get a much bigger table - but I'd like opinions since he's gonna be in this for a while. We use the coconut Eco-earth substrate with some spag moss (buying more soon - that amount you see was transferred from his smaller terrarium and it wasn't much when put in the bigger one lol). He doesn't go in the hide box - prefers to burrow under the moss. He never gets in his water bowl (this picture was a fluke lol).

So - changes needed? I feel like I need to do something different...?

 

[prelyt]

I would get a digital humidity and temp gauge for accuracy. Something Like This.

 

[mikeh]

Re: RE: Little Dudes enclosure.

I would get a digital humidity and temp gauge for accuracy. Something Like This.

Good advice. You can get it at home depot too. The circular mechanical readers you have can be very inaccurate.
Eco earth, sphagnum moss, and hide all look good.
What are you using for UVB?
What are you using for night heat?
What is your day time ambient temp? basking temp? and night temp?

The water dish could be sunken even more into the substrate for easier access.
The space is little too bare, maybe some rocks, few plants for cover. Red foots don't care for bright lights.
Some ideas:


The tort will never make it up that incline to second level on top of the hide. Too steep and too narrow.

 

[bouaboua]

The tort will never make it up that incline to second level on top of the hide. Too steep and too narrow.
[/quote]

He may also fall from the top and fall on his back. May cooked to death under the light which is located near by.

 

[Ashes]

I would get a digital humidity and temp gauge for accuracy. Something Like This.

Good advice. You can get it at home depot too. The circular mechanical readers you have can be very inaccurate.
Eco earth, sphagnum moss, and hide all look good.
What are you using for UVB?
What are you using for night heat?
What is your day time ambient temp? basking temp? and night temp?

The water dish could be sunken even more into the substrate for easier access.
The space is little too bare, maybe some rocks, few plants for cover. Red foots don't care for bright lights.
Some ideas:


The tort will never make it up that incline to second level on top of the hide. Too steep and too narrow.

I have a UVB light above (oh gosh I can't remember which....), night heat is provided with a red light heat bulb and stays usually above 70-75, day time ambient heat stays between 80-85, bask spot I'm honestly not sure... The humidity stays between 60-80%.

I will sink in the water dish more (I was wondering if I should), I actually took that box out BECAUSE he flipped off the side. :/ and I will definitely get a digital thermometer. As for plants - real ones or fake? What have you guys had good luck with? Thank you for all the tips!! I wanna make little dude as comfortable as possible.

 

[prelyt]

I go with real because then they have a food source as well as a nice decoration. Even if it's just a little geranium.

 

[naturalman91]

i'd try uping humidity slightly during the day my humidity never fall's below 80 ideal its kept inbetween 80-90% at night i allow it to drop to 70-80%

 

[Ashes]

I agree. So, I have an automatic sprayer - mists for 20 seconds every hour. This obviously isn't keeping the humidity up but I don't want to soak the ground and make it wet wet like it did in the smaller tank.... Ideas? Try upping it a little more and see if it soaks it too much? I also have a screen top, which I hate, but that's what the tank I had (didn't buy one). Maybe I should cover that.... What do you suggest I cover it with?

Geranium? Would they need to be in little individual pots, not the substrate? Any other plants that fit easily in a terrarium and are edible?

 

[naturalman91]

I agree. So, I have an automatic sprayer - mists for 20 seconds every hour. This obviously isn't keeping the humidity up but I don't want to soak the ground and make it wet wet like it did in the smaller tank.... Ideas? Try upping it a little more and see if it soaks it too much? I also have a screen top, which I hate, but that's what the tank I had (didn't buy one). Maybe I should cover that.... What do you suggest I cover it with?

Geranium? Would they need to be in little individual pots, not the substrate? Any other plants that fit easily in a terrarium and are edible?

spider plants are safe i have 3 in mine and as for humidity try adding some moss to help like sphagnum moss i keep some directly under my light ( the light is safe enough distance) that i constantly keep misted just to help humidity not soaked misted and try covering it with something other then screening all that heat and humidity get's sucked straight out the top i'm currently for about a week more using a 50gal storage tote that i made a top to out of scrap wood i had around not being used the top if you can do it safely should hold your light's in it this is a picture of mine. the glass in the front slides to allow access to give water mist adjust lights give food but i still cant wait till i get my closed enclosure done i just framed out the top and stapled the plastic to it there are 3 fixtures in there a basking a uvb and CHE all on timers

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I agree. So, I have an automatic sprayer - mists for 20 seconds every hour. This obviously isn't keeping the humidity up but I don't want to soak the ground and make it wet wet like it did in the smaller tank.... Ideas? Try upping it a little more and see if it soaks it too much? I also have a screen top, which I hate, but that's what the tank I had (didn't buy one). Maybe I should cover that.... What do you suggest I cover it with?

Geranium? Would they need to be in little individual pots, not the substrate? Any other plants that fit easily in a terrarium and are edible?

thats a picture with it just set on top i took plastic and taped it around the tub and top no gaps i went from misting a bunch of times a day to keep it steady to only misting once and the CHE on the thermostat never coming on during the day when it would before it's not pretty but it does the job
spider plants are safe i have 3 in mine and as for humidity try adding some moss to help like sphagnum moss i keep some directly under my light ( the light is safe enough distance) that i constantly keep misted just to help humidity not soaked misted and try covering it with something other then screening all that heat and humidity get's sucked straight out the top i'm currently for about a week more using a 50gal storage tote that i made a top to out of scrap wood i had around not being used the top if you can do it safely should hold your light's in it this is a picture of mine. the glass in the front slides to allow access to give water mist adjust lights give food but i still cant wait till i get my closed enclosure done i just framed out the top and stapled the plastic to it there are 3 fixtures in there a basking a uvb and CHE all on timers

 

[Ashes]

Silly question (new to tortoise lingo) - is CHE a ceramic heat emitter?

 

[naturalman91]

Silly question (new to tortoise lingo) - is CHE a ceramic heat emitter?

yes it is

 

[mikeh]

Yes. Ditch the red bulb and use CHE with thermostat. You need to know what kind of UVB bulb you are using. Many Compact florescant UVB bulbs are documented to damage tortoises eyes.
Take a picture, we can identify it here.

 

[naturalman91]

Yes. Ditch the red bulb and use CHE with thermostat. You need to know what kind of UVB bulb you are using. Many Compact florescant UVB bulbs are documented to damage tortoises eyes.
Take a picture, we can identify it here.

even i didn't know that about the UVB can i ask you to explain a little more or post a couple pics of bad examples of uvb light i'm using a 10.0 uvb tub

 

[Ashes]

I believe this is the UVB light I bought (at the store right now).

I also just bought timers and digital therm/hygrometer. However, the CHEs they have don't have thermostats? This is at petsmart - can I get those somewhere else?

 

[naturalman91]

I believe this is the UVB light I bought (at the store right now).

I also just bought timers and digital therm/hygrometer. However, the CHEs they have don't have thermostats? This is at petsmart - can I get those somewhere else?

they don't come with thermostats have to buy seperately and set it up. that's the uvb i use i think mine might be a little longer tho

 

[Ashes]

I'm getting discouraged. Lol. I don't know how to do that!

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Also, where is the best place to put the digital therm/hygrometer in the tank?

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Pack it with some plants! I use that same 40gal Zilla terrarium for some baby leopards. I converted it into a closed chamber and this set up (with a few temperature adjustments) would work fairly well for a RF baby, too.

The decorating possibilities are endless!

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I buy my digital thermometer/hydrometer combo's from Walmart for $8 and Home Depot for $10. The difference between the 2 is a clip on the back

It records the highs and lows over a 24 hour period.

And the thermostat is a piece of cake, too! You plug it into the wall. Then plug the CHE into the thermostat. Set the thermostat to your desired temperature (mine is 81F) and tah-dah...done
My favorite thermostat is the $30 Hydrofarm digital thermostat sold for seedling mats. I've used 4 and love em' all.

 

[Ashes]

Ugh - I just spent $20 on the digital at petsmart. Got totally robbed. Lol. Okay, I will have to go back for the CHE. Where did you get your thermostat? And what kind of plants do you have in yours? Is there a lot of maintenance with all that?

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I also use the digital probe thermometers. They also cost less than $10! I can't think of anything I buy for my torts at a Petstore....hmmm... lol

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I ordered my CHEs online with Amazon. I believe the 100watt was $15??
I buy the 10" ceramic based dome to hold the CHEs from Walmart for maybe $12 (not all Walmarts carry the ceramic based one, you have to make sure) Home Depot also sells these for $14ish.

I buy the Hydrofarm thermostats from Amazon also. $30 or so.

 

[naturalman91]

I also use the digital probe thermometers. They also cost less than $10! I can't think of anything I buy for my torts at a Petstore....hmmm... lol

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I ordered my CHEs online with Amazon. I believe the 100watt was $15??
I buy the 10" ceramic based dome to hold the CHEs from Walmart for maybe $12 (not all Walmarts carry the ceramic based one, you have to make sure) Home Depot also sells these for $14ish.

I buy the Hydrofarm thermostats from Amazon also. $30 or so.

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^^^ speaks the truth you'll save money by avoid petstores if possible the only time you'll catch me at the petstore is when i'm taking my dog into the groomers or i need emergency supplies such as lighting or heating item's that JUST went out and i don't have a replacement on hand other then that most of the stuff the petstore sells is pure JUNK specially the gauges for gauges just go to walmart lowes home depo pretty much anywhere with a hardware section that has heating/cooling aisle atleast thats where it is locally to me.