New to Tortoise's - Need Help

[NewToTortoise]

Hi, I'm hoping to get a horsefield/Russian tortoise in the near future. I've been looking up tortoise tables and have seen one which I think looks okay and is spacious, it's called the Vivexotic Viva Tortoise Table but I'm not sure which bulbs I should get and where to place them and was wondering if you guys could suggest bulbs and point out the best place to put them

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

I hate to shoot you down, but those pre-made tortoise tables are just not big enough - especially for a Russian tortoise. They require a lot of roaming space. Outside would be much better, but if you have to have it indoors, a bookcase with the shelves removed would be better.

 

[Yvonne G]

For night heat:



Provides UVB plus heat for day:

 

[NewToTortoise]

Thanks for the replys, with the lights would I keep them in a centralised location within the bookcase? Or would I put one at either end, and turn each on/off depending on day or night?

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum.

Please read the so-called "Beginners Mistakes" Thread, as well as the different care sheets that are available. And do not hesitate to ask any question. you'll get the help you need.

As far as the enclosure is concerned, make sure to have it made as large as possible: these cute little animals are used to roam around in the wild without boundaries or borders. And good luck!

 

[JoesMum]

The MVB needs to hang vertically down. Where is up to you. Put it on a timer so it goes on and off automatically. No thermostat is needed. Basking temperature is changed by adjusting the height of the lamp.

You only need a CHE if your room temperature drops below 65F at night. If that is the case, then you should connect it to a thermostat and also have it on a timer.

As Yvonne says that table is too small.

Please read these for expert guidance on what you need

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Russian Care Sheet
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

 

[NewToTortoise]

Thank you I've looked at quite a few bookcases instead online but I'm still unsure about the lighting, as I'm not sure if I should have multiple lights as the enclosure is bigger, and im looking into how I would make the wood at the bottom waterproof.

 

[JoesMum]

What you need is a good digital min/max thermometer so you can work out your room temperatures. Then you will know how much of a job you need to do with temperatures in the enclosure.

Most people find that one basking lamp in the day and one CHE at night are enough - many don't need the CHE at all.

Then you will also need a temperature gun thermometer- they're inexpensive from Amazon - so that you can test temperatures accurately in specific places in your enclosure.

 

[NewToTortoise]

Ah okay, thank you all so much for the help!

 

[NewToTortoise]

So after reading your suggestions I bought a bookcase, I've lined the inside with shower curtains and wanted to know what you guys think, is it safe? and if not what should I do instead?

 

[Alexio]

Looks good. You can also use plastic siding for housed it comes in different mils. I use the 6 mil it's very heavy duty. You can also line the sides as well to protect them from the moisture and increase longevity. How tall are the sides?

 

[NewToTortoise]

The wood is 29cm tall and the white border is 5cm tall

 

[Alexio]

Okay that's good 29 cm is the rough height that most uvb bulbs need to be mounted at so you should be okay.