Substrate and Enclosure Suggestions Please?

NewToTortoise

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Hi, sorry for making another topic again (third in the past week) but I will soon be getting a Russian tortoise and want to give him/her the best life they could possibly have and I was hoping you guys could suggest items for my enclosure.

I will need a thermometer that can automatically turn on/off the lighting depending on the time and heat for my enclosure. I'm in the UK so I already have a heating and UV bulb all in one that I've ordered (photo below) and have ordered another bulb for night.ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1464382642.107528.jpg

Also what substrate (I've looked at coconut coir substrate but there are lots available on Amazon and I'm unsure which to buy) And what type of plate should I put the food on? As I know it is important in order to prevent an overgrown beak.

Could you guys suggest stuff from Amazon, or a place that would deliver to the UK?

I was also wondering is silicone safe at the bottom of an enclosure? I've converted a bookcase and have lined the bottom with a shower curtain and I am looking at using silicone to stick the plastic to the wood at the sides in order to make it more resistant to moisture.


Thanks again everyone!
 

Yvonne G

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If you use the silicone for aquariums it should be ok.

Did you order a ceramic heat emitter for night? Heat without light. I buy a lot of stuff from Amazon. When I need something, the first place I look is Amazon.
 

NewToTortoise

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Yeah I ordered the heat ommiter, it was actually you who suggested them haha, thanks for doing so :), it's just the substrate, food plate and most of all thermometer/s I'm worrying about
 

Yvonne G

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Just use a ceramic tile or piece of broken cement to feed off of. I buy the old fashioned, cheap outdoor thermometers like this:

00870-800x800.jpg


You can find them at the hardware store or sometimes the grocery store. Pretty cheap here, a couple dollars.
 

Yvonne G

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Many people here suggest using an infra red thermometer because you can point it at anything in the enclosure and get a reading, even the tortoise. I'm not that compulsive about knowing the temperature. Mainly you want to know the temperature down at tortoise level, not up high on the side of the enclosure.
 

NewToTortoise

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Yeah I've noticed a few people have said that, I ordered a laser thermometer from Amazon which will let me know the temperatures around the enclosure, I plan to have the enclosure active for a week or so before I get the tortoise just to make sure the temperatures are stable, but I would wait until the turtoise arrives before I introduce the substrate
 

Tom

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Yeah I've noticed a few people have said that, I ordered a laser thermometer from Amazon which will let me know the temperatures around the enclosure, I plan to have the enclosure active for a week or so before I get the tortoise just to make sure the temperatures are stable, but I would wait until the turtoise arrives before I introduce the substrate

You should run the enclosure with dampened substrate. The evaporation can change things.

You just need a timer for your basking lamp. If your house stays above 15C over night, then you really don't need a thermostat and CHE.

I use terra cotta saucers sunk into the substrate for food and water.

Over here we have GE Silicone I. It is inert and non-toxic once cured.

I prefer coco coir for baby russians and fine grade orchid bark for adults. Just don't get that "Pets at Home" stuff with the limestone bits in it. What a horrible idea...

Have you seen these?
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
 

DutchieAmanda

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I buy my coco coir at Ikea! It's cheap and works perfect for my redfoot. Do you have an Ikea near you?
 

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