Tortoise Enclosure Feedback

[Danielson]

Hi everyone I just wanted your opinion on my tortoise enclosure, as well as your opinion if my Sulcata is pyramiding. I know he's still small but I'm not sure if the breeder who had him had the humidity levels that high early on (I didn't know about pyramiding a couple of weeks ago). I've had him for about 3 weeks, I live in south Florida so humidity is pretty high all around. I try to aim for 90% humidity but with the sun it usually drops to about 60-70%. He gets daily soaks and is fed a combination of grasses, weeds, the occasional organic lettuce, and spineless prickly pear & echindermia succulent as a treat (small piece cut out). He gets natural sunlight but when it's overcast and in the evening I keep to bulbs on to ensure he has a proper basking spot (100F) and cool side (75-80F). I created the wire mesh so that if I'm not able to supervise him when he's outside in the sun he can still be outside nice and safe. Let me know what you all think and thanks!

 

[Yvonne G]

Excellent! Now you just need to use the feeding saucer as the waterer, get rid of that reptile dish and use a broken piece of cement or a tile to feed on.

Looks like a little bit of pyramiding has started, but you've caught it early enough for it to straighten out. Be sure to pour water over the substrate and keep it moist. Lots of water. I'd pour a couple pitchersful.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Greetings and Welcome to the Forum. Based on your pix and in addition to what Yvonne already stated, i would make the hide a bit lower in height so it's more of a snug cave for him to sneak in and feel safe vice the big tall cavern. Also, I'm wondering what you are using to maintain the enclosures overall ambient temp? Id recommend a CHE on a good thermostat. Lastly, I'd suggest you get a new digital temp/humidity gauge instead of the ones you currently have. Those analog types are very inaccurate. A good point and shoot IR temp gun is good to have as well.

Good to see the screen overtop to protect, just remember it blocks your lights rays. But, u r in Florida, so I'm sure he gets lots of sun!

Welcome and keep the updates coming. Keep the heat and humidity levels up! And keep him well fed, soak daily.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Welcome fellow south Floridian.
Are you going to try to raise him outside when he gets larger?
One other thing, that double light fixture generally comes with a type of light bulb that has caused a lot of serious eye issues and blinding reported by many members. (compact, coiled Florescent. Can you post a photo of the light?
I'm in s.e. Broward county.
If you are nearby, P.M. me. I have a lot of outdoors things like houses, etc.

 

[Markw84]

Good to see the screen overtop to protect, just remember it blocks your lights rays. But, u r in Florida, so I'm sure he gets lots of sun!
.

@Danielson
The hardware cloth with 1/2" opening will only block perhaps 5-10% of the UVB, so it will not be a problem at all, especially with sunlight. If you do have a UVB bulb in that fixture, it would be of a type putting out little UVB, and at that height, would be of no use anyway. With your location in Florida, as long as your tortoise is getting at least a few hours a week of natural sunlight, I would not bother with any artificial UVB at all.

 

[Maro2Bear]

@Danielson
The hardware cloth with 1/2" opening will only block perhaps 5-10% of the UVB, so it will not be a problem at all, especially with sunlight. If you do have a UVB bulb in that fixture, it would be of a type putting out little UVB, and at that height, would be of no use anyway. With your location in Florida, as long as your tortoise is getting at least a few hours a week of natural sunlight, I would not bother with any artificial UVB at all.

Yep, i agree the screen is a good way to keep him away from harm's way.

 

[Danielson]

Welcome fellow south Floridian.
Are you going to try to raise him outside when he gets larger?
One other thing, that double light fixture generally comes with a type of light bulb that has caused a lot of serious eye issues and blinding reported by many members. (compact, coiled Florescent. Can you post a photo of the light?
I'm in s.e. Broward county.
If you are nearby, P.M. me. I have a lot of outdoors things like houses, etc.

Hey I appreciate it, take the dual bulb as a backup it's only on when there's not enough sunlight outside or if the temperature is dropping, also I purchased separate bulbs for the dual light one is a 26W UVB light the other a 100W Heat bulb (90% of the time he's getting natural Sun). I'm waiting till he gets a bit bigger to introduce him to an outside enclosure, I have a large yard and plenty of pesticide free vegetation that are safe for him to eat.

 

[Danielson]

@Danielson
The hardware cloth with 1/2" opening will only block perhaps 5-10% of the UVB, so it will not be a problem at all, especially with sunlight. If you do have a UVB bulb in that fixture, it would be of a type putting out little UVB, and at that height, would be of no use anyway. With your location in Florida, as long as your tortoise is getting at least a few hours a week of natural sunlight, I would not bother with any artificial UVB at all.

The wire mesh does block out some sun, but I notice it provides a nice shaded area that sometimes Rex (My Sulcata) will hang out in if he's tired of basking. The bulbs just serve as a back up when there's not enough sun out, 90% of the time he has natural sunlight available.

 

[Danielson]

Greetings and Welcome to the Forum. Based on your pix and in addition to what Yvonne already stated, i would make the hide a bit lower in height so it's more of a snug cave for him to sneak in and feel safe vice the big tall cavern. Also, I'm wondering what you are using to maintain the enclosures overall ambient temp? Id recommend a CHE on a good thermostat. Lastly, I'd suggest you get a new digital temp/humidity gauge instead of the ones you currently have. Those analog types are very inaccurate. A good point and shoot IR temp gun is good to have as well.

Good to see the screen overtop to protect, just remember it blocks your lights rays. But, u r in Florida, so I'm sure he gets lots of sun!

Welcome and keep the updates coming. Keep the heat and humidity levels up! And keep him well fed, soak daily.

Hi thanks so much! I've noticed that sometimes it will linger at 80F when his basking area is well around the 90-100F range, so I've ordered a digital temp/humidity gauge. What's your opinion on his shell growth, I've been reading and getting informed since I got him so he's been well fed (he doesn't stop eating) and I try to maintain the humidity levels in the 70-90% range. I also see him drinking plenty when he gets his daily soaks.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Home Depot has those gauges. $10

 

[KrissyLeigh]

Did you drill holes in the bottom? I am planning on using a kiddie pool for supervised outdoors time while I'm preparing their yard habitat. I knew someone who had a hedgehog in an outdoor enclosure, and it rained while she was at work, by the time she got home the poor thing had drowned. Bearing that in mind, I was going to drill holes in the kiddie pool for drainage - as I said I plan to supervise them during outdoors time, but I figure the extra drainage will ensure the soil doesn't become super saturated and cause fungus on the plant roots. I!I'm wondering how large the holes have to be, which is why I'm asking. Love your little one! I have a crested gecko named Rex.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Did you drill holes in the bottom? I am planning on using a kiddie pool for supervised outdoors time while I'm preparing their yard habitat. I knew someone who had a hedgehog in an outdoor enclosure, and it rained while she was at work, by the time she got home the poor thing had drowned. Bearing that in mind, I was going to drill holes in the kiddie pool for drainage - as I said I plan to supervise them during outdoors time, but I figure the extra drainage will ensure the soil doesn't become super saturated and cause fungus on the plant roots. I!I'm wondering how large the holes have to be, which is why I'm asking. Love your little one! I have a crested gecko named Rex.

The ones I've used for tortoises and for growing food for them, I've jabbed a few dozen holes in the bottom with a screwdriver first.
Also, set that thing up where it will always be in partial shade. Redfoot can overheat pretty quickly out in the full sun.