cage and general info

alexksquared

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Joined
Sep 20, 2019
Messages
42
Location (City and/or State)
Cleveland, Ohio
I have just set up the enclosure and I want to double check everything and is ready for a baby marginated tortoise. It is a 40 gallon breeder tank, the temperature for basking is around 96 degrees, other side not as high. Night time temps are in the low to mid 70's. The humidity is around 73%. The bedding is a mixture of Coco Coir and Forest Floor Bedding from the pet store (all organic). The bedding is roughly around 2in for burrowing. There are natural plants inside, a spider plant and aloe (with rocks underneath the bedding to help support them. A little bridge over the middle and a half log for hiding and climbing. I have a dimmer switch for the heating with a heat probe. Turning it on when it's cold and off when it's to hot. The bulb is Mercury 160watts, the light fixture is strong enough for a 200watt bulb. The bulb is on a timer for 12.5hours. There is a water dish and a food dish, not sure which size to use for which. I have cuttlebone/turtle bone that I will leave in the cage.

For the actual care: Bathe them in warm water 3-4 times a week. They are grazers so I will keep their food dish full for the most part. Dust for calcium twice a week. I am getting the commercial diet LS (forgot the actual name) for food, but that is not the staple item. I will give organic: mustard greens, endive, escarole, dandelion greens, clover, watercress, kale, honeysuckle, parsley, carrot, coriander. Also dry herbs when I can. Rarely (if ever) fruits.

Please give me your opinions and advise, I am doing the final touches for everything. WIN_20200124_17_14_10_Pro.jpg
 

TechnoCheese

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Feb 20, 2016
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4,505
Location (City and/or State)
Lewisville, Texas
You’ve definitely done your research! There are just a few changes I would make.

-I would switch your water and food bowls to terra cotta saucers. They have good traction and sloped sides that make them easier to use, and they’re nice and heavy so that they can’t be flipped.

-MVBs are a little too desiccating on tortoise shells. I would recommend a tube fluorescent UVB if you are not taking the tortoise outside a few times a week, and a Phillips 65 watt flood bulb for heat.

-you may want to boost your night temps to 80, just because of the high humidity.
 

alexksquared

Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2019
Messages
42
Location (City and/or State)
Cleveland, Ohio
Thank you. I have already adjusted the heat probe so the 80 at night is already done. The dishes will be next, a quick stop to the local hardware store will be fine for that. I have a humidifier coming in and that will also be set up on a timer/probe for the basking. I have noticed that during the day (when the UV bulb is on) the humidity is around 50-60. However at night it is around 75-80. So I would run the humidifier during the day.

Also note that I have added acrylic glass on top to keep the heat in humidity in. I didn't have it on in the original picture. I cut out hole (more difficult than I realized) so the glass goes around the lamp fixtures.
 
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