Cherry head enclosure

[jonny97]

Hi, I just got a cherry head read foot the first tortoise I've ever owned. He was eating fine up until today. He seems lazy and doesn't open his eyes much even when moved. I want to know if the enclosure I've provided is proper for him. On one side I have plantation soul pesticide free and the other side I have a mix of coco husk and moss. The temp on the hot side is about 90 and on the cool side about 78. The humidity is also at about 87. I have a mister that sprays every six hours as well as a fogger. I have a UVA basking light 75 watt and also 2 UVB lights as well. Can someone tell me
If this is proper or if something needs to be changed as he doesn't seem to be going the best

 

[terryo]

Everyone does things differently. I use a heat emitter on one side and a long tube UVB 5.0 on the other side. Lots of plants for humidity. I was told ...low light, and high humidity. I use a mix of soil and coco coir and plant the little plants right in their pot into the substrate. The feeding stone and water dish are on the cooler side under the long tube light. The heat emitter is on the side with the hide. Just MHO...but you might have too much light in there. I keep my inside enclosures in the mid to high 80's and the humidity is mostly inside the hide. I put long fibered moss in there, enough so the small one's have to dig into it. I wet it with hot water and squeeze it out and fluff it up. This provides a warm humid hide. I try to keep the substrate dry, but mist the plants and the Cherry H. when she come's out to eat. My oldest is only 5 years old, so I'm kind of new to this myself. I have her since she is a month old, and she has grown very smooth and healthy so far.
this is an up-grade with two heat emitters and one long tube light in the middle. When she was small she was in a smaller vivarium and had one heat emitter.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-24768.html#axzz286Syq0IV

 

[wellington]

Be sure you aren't using the coil type bulbs or CFL.

 

[jonny97]

I have the hide on the cool side of the tank and the substrate is rather moist as i have a mister hooked up to the enclosure. Do you think I should get rid of the basking light all together and just get a heat emitter instead because of the light? The basking light in their now is currently red but the enclosure is in a room with a 400 watt metal halide grow light on a fish tank. I also have a fogger on the tank to keep humidity up

 

[jonny97]

Be sure you aren't using the coil type bulbs or CFL.

What type of lighting do you suggest I have 2 ocoil bulbs in a hood onto od the enclosure? With tube lights be better?

 

[jonny97]

Be sure you aren't using the coil type bulbs or CFL.

What type of lighting do you suggest I have 2 ocoil bulbs in a hood onto od the enclosure? With tube lights be better?

On top of the enclosure i mean

 

[cristal redfoot]

Yes tube lights would be better because the coil bulbs hurt their eyes.

 

[jonny97]

Yes tube lights would be better because the coil bulbs hurt their eyes.

Ok thanks a bunch might explain why hes always squinting or has his eyes closed. I should probably move him to a different room as well then without the high powered grow light in there. Should I use just a heat emitter instead of a basking light you think? The basking light is a red one.

 

[cristal redfoot]

I would use the ceramic heat emitter because you can use it at night with no problem because tortoises need it dark at night to have a natural sleep cycle and they can still see the red light at night.