Critique my set up

atx95

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I recently changed my baby Sulcatas enclosure and just wanted to get some feedback. I have read the care sheets and tried my best to replicate what’s works based off yalls experience. The substrate is 4-6 inches deep throughout the set up. Humidity has been consistently 60-90% temps 78-100+ I have his food on a stone slab to keep his beak healthy and his hide is about 4x his size although he usually hides under the ivy. I know it’s suggested to use a indoor closed chamber style setup. But I’m in the Deep South by a large body of water and heat and humidity is plentiful.
 

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Maro2Bear

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Greetings. What kind of lights are you using, and just as important, how are you maintaining the overall ambient heat? Young sully like this needs a minimum 80F 24/7. I’m sure daytime is fine, but your night time temps might be lower than 80? Looks like enough space for some time, good heat, humidity, lighting & food, he’ll grow pretty quickly. You might be able to get a second tub and make it a double wide. Don’t forget to soak daily in warm / tepid water.

A small rubbermaid tub flipped upside down with an entrance cut out makes a nice dark, humid hide. It will hold up better than a cardboard box.

Good luck.

Here is a good sample, courtesy of @Tom ‘s care sheet of a dark, humid hide with a small entrance cut in. Make the entrance just wide enough for your tort to crawl in and feel safe & secure.

861E4A9E-3067-4F86-80C0-A7335CC6EE50.jpeg
 

Young.d3nz3l._

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Miami fl
I recently changed my baby Sulcatas enclosure and just wanted to get some feedback. I have read the care sheets and tried my best to replicate what’s works based off yalls experience. The substrate is 4-6 inches deep throughout the set up. Humidity has been consistently 60-90% temps 78-100+ I have his food on a stone slab to keep his beak healthy and his hide is about 4x his size although he usually hides under the ivy. I know it’s suggested to use a indoor closed chamber style setup. But I’m in the Deep South by a large body of water and heat and humidity is plentiful.
Yes that’s the tub that I have but a lol smaller but black
 

Azreal967

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If I can piggyback on this thread, I'm a new tortoise owner, just got a 15 month old Yellow Footed and I think my setup is pretty good, but I'm having a hard time keeping humidity up over 55% for a long time. Using a zoo med blue 100W for heat and an exoterra 5.0 for UV. Substrate is coco coir about 4" deep. The bottom half of the enclosure is coated with a thick plastic to keep in the moisture, but I'm wondering if I should add more to the walls?

I also have a simple outdoor enclosure that I use for about an hour each day that Oz seems much more active in.
 

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atx95

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Lopeno, Texas
If I can piggyback on this thread, I'm a new tortoise owner, just got a 15 month old Yellow Footed and I think my setup is pretty good, but I'm having a hard time keeping humidity up over 55% for a long time. Using a zoo med blue 100W for heat and an exoterra 5.0 for UV. Substrate is coco coir about 4" deep. The bottom half of the enclosure is coated with a thick plastic to keep in the moisture, but I'm wondering if I should add more to the walls? Not included in the pic is a large, flat rock that I have since added under the lights.

I also have a simple outdoor enclosure that I use for about an hour each day that Oz seems much more active in.

its nearly impossible to control humidity in a outdoor open top set up. I’m just fortunate to live in the south, walking distance from a large body of water. I essentially live in a swamp lol. If he has to be outside just keep the substrate wet and soak him a lot. But you’ll never achieve 80%+ humidity outside if that’s not your climate.
 

iAmCentrochelys sulcata

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Like output setup, add a lid to maintain humidity. You’ll also need CHE. I don’t like to use That type of hide. It looks hideous you can get some time better, you can try looking for slates or some leave litter.
 

iAmCentrochelys sulcata

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Alief
If I can piggyback on this thread, I'm a new tortoise owner, just got a 15 month old Yellow Footed and I think my setup is pretty good, but I'm having a hard time keeping humidity up over 55% for a long time. Using a zoo med blue 100W for heat and an exoterra 5.0 for UV. Substrate is coco coir about 4" deep. The bottom half of the enclosure is coated with a thick plastic to keep in the moisture, but I'm wondering if I should add more to the walls?

I also have a simple outdoor enclosure that I use for about an hour each day that Oz seems much more active in.
Your having a hard time because it’s not closed chamber. You can’t maintain High humidity or at least it isn’t Easy.
 

Azreal967

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its nearly impossible to control humidity in a outdoor open top set up. I’m just fortunate to live in the south, walking distance from a large body of water. I essentially live in a swamp lol. If he has to be outside just keep the substrate wet and soak him a lot. But you’ll never achieve 80%+ humidity outside if that’s not your climate.

That's very true. I'm lucky that I live in the Niagara peninsula, it's always humid here during the summer, being between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie lol.
 

Azreal967

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Like output setup, add a lid to maintain humidity. You’ll also need CHE. I don’t like to use That type of hide. It looks hideous you can get some time better, you can try looking for slates or some leave litter.

What is CHE? I would be worried about slate falling apart if Oz starts to dig under it though, unless I gorilla glue or silicone it together or something, maybe. I know I'll need something bigger down the road anyway, right?
 

Golden Greek Tortoise 567

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If you hook it up to a thermostat or thermometer (I get them mixed up it‘s either one sorry) then you can control the temperature. It shuts it off when it gets too hot. Some other member will tell you what to hook it up to.
 
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