Elongated enclosure (x-posted)

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reptileszz

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Hi, I am cross posting this in the hopes to get some responses by tomorrow when the tortoises arrive.

I am setting up a new indoor enclosure for two baby elongateds and would like some advice. It seems they hide a lot and dont like bright light? I have a photo at http://instagram.com/p/dNj_vcRtzb/ of the enclosure as it stands now. I got home from FL at noon and have been working on setting up the two elongateds, a new cornsnake and 2 frogs since. This is as far as I have gotten on the elongateds.

My main question is, is that too much of a uv tube for them. Is it too bright? Too long? I need to get some hides. I couldnt fit anything else in my luggage or would have bought some in Daytona. The tortoises are supposed to arrive tomorrow and I want to be ready (fingers crossed they make it ok!)

It is hard to see dimensions on the enclosure but it is 4 feet by 3 feet.

Also I used peat/topsoil/sand mix moistened. I have a misting system for my redfoots. I just have to make an extension for this enclosure. Will mist for now.

Thanks for any advice!
Carole
 

tortadise

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Your perfectly fine with the tube bulb. Dont make it too wet for them. Most think these are very wet forest dwellers. They do get rainy seasons. But typically are found in dry parts of the forests. They are more active on early morning late evening but will still be active and outgoing in full sun too. Dont wory too much about making it dark. One thing with these guys is they naturally eat a large amount of snails, shells and all. So I have found they favor high amounts of calcium. Croc chow from mazuri is a huge favorite too. It provides good protein which they need some of too. I give it once a week with a bunch of calcium and leave cuddle bones in the enclosure. Sounds like you have a good set up. Soak them a lot. They love the water and to soak in it. Hot and humid is their best friend. But not wet. They can get fungal or shell rot pretty easy if kept to wet. By chance were these the 2 elongated from the lady with the spider tortoises? Those were decent size. What size enclosure is this again for the 2?


Pops didn't get the last bit. 4x3 is OK. I'd go bigger if you could. Unless they are babies that is fine.
 

reptileszz

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Hi thank you very much. It is too wet now. I will add some more peat moss. That should dry it out. I will still hook up the misting system but only over part. These are babies like 2 inches and 2.5 inches


tortadise said:
Your perfectly fine with the tube bulb. Dont make it too wet for them. Most think these are very wet forest dwellers. They do get rainy seasons. But typically are found in dry parts of the forests. They are more active on early morning late evening but will still be active and outgoing in full sun too. Dont wory too much about making it dark. One thing with these guys is they naturally eat a large amount of snails, shells and all. So I have found they favor high amounts of calcium. Croc chow from mazuri is a huge favorite too. It provides good protein which they need some of too. I give it once a week with a bunch of calcium and leave cuddle bones in the enclosure. Sounds like you have a good set up. Soak them a lot. They love the water and to soak in it. Hot and humid is their best friend. But not wet. They can get fungal or shell rot pretty easy if kept to wet. By chance were these the 2 elongated from the lady with the spider tortoises? Those were decent size. What size enclosure is this again for the 2?


Pops didn't get the last bit. 4x3 is OK. I'd go bigger if you could. Unless they are babies that is fine.




reptileszz said:
Hi thank you very much. It is too wet now. I will add some more peat moss. That should dry it out. I will still hook up the misting system but only over part. These are babies like 2 inches and 2.5 inches


tortadise said:
Your perfectly fine with the tube bulb. Dont make it too wet for them. Most think these are very wet forest dwellers. They do get rainy seasons. But typically are found in dry parts of the forests. They are more active on early morning late evening but will still be active and outgoing in full sun too. Dont wory too much about making it dark. One thing with these guys is they naturally eat a large amount of snails, shells and all. So I have found they favor high amounts of calcium. Croc chow from mazuri is a huge favorite too. It provides good protein which they need some of too. I give it once a week with a bunch of calcium and leave cuddle bones in the enclosure. Sounds like you have a good set up. Soak them a lot. They love the water and to soak in it. Hot and humid is their best friend. But not wet. They can get fungal or shell rot pretty easy if kept to wet. By chance were these the 2 elongated from the lady with the spider tortoises? Those were decent size. What size enclosure is this again for the 2?


Pops didn't get the last bit. 4x3 is OK. I'd go bigger if you could. Unless they are babies that is fine.







reptileszz said:
Hi thank you very much. It is too wet now. I will add some more peat moss. That should dry it out. I will still hook up the misting system but only over part. These are babies like 2 inches and 2.5 inches


tortadise said:
Your perfectly fine with the tube bulb. Dont make it too wet for them. Most think these are very wet forest dwellers. They do get rainy seasons. But typically are found in dry parts of the forests. They are more active on early morning late evening but will still be active and outgoing in full sun too. Dont wory too much about making it dark. One thing with these guys is they naturally eat a large amount of snails, shells and all. So I have found they favor high amounts of calcium. Croc chow from mazuri is a huge favorite too. It provides good protein which they need some of too. I give it once a week with a bunch of calcium and leave cuddle bones in the enclosure. Sounds like you have a good set up. Soak them a lot. They love the water and to soak in it. Hot and humid is their best friend. But not wet. They can get fungal or shell rot pretty easy if kept to wet. By chance were these the 2 elongated from the lady with the spider tortoises? Those were decent size. What size enclosure is this again for the 2?


Pops didn't get the last bit. 4x3 is OK. I'd go bigger if you could. Unless they are babies that is fine.




reptileszz said:
Hi thank you very much. It is too wet now. I will add some more peat moss. That should dry it out. I will still hook up the misting system but only over part. These are babies like 2 inches and 2.5 inches


tortadise said:
Your perfectly fine with the tube bulb. Dont make it too wet for them. Most think these are very wet forest dwellers. They do get rainy seasons. But typically are found in dry parts of the forests. They are more active on early morning late evening but will still be active and outgoing in full sun too. Dont wory too much about making it dark. One thing with these guys is they naturally eat a large amount of snails, shells and all. So I have found they favor high amounts of calcium. Croc chow from mazuri is a huge favorite too. It provides good protein which they need some of too. I give it once a week with a bunch of calcium and leave cuddle bones in the enclosure. Sounds like you have a good set up. Soak them a lot. They love the water and to soak in it. Hot and humid is their best friend. But not wet. They can get fungal or shell rot pretty easy if kept to wet. By chance were these the 2 elongated from the lady with the spider tortoises? Those were decent size. What size enclosure is this again for the 2?


Pops didn't get the last bit. 4x3 is OK. I'd go bigger if you could. Unless they are babies that is fine.










 

tortadise

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Ahh ok. Well that's rather large for 2 babies. But if kept warm enough you should be fine. With any indotestudo I spray them a few times a day and that is it. Morning/afternoon. Misting system will be fine, just don't over do it. They are excellent tortoises with awesome personalities.
 

reptileszz

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Hi, sorry for those repeats. I was trying to respond from my phone to no avail apparently. This is within my reptile room and is quite warm for background temp. At this point 86-90 by day just from the heat of the day. By Oct it should be an even 83 by day background temp which makes a basking spot easier to control. I could put them in something smaller but it would be a tank. I can cover the sides up a few inches. I wonder if I should do that instead...

Thanks so much,
Carole

tortadise said:
Ahh ok. Well that's rather large for 2 babies. But if kept warm enough you should be fine. With any indotestudo I spray them a few times a day and that is it. Morning/afternoon. Misting system will be fine, just don't over do it. They are excellent tortoises with awesome personalities.
 
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