Enclosure Q's and Opinions/Suggestions wanted

[xLilliax]

As a new Tort owner, I'm still trying to adjust from owning a Beardie, to owning a Red Foot Tortoise.
I talked to a few people who gave me suggestions, but I ended up getting what the store owners reccommended for a bulb. I have pics below of the boxes of the bulbs I'm currently using, and I'm just worried they aren't producing enough heat or anything, really.

Dimensions of the enclosure:
3 feet long, 18 in wide
Depth: 1 foot

Substrate: Cypress mulch

My tort has a hideout, adequate food & water dishes..any heating reccomendations, bulb wattages, types, brands, etc?
I've been told that they don't need UVB, and that something too powerful can burn their eyes.
My tort (redfoot) is anywhere between 6 months and 1 year old. He's about 3.5 inches front to back on his shell.
Help?

 

[Candy]

The Repti Glo is one that I've used with Dale before, but just keep it to one side of the enclosure, usually the side without his hide. The Sun Glo I don't know about except it looks like it would be bright and you won't need that with the other bulb because Redfoots don't like it always bright. I have heat emitters for my Cherryheads and they're 150 watt and I put them over their hide around 12 inches away. It keeps the hide at around 85 degree and they love that. I don't think that a 75 watt bulb is going to produce the amount of heat that you need.

 

[xLilliax]

So do you think I should get a heat emitter?
is there a brand you recommend? And do they need uva/uvb?

 

[LindaF]

For heat I would recommend a ceramic heat emitter bulb. I use a 100 watt from zoo med. It gives off heat, but no light.

 

[xLilliax]

You don't think it would be too much for my baby tort?

 

[Candy]

This one gets a 5 rating.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753963

As for the UVB I use the one you bought like I said, but others use this kind (at least I think it's this kind).

http://www.petco.com/product/102889...B-Bulb-for-Reptiles.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I would not use that coil bulb as they have been known to cause eye damage and they might be fixed now, but I personally wouldn't take the chance...I used a coil bulb for 3 Sulcata hatchlings and one died and one was blinded the other was alright, but please don't use that bulb...

 

[terryo]

One of my Cherry Head's is about the same age and the same size as yours. I keep him in a planted vivarium. I'm starting to fix and plant a 75 gal for him now. I have a 100 wt heat emitter on one side (over his hide) and on the other side a long tube 5.0 UVB (fixture for a 20 gal tank). For substrate I use a mix of soil (any that's on sale) and a little bit of peat moss and on top I sprinkle some cypress mulch. I have a screen top with the heat emitter coming through a hole held with a clamp. Any part of the screen that's open is covered with clear wrapping tape. This hold's in the humidity. I water the plants (buried up to the rim of the pot) and mist the plants and the tort when he comes out to eat. His water bowl is in the middle of the tank, and he has a flat piece of slate to eat on. This is his old 40 gal tank. I haven't finished the 75 gal yet. Hope this helps.
Just wanted to say that I never use the coil bulbs either, as my little Southern Painted was blinded with that bulb, and I don't care if they perfected it, I'll never use it again. None of this is written in stone. It's just what works for me.

 

[xLilliax]

I haven't put the coil in yet, just the heat bulb, terry, impressive viv.
I may have to steal your ideas, and look into the heat emitter. How do they get set up?

---

and how do you maintain humidity? And do you have a completely closed cage? or is the top of cage screened? What I have right now is a screen, with the heat bulb in on one half, and the other half where her hide is covered with a blanket to keep it darker and kee[ the heat it

 

[terryo]

this is my 40 gal for my little boxie that I had to take in for the Winter. The top is just like this but instead of the hanging lamp there is a long tube on top of the screen. Any open part of the screen is covered with clear wrapping tape.

 

[xLilliax]

could you possibly get a picture of the enclosure for me? And the clear wrapping tape works? How is the emitter hanging? Sorry for the questions haha

 

[Xilonen]

I have that exact Repti Glo 5.0 bulb for my box turtle. I haven't had a problem with it. I've heard they used to have problems with those bulbs, but I didn't happen across this forum (and the info about the coil bulbs) until I'd had her a few months under the bulb, and she's been fine, though I totally understand the concern of anyone who had trouble with them before they fixed the issue. I find it's a good amount of daytime light (no heat) for my 18x24" enclosure hung over the middle. I have a black light for the "basking" spot (she doesn't really bask, since she generally avoids light and spends a good portion of the day buried in the dirt).

 

[Madkins007]

Your lighting goal should be to simulate natural sunlight in the tropical zone. Reasonably bright, about 12 hours of day length (or a 12-14 hour 'summer' day and a 10-12 hour 'winter' day). It should be a 'balanced' light, showing as true of a white as possible. It should also include at least some UVB lighting.

Heating is the other question. Do you need supplemental heat at night? If you do, you may want to consider ceramic heat emitters (CHEs) or an undersoil heating option.

For my 48"x20" Tortarium, I use undersoil heating cables and a small ceramic heat emitter on one end, both run through a thermostatic controller, a medium-sized UVB-emitting mercury vapor bulb on a timer for about 6 hours a day, and a plain 75w bulb running 12-14 hours a day on another timer.

There is more on this in the Tortoise Library at http://www.tortoiselibrary.com/lhh.html

 

[Jessicap]

Hi and welcome.
Here is the redfoot caresheet I use and in it it gives a link on how to do the light fixture for the CHE. http://www.turtletary.com/redfootcare.htm
I just attached the light housing to a piece of plywood cut to cover the top of my tank and have a plant light on the opposite side with the rest of the top covered as well to help keep the humidity in. (top looks alot like Terry's)

 

[xLilliax]

I've been to that site and actually spoken on the phone with him, he definitely knows what he is doing, my only concern is about the heat & lighting

 

[Madkins007]

Terry Kilgore (Redfoot NERD) does not believe baby Red-foots need UVB lighting or vitamin D supplement (other than is in his catfood starting at 6 months. This is not an opinion shared by other, more experienced keepers- including some of those who taught him.

He certainly has the right to his own opinion but the body of evidence would suggest that UVB or vitamin D is beneficial.

 

[terryo]

I mostly used Terry K.'s care sheet since I have my Cherries, but I always used at least a 5.0 UVB. I always put in some cuttle bone from the time I got them, add they always munched on it. I started supplementing at 6 months, and that's when I started to give protein also. As people do more research, and learn more we have to adjust our care also.