Enclosure questions (lights,substrate,size)

[Mikael]

So I am planning on building a 6x3 for my 4 year old red foot. I want to have a bioactive substrate and what could I make this out of ABG mix, neherp mix, soil? Do I need a drainage layer? What should I cover it with? What lights should I use I use a CHE right now and I was wondering if I need that or a different bulb and could I use 2 CHE's one above the water (she likes it and one above the waterbowl and could I put one close to it? ) would a closed chamber work for humidity and other stuff?

Thanks

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I would ONLY consider a closed chamber for a R/F. Been there...Done that with the open tops.........If kept indoors you might not need much in the way of a heater, but you'll need a UVB source. I use a flourescent 5.0 reptisun.

 

[tortdad]

I would ONLY consider a closed chamber for a R/F. Been there...Done that with the open tops.........If kept indoors you might not need much in the way of a heater, but you'll need a UVB source. I use a flourescent 5.0 reptisun.

I agree with this too. It's best if you put your UVB/ lights on a timer and place the CHE on a thermostat. I use a mercury vapor bulb for both a basking spot and the UVB set to run 12 hours a day. My CHE is set at 80 and kicks in and off as needed. Closed chambers are the only way to keep a constant humidity level in an temperature controlled house. You do need to dry layer on top for the substraight. Redfoots get shell rot easier so you want the top layer to stay dry but the bottom layers to be wet. Think of a damp forest floor. When I add moisture to my closed chamber I do it in the corners. I move the top layer to the side and pour warm water in, then cover place the top layer back in place. I have to do this once or twice a week and my humidity never drops below 90%.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[koen88]

Zeropilot & tortdad, can you show a picture of your enclosure? Thx

 

[tortdad]

Zeropilot & tortdad, can you show a picture of your enclosure? Thx

0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[Madkins007]

The Tortoise Library has some articles that may help.

Knowing roughly where you live and what sorts of indoor conditions the tortoise room has helps with all this. For example, when I had a big indoor space, it was in a den that was nice and warm most of the time, but very dry- so humidity control was more important than heating.

A good generic set up would be something like...
- A good tub, tank, or box that is at least 8 times longer than your tort will be for the next few years, and at least half as wide. Make it more square if you have 2-3 torts. If humidity is an issue, make sure you can close it up almost 100%.
- Lighting- To get the best balance of control, cost, white balance, and UV, I would use a plain incandescent bulb, fairly low wattage, on a timer that allowed 12 hour days in the winter and 14 in the summer. Than would be a UVB fluorescent bulb that was almost as long as the tank set to run for about 6-8 hours a day.
- Heating- To get wide coverage and good control, I would use two large ceramic heat emitters controlled by thermostats. One would be on a timer so would turn off at night. I also like bottom warming, which I will discuss later.
- Substrate- I like two kinds- plain hardwood mulches (cypress, etc.), and bioactive. For the bioactive- lay down a layer of something coarse (I like cypress much for this, too). A piece of landscape fabric on top keeps the layers separate. Add several inches of a well-drained soil mix. The original source of this (Philippe de Vosjoli, The Art of Keeping Snakes) used peat moss or peat moss potting soil, sand, orchid bark (small particle Douglas fir bark), fired clay (clay-based cat litter), and crushed lava rock but there are lots of effective variations on it. Just keep it light and well-drained. Moisten it, plant whatever you want in it, and consider top-dressing it with leaf litter or a layer of wood mulch (although remember that the top dressing gets plowed under by the tortoises and when you stir things.) To me, a good bioactive substrate also includes worms and isopods/wood lice/rolly polly bugs.
- Humidity- If you get some good quality, moderate temp, waterproof cables (ie- heat rope from Big Apple Herp), you can generate moderate heat at the bottom of the habitat. This heats the water pooling at the bottom and releases it as warm vapor. It does not heat the habitat a lot but does create a nice humidity. Other options include live plants, in-tank humidifiers, etc.
- Water- sink a plastic or ceramic dish almost level with the substrate. I like plastic plant saucers, and use two, nested together, so the bottom one keeps the top one's place when I take it out for cleaning.
- Food- I serve on a folded piece of newspaper that I discard later.
- Monitoring- Consider a few different thermometers scattered in the habitat, and at least one humidity gauge. I like the 'home weather station' versions, but cheap stuff works too- dead-on accuracy is not that important.

I can provide good research for many of the above suggestions, but many are also just my opinion. Bottom line- you need to make something that balances the tortoise's needs, the realities of the micro-climate you are building in, and your needs and budget. (However, if your needs/budget are too far from the tortoise's needs, then you should rethink your choice of pets.)