Enclosure

[Oldbro]

This is my setup. Incandescent heat flood bulbs. Fluorescent UV fixture. both on timer.
When nite comes, bulbs switch off and thermostat the keeps enclosure at 80 degrees overnight with pad underneath.
What is ideal basking temp? Do I have enough area flooded with UV? Tort spends
hours under light. Basking temp kept at 95,
Shade temp about 78. All input appreciated.

 

[Tom]

HEY! I'm in Chicago right now!

Here is what I see:

• You need to quadruple that amount of substrate. It also looks very dry. It need to be damp. Not wet. Just a little damp in the lower layers.
• Tortoise needs a real humid hide. Half logs are not humid hides.
• The top is much too open. You'll never get temps and humidity right with an open top.
• No heat mats underneath. These are dangerous for tortoises. They burrow downward to escape heat. In the case of a heat mat they burrow down on to the mat and get burned. Not "start-a-fire" type burn, just too hot to sustain life type cell damaging kind of burns. Wen they feel too hot, their response is to try and hunker down even farther. Heat generated from underneath is no good for baby chelonians.
• I can't tell from the pic, but if the UV is going through a screen, then a large percentage of the UV being produce is filtered out. If its going through glass, then ALL of the UV is filtered out. What type of UV bulb is it? Most won't work from that height.
• There should be a basking slate directly under the basking bulb. The food should be over on the cooler side.
• 78 in the shade is too cool. You want 80 or higher all over, day and night.
• I love your method of suspending the lights!

Questions welcome.

 

[Yvonne G]

looks to me as if the lights are too high. Also, UVB won't go through plexi or screen. What type of UVB light is it? If you're using the coil-shaped compact bulb, they have been known to harm baby tortoises' eyes.

 

[Oldbro]

No barrier between light and interior, rest of top plexiglass covered. Had power sun but switched to fluorescent UV and incandescent heat on recommendation here.
I mist the pen couple times a day and soak tort daily. Feed mixed greens and sprouts, try adding lawn mix but its just refused.
Tort is active when not basking but has lost 2 grms in 2 months. 45-43.

 

[Oldbro]

@Tom What is a good basking temperature.
I have 1-2 inches of substrate now. It’s suggested to take that to 4-6 inches?
I switched from coconut shells to a bark
substrate because the hatchlings were
eating the long fibers, had them sticking out
of there mouths and rear ends.
No barrier between light and interior, rest of top plexiglass covered. Had power sun but switched to fluorescent UV and incandescent heat on recommendation here.
I mist the pen couple times a day and soak tort daily. Feed mixed greens and sprouts, try adding lawn mix but its just refused.
Tort is active when not basking but has lost 2 grms in 2 months. 45-43.