Feedback on cage I built

[Katie Poole]

Hi.

I built my med spur thigh torotoise, Dennis (M, 8) an indoor enclosure. He spends most of his time outside at the minute so the UV isn’t much of an issue but I’m worried that his current indoor one won’t get him enough UV when he’s back mainly indoors . Do you think he will be getting enough UV from where the strip light is currently placed? I’m debating whether to add an over head beam thing to attach his UVB tube to as it’s currently on a side wall and I’m not sure the UV is evenly spread enough, although he does seem to spend a lot of time near it when he’s in. Everything else about the enclosure I think is fine. The temp and stuff seems to be good as the hide and upstairs are much cooler than where he basks. The humidity seems to be good with the top soil play sand mix I use so yeah my only concern is UV. Do you think a reflective sticker thing behind where it is currently would help?

 

[COmtnLady]

What substrate are you using? It doesn't look right in the pictures, reminds me of coffee grounds.
Just found where you said the substrate is topsoil and sand - neither of which is healthy for a tortoise in an enclosure. No matter how careful you are your tortoise WILL ingest some of the sand. The sand can accumulate and cause blockages in the intestinal tract. its a time bomb that will either kill your tortoise or cost exorbitant amounts trying to correct the damage at the veterinarian's. No sand, no soil (you have no actual way to know what is in it, even if it says "organic" or "natural" it can have plants composed into it that are un-healthy for tortoises), and no mosses, no fake plants, no plastic decorations that can be bitten, no pebbles or gravel... all of which are dangerous.


Specifically - What are your various readings? Temp, Humidity, the temp under the basking light at tortoise level ( those bulbs need to be aimed straight down, can't work correctly when angled or horizontal).

It is good to know the general area you are located in because ambient temps, humidity, and other conditions can affect the enclosure.

Are you using a terracotta dish for water? The gray plastic things from pet shops might look cute to humans, BUT - are difficult to get into and out of; are slippery to start with and easily get a slime layer making them even more slippery, which can strain joints, ligaments, and muscles when legs slide out from under because there is no traction; are flipping and drowning hazards for small tortoises; and generally should not be used.

Its a cute paint job!

Where is his hide?

Have you had a chance to read this yet? It will help you get a feel for why I said much of the above, everything in it is recommended because of many years of first-hand experience and concentrated studies of what works for the best life for your tortoise to thrive.

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

This might be good to read also:

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/common-keeping-errors.217956/


.

 

[Tom]

Hi.

I built my med spur thigh torotoise, Dennis (M, 8) an indoor enclosure. He spends most of his time outside at the minute so the UV isn’t much of an issue but I’m worried that his current indoor one won’t get him enough UV when he’s back mainly indoors . Do you think he will be getting enough UV from where the strip light is currently placed? I’m debating whether to add an over head beam thing to attach his UVB tube to as it’s currently on a side wall and I’m not sure the UV is evenly spread enough, although he does seem to spend a lot of time near it when he’s in. Everything else about the enclosure I think is fine. The temp and stuff seems to be good as the hide and upstairs are much cooler than where he basks. The humidity seems to be good with the top soil play sand mix I use so yeah my only concern is UV. Do you think a reflective sticker thing behind where it is currently would help?

Hi Katie. Where in the world are you?

Some constructive criticism here, all intended to help, and also an answer to your question:
1. This enclosure is way too small for this tortoise. If he has a large outdoor enclosure, I would work on building an insulated, temperature controlled night box, so that he can warm up on a cold day, and also have a safe warm place to sleep. It's not good for them to be confined to small enclosures. They large areas to be able to walk around and keep the GI tract moving.
2. Neither soil nor sand should be used for tortoise substrate. Both are potentially dangerous. The right substrate to use are explained in the links that COmtnLady left for you.
3. Ideally, the UV tube should be mounted over head, near the basking lamp, and not against a wall. They need heat for the UV to work, so that is why it needs to be near the basking lamp. What type of UV tube is that? Is it the standard T8 style tube, or is it the newer HO type? If you are in a climate that get strong UV, like Southern CA for example, then the indoor UV is really inconsequential for a grown adult that spends most of its time outside. If you live somewhere farther north like the UK or Finland where UV is weaker even in summer, then correct indoor UV becomes essential. In any case, you will need a UV meter to check the UV output of your bulb in your enclosure to make sure that the tortoise is getting the correct amount of UV and not too much or too little. UV meters are around $250, and how important it is for you to have one depends on your climate and outdoor UV levels. If you are in south Florida and the tortoise is outside most of the time, you can skip it. If you are in Wales, then you better get one. You called your tortoise a "spur thigh", so I am guessing you are in the UK, and you probably need the meter.

 

[Katie Poole]

What substrate are you using? It doesn't look right in the pictures, reminds me of coffee grounds.
Just found where you said the substrate is topsoil and sand - neither of which is healthy for a tortoise in an enclosure. No matter how careful you are your tortoise WILL ingest some of the sand. The sand can accumulate and cause blockages in the intestinal tract. its a time bomb that will either kill your tortoise or cost exorbitant amounts trying to correct the damage at the veterinarian's. No sand, no soil (you have no actual way to know what is in it, even if it says "organic" or "natural" it can have plants composed into it that are un-healthy for tortoises), and no mosses, no fake plants, no plastic decorations that can be bitten, no pebbles or gravel... all of which are dangerous.


Specifically - What are your various readings? Temp, Humidity, the temp under the basking light at tortoise level ( those bulbs need to be aimed straight down, can't work correctly when angled or horizontal).

It is good to know the general area you are located in because ambient temps, humidity, and other conditions can affect the enclosure.

Are you using a terracotta dish for water? The gray plastic things from pet shops might look cute to humans, BUT - are difficult to get into and out of; are slippery to start with and easily get a slime layer making them even more slippery, which can strain joints, ligaments, and muscles when legs slide out from under because there is no traction; are flipping and drowning hazards for small tortoises; and generally should not be used.

Its a cute paint job!

Where is his hide?

Have you had a chance to read this yet? It will help you get a feel for why I said much of the above, everything in it is recommended because of many years of first-hand experience and concentrated studies of what works for the best life for your tortoise to thrive.

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

This might be good to read also:

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/common-keeping-errors.217956/


.

Hi,

Thanks for your response. I have just checked that keeping errors thread and thankfully most of those rules I already follow and am aware of. I am shocked about sand tho, most of the research you see out there and even on here promotes organic top soil and play sand, i thought it was the gold standard ! To be fair, I would sometimes use coco coir instead of top soil when i couldnt find organic without realising it was better. It has sort of alternated but I will only use coco coir going forward, no more organic top soil or sand. The humidity is usually around 50%, which i thought was ideal for his species? Basking spot when I check digitally usually around 35-37 degrees. His hide is the room under the upstairs floor. He loves the ramp, he goes up and down regularly. The upstairs and hide tend to be nice and cool at around 22. When I rescued him, he came in a very small enclosure, which i have replaced a few times with better as i've learned more. This current one I built with plywood is just under 2m in length, I can't remember the width, but i will check. He has the upstairs as well so that boosts his walkable space. I will move the UV overhead but for now he has been outside a lot (Im in the UK, South East). He has a mesh-covered outdoor enclosure thats 8m long. It has a house in it with a lockable door so I sometimes shut him in there at night or when its not this warm I bring him in. It is full of edible plants, grass and shrubs. I did fill it with organic topsoil tho when I planted in there maybe I should cover it in coco coir or dig it out idk. Oh and as for the stones u could see in his indoor enclosure, they're all big rocks. I made sure theyre nice and big so he cant choke, he has no access to small stones/ gravel indoor or outdoor, just some big rocks.