Growing food in habitat

[TSchadel]

I have designated an area in my tort's indoor habitat to grow some tuseudo seed mix I purchased. Does anybody have any suggestions as to what lighting I need to use in this area to get it to grow? I assumed that an extra Reptisun 5.0 UVB bulb that I have would be sufficient. Not so sure so am seeking advice. Thanks!

 

[dmmj]

my suggestion is to grow it in little trays outside of enclosure and put the trays in there once it gets to desired size.

 

[TSchadel]

The problem with that is I don't think it will get enough light so I was hoping to use the UVB bulb to help them along. I will certainly try this though - thanks!

 

[Prairie Mom]

I grow a lot of weeds and food for my tortoise indoors. I've grown food in a chamber with only my tortoise's mercury vapor bulb. Most plants do not do as well, particularly weeds and plants that are typically grown in full sun outdoors. They often get stringy and weak. Shade plants like Hosta, African violet, spiderplants, and ferns can do pretty well without additional lighting for the plants.

If you want to grow plants in your enclosure, I recommend getting an additional light source with plants in mind. I have really good luck growing plants with fluorescent tube lights labeled "daylight" or others "Plant grow/aquarium." When I had my tortoise in a closed chamber, I had the very best results keeping shade tolerant plants in the habitat, while rotating in other pots and grass/weed trays as Dmmj suggested to you. You can sink the trays into the substrate so your tortoise can graze on them.

Here's a few old photos...


You really will get the best results growing the plants under growlights, clipping and feeding, or rotating in trays to be grazed on. The challenge is that even when growing weeds and outdoor plants under strong grow lights, you have to keep the lights only inches above the plants in order to avoid the plants becoming stringy and sickly.

I recently made a post about how to use grow lights in the thread "Garden Chat for torts and people" in the off-topic chit chat section. Take a look at this page and see if anything is helpful to you and feel free to get in touch
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/garden-chat-photos-for-torts-and-people-♫-♫.104546/page-103

 

[TSchadel]

I grow a lot of weeds and food for my tortoise indoors. I've grown food in a chamber with only my tortoise's mercury vapor bulb. Most plants do not do as well, particularly weeds and plants that are typically grown in full sun outdoors. They often get stringy and weak. Shade plants like Hosta, African violet, spiderplants, and ferns can do pretty well without additional lighting for the plants.

If you want to grow plants in your enclosure, I recommend getting an additional light source with plants in mind. I have really good luck growing plants with fluorescent tube lights labeled "daylight" or others "Plant grow/aquarium." When I had my tortoise in a closed chamber, I had the very best results keeping shade tolerant plants in the habitat, while rotating in other pots and grass/weed trays as Dmmj suggested to you. You can sink the trays into the substrate so your tortoise can graze on them.

Here's a few old photos...
View attachment 157258 View attachment 157260

You really will get the best results growing the plants under growlights, clipping and feeding, or rotating in trays to be grazed on. The challenge is that even when growing weeds and outdoor plants under strong grow lights, you have to keep the lights only inches above the plants in order to avoid the plants becoming stringy and sickly.

I recently made a post about how to use grow lights in the thread "Garden Chat for torts and people" in the off-topic chit chat section. Take a look at this page and see if anything is helpful to you and feel free to get in touch
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/garden-chat-photos-for-torts-and-people-♫-♫.104546/page-103

OMG OMG - THANK YOU FOR THIS INFORMATION - it is EXTREMELY HELPFUL - and just what I need!

 

[TSchadel]

I grow a lot of weeds and food for my tortoise indoors. I've grown food in a chamber with only my tortoise's mercury vapor bulb. Most plants do not do as well, particularly weeds and plants that are typically grown in full sun outdoors. They often get stringy and weak. Shade plants like Hosta, African violet, spiderplants, and ferns can do pretty well without additional lighting for the plants.

If you want to grow plants in your enclosure, I recommend getting an additional light source with plants in mind. I have really good luck growing plants with fluorescent tube lights labeled "daylight" or others "Plant grow/aquarium." When I had my tortoise in a closed chamber, I had the very best results keeping shade tolerant plants in the habitat, while rotating in other pots and grass/weed trays as Dmmj suggested to you. You can sink the trays into the substrate so your tortoise can graze on them.

Here's a few old photos...
View attachment 157258 View attachment 157260

You really will get the best results growing the plants under growlights, clipping and feeding, or rotating in trays to be grazed on. The challenge is that even when growing weeds and outdoor plants under strong grow lights, you have to keep the lights only inches above the plants in order to avoid the plants becoming stringy and sickly.

I recently made a post about how to use grow lights in the thread "Garden Chat for torts and people" in the off-topic chit chat section. Take a look at this page and see if anything is helpful to you and feel free to get in touch
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/garden-chat-photos-for-torts-and-people-♫-♫.104546/page-103

WOW - thanks for this useful info! I'm going to start taking your advice - like yesterday! BTW - your tort is handsome! Love your habitat and how you have your plants situated. I do have spider plants in Irwin's habitat - but he really doesn't nibble on them. He mostly likes to "hide" in them.....

 

[Prairie Mom]

WOW - thanks for this useful info! I'm going to start taking your advice - like yesterday! BTW - your tort is handsome! Love your habitat and how you have your plants situated. I do have spider plants in Irwin's habitat - but he really doesn't nibble on them. He mostly likes to "hide" in them.....

Great! I'm so glad I was able to help. My tortoise will eat anything that grows. I keep her well fed and as large of portions as she wants, but I even had to brace my pots under the substrate with rocks and wood or she will knock everything down and eat plants down to the roots. Feel free to get in touch if you need help as you go. I often post in that Garden chat, so you can write there as well, or feel free to send me a pm.

 

[TSchadel]

Great! I'm so glad I was able to help. My tortoise will eat anything that grows. I keep her well fed and as large of portions as she wants, but I even had to brace my pots under the substrate with rocks and wood or she will knock everything down and eat plants down to the roots. Feel free to get in touch if you need help as you go. I often post in that Garden chat, so you can write there as well, or feel free to send me a pm.

Quick question (yeah - right - quick....lol) I really only have the option of growing inside Irwin's habitat as it gets the best temp/light. I ordered some grow lights just today - they have blue/red spectrum and are specifically for growing plants. I've fenced off the area so Irwin can't get to it. I just want to be sure the lights won't hurt him. They are for growing plants - and he won't be roaming underneath them.... but just to be on safe side.... do you know if they can hurt him?

 

[Prairie Mom]

Quick question (yeah - right - quick....lol) I really only have the option of growing inside Irwin's habitat as it gets the best temp/light. I ordered some grow lights just today - they have blue/red spectrum and are specifically for growing plants. I've fenced off the area so Irwin can't get to it. I just want to be sure the lights won't hurt him. They are for growing plants - and he won't be roaming underneath them.... but just to be on safe side.... do you know if they can hurt him?

No, they won't hurt him. My own tortoise has lived under grow lights. It's good that you got the "grow lights" because they are slightly dimmer than the "daylight" bulbs. My only complaint about using plant lights in a habitat is that they are REALLY bright and I worry about my tortoise being in such bright fluorescent lighting all the time (heck! I don't like it!). You can compensate for this by adding additional hides and good bushy plants to shade some of the lighting for your tortoise.

 

[TSchadel]

Okay - here is what I have done at my attempt to grow in Irwin's habitat. I have just today ordered 2 correct light-growing bulbs and will put them in when they arrive. Any other suggestions? Thanks!!!

 

[Prairie Mom]

Did you get bulbs or fluorescent tubes? I've had really bad luck with incandescent grow light bulbs. They heat up and cook plants if they're too close, so you have to mount them so far away that plants will grow spindly. A bulb may be alright for shade tolerant plants though. And who knows maybe your tortoise will eat them up so quickly it won't matter.

There are also LED type bulbs that I imagine wouldn't heat up, but they always seem a bit too pricey for my cheap wallet.

 

[TSchadel]

I ordered 2 LED plant grow lights and 2 50watt Blubrite reflector bulbs....

 

[TSchadel]

Should I put some spider plants by the fence to try to avert the light bright?

 

[Prairie Mom]

I've never used the LED lights. You'll have to experiment and report how it goes I'm eager to hear the results!

 

[Prairie Mom]

Okay - here is what I have done at my attempt to grow in Irwin's habitat. I have just today ordered 2 correct light-growing bulbs and will put them in when they arrive. Any other suggestions? Thanks!!!


View attachment 157292 View attachment 157293 View attachment 157294 View attachment 157295 View attachment 157296 View attachment 157297 View attachment 157298

Looks really nice I'm shocked your sulcata doesn't eat everything to the ground! Honestly! Irwin's pretty easy on you. Mine has always been a ruthless eater and digger.

I think you have a really nice looking planted table. You're doing so well, you could always add a bit more just to keep it looking so fabulous. I'm curious how the seed mix turns out. In other areas of the table, you could always try out some shade lawn grass and as I mentioned in the Garden chat...wheat and barley grass will grow anywhere with any kind of lighting. You could always plug some of those in random spots to be grazed on.

 

[Grapes]

I recently planted one whole side of my baby desert tort's tank with the sulcata grass and broadleaf seed mix. I just used organic potting soil and a thin cover layer of coco fiber. I planted the seeds on a Friday and they were already sprouting Monday morning. I have a reptisun 10.0 UVB bulb and a zoomed basking spot light. On the package of seeds I received it says that heat will encourage growth. The ambient temps in the tank are around 80-85 and that temp caused them to sprout right up. I would suggest putting a small wire cage upside down over the sprouts to prevent them being trampled and to allow them to grow back once your tort eats the growth that is sticking out of the wire cage bottom.
Make sure to keep the soil well moistened through out the germination process. I also grew the same seed in trays outside and those seeds didn't sprout till about a week after the seeds planted inside the tort tank. The tank seems to act as a greenhouse.

When I put the wire cage in my torts tank I kept a close eye on if she was gonna climb on it. I was worried that she might tip herself. I haven't seen her try climbing it so I'm not worried about it but if you try it out out watch your tort closely.

I'll post pics soon of my set up.

 

[TSchadel]

I will try all you suggested! I thought that Irwin needed some "roaming room". I have grown cat grass in the past - that's a quick grow too - but Irwin didn't munch on it like I thought he would so I quite that.
No - Irwin does not do much digging - other than in this hide - which he has dug to the bottom of the table.
I will totally keep you posted on how the seed grows. I actually already planted some - but sure they will have died before I get my new bulbs.
Another question - do I still need to keep the LED lights inches from the soil?

Also - I'm cheap too! All 4 bulbs cost less than $30 on Amazon - shipping included!!!
My table was made by my brother-in-law and nephew who are carpenters by trade - sweeettttt huh? All scrap wood!

 

[TSchadel]

I recently planted one whole side of my baby desert tort's tank with the sulcata grass and broadleaf seed mix. I just used organic potting soil and a thin cover layer of coco fiber. I planted the seeds on a Friday and they were already sprouting Monday morning. I have a reptisun 10.0 UVB bulb and a zoomed basking spot light. On the package of seeds I received it says that heat will encourage growth. The ambient temps in the tank are around 80-85 and that temp caused them to sprout right up. I would suggest putting a small wire cage upside down over the sprouts to prevent them being trampled and to allow them to grow back once your tort eats the growth that is sticking out of the wire cage bottom.
Make sure to keep the soil well moistened through out the germination process. I also grew the same seed in trays outside and those seeds didn't sprout till about a week after the seeds planted inside the tort tank. The tank seems to act as a greenhouse.

When I put the wire cage in my torts tank I kept a close eye on if she was gonna climb on it. I was worried that she might tip herself. I haven't seen her try climbing it so I'm not worried about it but if you try it out out watch your tort closely.

I'll post pics soon of my set up.

WOW - I have both those bulbs that you speak of!!! Yes Please post pics. Also - where did you order the seeds?

 

[Prairie Mom]

I will try all you suggested! I thought that Irwin needed some "roaming room". I have grown cat grass in the past - that's a quick grow too - but Irwin didn't munch on it like I thought he would so I quite that.
No - Irwin does not do much digging - other than in this hide - which he has dug to the bottom of the table.
I will totally keep you posted on how the seed grows. I actually already planted some - but sure they will have died before I get my new bulbs.
Another question - do I still need to keep the LED lights inches from the soil?

Also - I'm cheap too! All 4 bulbs cost less than $30 on Amazon - shipping included!!!
My table was made by my brother-in-law and nephew who are carpenters by trade - sweeettttt huh? All scrap wood!

I bet the seeds are fine. They just need warmth and moisture for now like Grapes suggested.

I'm sorry I haven't used the LED. Try mounting it up high and see what happens.

 

[TSchadel]

Will do! and again - thanks for all your advice!!!