This doesn't need to be trial and error on your part. Many of us have already done the research needed to provide a tortoise the best environment possible so that you don't have to guess. Many of these same people have offered up solid recommendations for you in this regard. I, for one, would be happy to lay out exactly what I have as a set up for my now 2 year old sulcata. Here's a photo of him from a few months back.
this was achieved here in the Oregon liquid sunshine.I didn't mean that in a derogatory way towards anybody. We were able to I have done what people suggested and some of it has just not worked in my situation. It's very hard to give advice on enclosures when you can't really see them and be there. So I do appreciate everybody's information and I will keep trying things until something works. We had I have done some of the shopping locally so I can return things, which is what I did today. I'm going to continue to get suggestions and do research before I make any more purchases. I still have about a month or so before they are inside full-time. Either I'm going to have to get a very strong bold or figure out a way to make a close chamber or a combination of both. Or lower the bulb and just hope that not too much of the UV is blocked by the big domes. I do know it's going to take to heat hours per enclosure I think you have a little bit more liquid in your sunshine then I do on my end of Washington. I will make this work. And I will continue to listen to everybody's advice and figure out what works for my situation. I am very very glad that I have a UV index meter and attempt gun. Without those two items I would definitely not have things right, although I would think that they were right. They definitely need to be on everybody's list if they're going to have to keep their tortoises inside for a certain amount of time. Think I will take a look at some closed chamber type options, maybe make a highbred of a tort table and close chamber. I appreciate everybody's help, thank you.
Yeah, I think I am probably a solid five or six hours away from you at least. It takes four hours to get to Portland from here, I don't know where you are from Portland. I have already invested quite a lot of money in the stock tanks so I would like to make that work. I think I have the lighting figured out, at least I will by the end of this next week. Now it's just the heat I'm trying to figure out. Maybe I'll add more substrate, right now there's about five or 6 inches in it but the sides are 20 inches tall. In the picture above do you see why I would be concerned that if I lower the lights they would block the UVB? Am I just worrying too much about that, if so lowering the lights would be the easier solution. I still may have to make a partial closed chamber during the coldest part of winter though. Someday I would love to come out to your place and see all your tortoises and how they are set up.
Just let me know when it is, I'll be in a little bit of notice to get off of work but that would be a great time it would be nice to meet other Tortoise Forum people
Definitely, the campfire is the best part of the whole thing.
Well, pot is legal in Washington now
but I don't think I want the cops at my house anyway. I just wondered about those bulbs because when I was buying the fixture that was suggested to me.
I don't think I need night heat, definitely not for the Russian and probably not for the box turtle.
Burmation makes me nervous, I've never done it before and I haven't researched it enough. And I've only had the box turtle for a few months. I live in a tiny little house so I can always increase the heat in the entire house or put a space heater in that room. I'm only worried about keeping part of the enclosure around 90°. It's big enough that it can have quite a temperature variance from end to end. I want to make sure that the box turtle enclosure is warm enough because it will be more humid and damp compared to the Russians. As you know I will definitely get this figured out if is just bringing up more issues than my 1 foot tall enclosures did. When they are finally done they will end up being much better enclosures, just a little bit more work on my end at the beginning.
I am using a 48 inch UV tube. I thought about the 250 W CHE but I was a little hesitant to go that high. The 100 W did nothing, couldn't get past 83°. Do you happen to have a picture of your enclosure? I will probably have to close off at least part of mine to keep the one and warmer. The rest of the enclosure can be room temperature. Thanks for the information.
