Improvements or advice

[Shellhugger]

Hello, I have a young hermanns tortoise Morty. I live in Florida and his enclosure is on my screened in porch. I have a UVB bulb during the hours of 10-5 usually. I also have a heat bulb, but haven't used it yet. My second lamp holder isn't working so I have to get another. I was wondering since it's warm here already, how many hours a day should I have the heat lamp on for? Also the bare spot on the right is his garden where he constantly eats new sprouts. Any recommendations or suggestions are welcome .

 

[naturalman91]

lot's of plant's to hide in and that circle gauge your using they aren't very accurate a lot of us use digital gauges called accurite that you can buy at walmart, lowe's, home depot

 

[Tom]

Over all ambient warmth is not adequate by itself. They need a temperature gradient where they can move around to get warmer or cooler and regulate their core temperature. In the wild they would move into the sunshine to warm themselves and into the shade to cool. Your bulb is meant to simulate the sun. Since you enclosure is always in full shade, you need to provide a warmer are where the basking spot is near 100. If your outside temps are already near 100, then the heat lamps need to be shut off. It can be difficult to house them correctly in above ground tubs in warmer climates because of this. They often do better primarily indoors with more stable conditions and better thermal gradients, but with a few hours a week of time spent in a sunny and shady outdoor enclosure built on the ground. The ground keeps temps more stable than a raised tub and you can use a much larger areas with lots of plants for shade and grazing.

Are you using a coil type UV bulb there? Those sometimes damage tortoise eyes. I recommend you not use that. Probably don't need it outside anyway as they get some UV even in the shade outside. A UV light meter would give you more insight.

 

[Shellhugger]

Thanks! I'll look for a digital gauge. I've been keeping my eye out at Home Depot but they don't really have tortoise plants. I'm going to try looking at a plant nursery for some, the seeds I have from tortoise supply.

lot's of plant's to hide in and that circle gauge your using they aren't very accurate a lot of us use digital gauges called accurite that you can buy at walmart, lowe's, home depot

?

 

[naturalman91]

Thanks! I'll look for a digital gauge. I've been keeping my eye out at Home Depot but they don't really have tortoise plants. I'm going to try looking at a plant nursery for some, the seeds I have from tortoise supply.

?

tortoise supply has good seeds but i'm talking about mostly hiding plants not eating such as spider plant's check out this site http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/tortoise_home_1.asp it helps identify tort safe plants

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Hibiscuses are great edible, hiding plants. Are you using an MVB? It looks like you have the lamp itself clamped to side of tub. Which can go SO WRONG There are all kinds of horror stories about clamps on lights failing, and causing fires, killing or burning torts, so using clamps are almost never recommended ! Also, clamps allow the lamp and bulb to slant sideways, and that will shorten an MVB's lifespan a lot, causing yo more burnt out bulbs and more money invested in them than just having the light sit straight.

 

[Shellhugger]

Thanks for the hibiscuses tip. And he is on my screened in porch, and the light is hanging from a shelf next to the container- I can see how it looked differently though

Hibiscuses are great edible, hiding plants. Are you using an MVB? It looks like you have the lamp itself clamped to side of tub. Which can go SO WRONG There are all kinds of horror stories about clamps on lights failing, and causing fires, killing or burning torts, so using clamps are almost never recommended ! Also, clamps allow the lamp and bulb to slant sideways, and that will shorten an MVB's lifespan a lot, causing yo more burnt out bulbs and more money invested in them than just having the light sit straight.

ksanka

 

[Shellhugger]

What exactly is MVB for? I have a UVB, and a heat bulb-

Hibiscuses are great edible, hiding plants. Are you using an MVB? It looks like you have the lamp itself clamped to side of tub. Which can go SO WRONG There are all kinds of horror stories about clamps on lights failing, and causing fires, killing or burning torts, so using clamps are almost never recommended ! Also, clamps allow the lamp and bulb to slant sideways, and that will shorten an MVB's lifespan a lot, causing yo more burnt out bulbs and more money invested in them than just having the light sit straight.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Oh, I thought that was one! An MVB is a regular looking heat bulb that emits both heat and UVB in one package. It's also safer than coil bulbs because, well, it isn't a coil MVB's need to be hung straight, becuase the elements inside get all messed up of they are sideways and can burn out much quicker...

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Realized something- I didn't see a tube UVB on the back, and if that bulb is just heat, do you have a coil bulb?? It'll look like this-
They can hurt tort eyes and cause lethargy... and some other sereve problems. Tom wrote the link in my signature, it tells all about coils and their side affects!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I don't use a heat lamp in my patio set-up in south Florida. It's already over 85 degrees. As for plants, I've got purslane and sweet basil. They don't need special anything and stay green and are actually edible. Out doors in my larger pens, I use lemon grass, hibiscus and more purslane. They look good and are grazed on.

 

[Shellhugger]

Okay, thank you! I haven't used my heat bulb yet on him. Do you get your plants anywhere specific? I'm concerned about buying plants treated with chemicals. Where in Florida, if you don't mind? I'm in tampa, and just curious about hibernation time. It would be good to have someone to reference with that has similar conditions/area.

I don't use a heat lamp in my patio set-up in south Florida. It's already over 85 degrees. As for plants, I've got purslane and sweet basil. They don't need special anything and stay green and are actually edible. Out doors in my larger pens, I use lemon grass, hibiscus and more purslane. They look good and are grazed on.

I don't use a heat lamp in my patio set-up in south Florida. It's already over 85 degrees. As for plants, I've got purslane and sweet basil. They don't need special anything and stay green and are actually edible. Out doors in my larger pens, I use lemon grass, hibiscus and more purslane. They look good and are grazed on.

 

[Shellhugger]

Realized something- I didn't see a tube UVB on the back, and if that bulb is just heat, do you have a coil bulb?? It'll look like this- View attachment 96082
They can hurt tort eyes and cause lethargy... and some other sereve problems. Tom wrote the link in my signature, it tells all about coils and their side affects!

I've been informed of this, and make sure not to use one. He has a tube shaped bulb, which I was told was the best

 

[Shellhugger]

Oh, I thought that was one! An MVB is a regular looking heat bulb that emits both heat and UVB in one package. It's also safer than coil bulbs because, well, it isn't a coil MVB's need to be hung straight, becuase the elements inside get all messed up of they are sideways and can burn out much quicker...

My bulb is UVB only

 

[Shellhugger]

tortoise supply has good seeds but i'm talking about mostly hiding plants not eating such as spider plant's check out this site http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/tortoise_home_1.asp it helps identify tort safe plants

Thanks for the link !

 

[Shellhugger]

Thanks, I'm going to get a digital gauge. I'm also going to get hiding plants. I just kept hoping he wouldn't be able to keep up with sprouts and some would grow, but he's a hungry growing fella. I'll be sure to get some hiding plants.

Over all ambient warmth is not adequate by itself. They need a temperature gradient where they can move around to get warmer or cooler and regulate their core temperature. In the wild they would move into the sunshine to warm themselves and into the shade to cool. Your bulb is meant to simulate the sun. Since you enclosure is always in full shade, you need to provide a warmer are where the basking spot is near 100. If your outside temps are already near 100, then the heat lamps need to be shut off. It can be difficult to house them correctly in above ground tubs in warmer climates because of this. They often do better primarily indoors with more stable conditions and better thermal gradients, but with a few hours a week of time spent in a sunny and shady outdoor enclosure built on the ground. The ground keeps temps more stable than a raised tub and you can use a much larger areas with lots of plants for shade and grazing.

Are you using a coil type UV bulb there? Those sometimes damage tortoise eyes. I recommend you not use that. Probably don't need it outside anyway as they get some UV even in the shade outside. A UV light meter would give you more insight.