Light/heat question

[tortilla2011]

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/reptiles/equipment/lighting/spot_lights/114906

Hiya
Just after some advice as i am new to this forum.
Will the item on the link be ok for my 10 mth old sulcata? i figure this is a combi bulb so wouldnt need any other form of light or heat?

Cheers

 

[DocNezzy]

Welcome to the forum. You should introduce yourself! What's your name and where are you from?

I use the Solar Glo and it works great. It also gives off quite a bit of heat, so you may not need a heat lamp. I use the 125w instead of the 160w. Seems to be what most people go with on here. For heat at night, if you need it, I use a red heat lamp bulb. Some people say the colored bulbs cause their torts to eat the substrate, but I have had no problems with that.

 

[tortilla2011]

Thanks for your advice Tony

I'm Claire and I live in Berkshire in the UK.

 

[coreyc]

Welcome to the TFO that bulb will be find I also use the 125 you might need something for night time heat I use a CHE ( ceramic heat emitter ) do you have any pic's you can post ?

 

[tortilla2011]

Welcome to the TFO that bulb will be find I also use the 125 you might need something for night time heat I use a CHE ( ceramic heat emitter ) do you have any pic's you can post ?

Thats great thank you . Hopefully I have added the pictures correctly so you can see the little fella!!!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Claire:

Welcome to the forum!!

Your little guy is starting to pyramid. He might benefit from being kept a little more humid.

 

[tortilla2011]

What's the best way to achieve a good amount of humidity?

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome. Here is how I like to keep them. Remember if you start adding moisture to increase humidity, all the evaporation tends to drop your temps. So be prepared to adjust your bulb height or wattage and make sure you have adequate night heat. Cold and humidity can make them sick. Warmth with humidity makes them healthy and helps them grow smooth in my experience. I'd get a proper humid hide box too. If you do a search here on the forum for "Humid Hide Box" you'll get lots of good threads on it. Here's the care sheet:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies#axzz1IqiFfDAc

 

[tortilla2011]

If I make a humidhide box would it be best half buried near to the light for heat? Should I spray inside the box at all?
sorry if I sound daft but want to get it right as i dont want him getting anymore pyramidy!

 

[Tom]

If I make a humidhide box would it be best half buried near to the light for heat? Should I spray inside the box at all?
sorry if I sound daft but want to get it right as i dont want him getting anymore pyramidy!

A lot of this just depends on your individual house and set-up. In most cases, yes, I'd put the humid hide box near the heat source, but still leave an open area with a flat piece of slate or something directly under your bulb. I also like to keep it pretty damp inside a humid hide box, but since its so closed up, I seldom have to do anything in the way of spraying or adding water. Be careful when you start messing with humidity. It is necessary to prevent pyramiding in a sulcata, IN MY OPINION, but if you let your temps drop, it can also make them sick. You will need night heat of some sort, unless your house stays 26C or better all the time. Whether you need any other heat during the day will depend on what your thermometer tells you. Its all explained in better detail in the care sheet.

 

[tortilla2011]

Can you recommend a thermometer?
Thanks for all your advice

 

[pdrobber]

a simple temp gun works well.

 

[Tom]

Can you recommend a thermometer?
Thanks for all your advice

Do a google search for PE1. It will turn up a source in your country. Over here the hardware stores sell all sorts of digital thermometers with remote probes. Some of them are wireless. You just need a probe that can be moved around the enclosure. I like the wireless ones because there are no wire for them to bite or get tangled in. Like this: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Wireless-Remote-Thermometer#axzz1Itn1Oqiq

I'm sure they've got something similar across the pond.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Welcome...I am surprised to see a Sulcata in the UK. You'll need to moisten his substrate. I don't use a humid hide, I just keep my substrate moist but everybody has their own way of keeping. Tom has made a good care sheet, but I would like to add that I believe there are 4 things needed to grow a healthy Sulcata without pyramiding, those are a good and varied diet, lots of exercise, strong UVB and about 80% humidity. In the wild Sulcata walk for miles to get and eat food and yet we keep them contained in small boxes...

 

[tortilla2011]

Thanks for all your help so far
I have put a humid hide box in today but not sure if i have covered enough or too much so some pictures are below to show you what I have done so far. If I need to change anything please let me know ;-) Thanks