Lighting for open indoor enclosure

[kewp]

Hi. My 3 year old sulcata broke the the door of her super fancy enclosure busting
out for the umpteenth time. She is still too small to put out doors so I’ve given in and set up a space for her in a spare bedroom. She loves it and is really good about going to her lighting spot (and pretty much only pooping there!), but I’m worried about the lights.

I set her uv light in the corner. The reptile store advised me to get the zoomed 160 watt mercury vapor bulb. She seems to love it and has spent all day sunbathing.

It’s not doing well as a basking bulb though. I think I might have it set up too highfrom her. I’m afraid to lower it because it is such a high power bulb. How far away from her should it ideally be?

Here is are pics of her uv / basking area spot....

 

[kewp]

And just to note, her old enclosure was large, and heated properly with the correct humidity. She just likes walking around I think. The room is tortoise proof. No exposed cords, no areas where she can crawl in and get stuck. Every little space is blocked off. I’m the only one in and out of the room (it’s my music/ tv/ study area) and spend most of my time in here so I can watch her. She comes and sits by me when I’m reading sometimes. Thermostat is kept at 75 most the time. I’m planning on getting a room humidifier after Christmas.

Here is her old enclosure and the new basking space directly underneath. And one of her escapes.

 

[Big Charlie]

You should get a temperature gun. That is the only way you'll know if she is getting warm enough from that light. I would be concerned that the room is too cold for her. 75F is probably the temperature at your height, not on the floor where she is. It is likely colder down there. You don't want to add humidity while keeping it that cold. That is a recipe for a respiratory infection.

Can you fix her old enclosure that has proper humidity and have her sleep there at night? Maybe if you cover the windows, she won't try to escape. The substrate looks too dry. The water bowl looks too small and too steep.

 

[kewp]

The substrate is mst,straight out of the bag. It’s just the lighting in the photo. The dish is small, I have another one on order. Until it gets here, I’m just filling it a few times a day. I added a CHE light today so that area is staying 85 at night and 90 during the day. She never feels cold to the touch, most of the time she feels quite warm. When she is on the move, she seems to have her favorite spots where I suspect the heating vents hit or she goes back to her basking area. I should clarify and say the house’s heater is set at 75. This room has always been the warmest in the house. She has always been really alert and active, maybe a bit too active given her destructive side.

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to fix the enclosure and nights are when she is especially destructive. She tore off the wood around the ‘windows” and one night I saw the door just fly right off the hinges. She calmly walked out. I’m hoping to get a new one eventually, but it has to wait a few months as I am off work on disability. For right now, it is have her escape and not have anything set up in the room, or to set an area up where she will at least get what she needs (even if not it’s not the most ideal setup).