Lighting

[Jakki]

When we purchased our Horsfield, he came as a set, complete with viv, UVB light, heat lamp etc. Since being a member on here I've read so many things we've got set up wrong. We are in the process of correcting this to give Mikey a heathy, happy, long life.
My question and confusion at the moment is the lighting. We have a coil light in it's a desert sun light tube. Pictures below. Also pictured is the side of the viv it is currently placed.
Our viv is 3ft
Is this suitable? If not please can someone recommend a better option for us. We are based in the U.K.

TIA x

 

[Tom]

I wouldn't use the coil type bulb at all. Best to use a strip bulb for lighting and UV.

Your other bulb looks like it might be a spot bulb. That's is also not a good way to go. Best to use a flood bulb in that application.

The substrate is much too dry also.

I like the closed chamber enclosure, but you might run into issues with a damp substrate with that type of wall material.

Here is all of this and more explained:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

 

[Jakki]

Thanks Tom, yes know about the Substrate, I have some coco coir arriving in the morning. I have read the sheets and printed them off but just struggling to understand as this is all new to us. Wish I'd researched a lot more before being our buddy home. The shop told us we had all we needed with the started set
We are looking to rectify all these mistakes this weekend.
So our basking light is also wrong? Arg feel so cross and worried now.

 

[Jakki]

I will post a picture of that box for the basking light ..... :/

 

[Jakki]

 

[Tom]

So our basking light is also wrong? Arg feel so cross and worried now.

Spot bulbs focus too much carapace desiccating heat into one small area. It contributes to pyramiding in a growing tortoise. I find it ironic that the picture of the tortoise on the box is fairly heavily pyramided for a hermans tortoise.

Pet shops are notorious for selling the wrong products and giving the wrong advice. For the life of me, I can't understand why they can't come to this forum, just like their customers, and learn the right info.

Tortoise care has advanced a lot in the last few years. The importance of hydration and the understanding of what causes pyramiding are now at the forefront of this wave of new info and new techniques. Most of the reptile keeping community has not kept up with the new info and advances. They continue to parrot the same old wrong info, and misinform their customers. I always ask people like you who learn this new info to go share it with the pet shop that misinformed them. Most pet "experts" will be resistant at first and you may be rebuffed, but you will have planted a seed that will bear fruit later. If enough angry/disappointed customers come in and say the same stuff, they will eventually come around and realize they need to pull their head out of their… uhhh… you know. Or they will refuse to learn new info and go out of business. Either way, customers won't be getting bad info.

 

[Jakki]

Praise the lord for this forum!
We popped out to a different reptile shop last night as I wanted to buy a thermometer but wanted one that also measures humidity, the guy in the store told me that we don't need to worry about humidity for our species of tortoise! I responded with the info I've learnt from here which he completely disagreed with, after that I left the store without purchasing anything. How can they be allowed to sell tortoises, he had load of beautiful little ones of all species in his shop, he'd even mixed 2 species together.
Today's mission is to just purchased from elsewhere without asking for advice!
Another thing ... got out the paperwork from the store we purchased Mikey from to see one side the lady had written Horsfield and the other Hermans tortoise!
Now I don't know what species Mikey really is
Big mistake buying from a shop, but we love him so much.

 

[Taylor T.]

Praise the lord for this forum!
We popped out to a different reptile shop last night as I wanted to buy a thermometer but wanted one that also measures humidity, the guy in the store told me that we don't need to worry about humidity for our species of tortoise! I responded with the info I've learnt from here which he completely disagreed with, after that I left the store without purchasing anything. How can they be allowed to sell tortoises, he had load of beautiful little ones of all species in his shop, he'd even mixed 2 species together.
Today's mission is to just purchased from elsewhere without asking for advice!
Another thing ... got out the paperwork from the store we purchased Mikey from to see one side the lady had written Horsfield and the other Hermans tortoise!
Now I don't know what species Mikey really is
Big mistake buying from a shop, but we love him so much.

Looking at your profile picture, I can tell you that Mikey is 100% Russian.

 

[Gillian M]

Hi @Jakki and a very warm welcome to the forum!

NEVER use a coil bulb. It is extremely harmful too the tort's eyesight.

 

[Jakki]

Hi @Jakki and a very warm welcome to the forum!

NEVER use a coil bulb. It is extremely harmful too the tort's eyesight.

Hi Gillian

Stopped using it as soon as I read on here about them and when Tom confirmed.

Picking up tomorrow the correct light and fitting and also a table top

 

[Gillian M]

Hi Gillian

Stopped using it as soon as I read on here about them and when Tom confirmed.

Picking up tomorrow the correct light and fitting and also a table top

Great! And do not forget to post pics, please.

 

[Jakki]

Great! And do not forget to post pics, please.

Certainly will!!

 

[Jakki]

@Tom

What's the best wattage bulb to get please?

 

[Tom]

@Tom

What's the best wattage bulb to get please?

Can't say for sure. Only your thermometer can answer that. I usually use 65 watt flood bulbs from the hardware store. If this makes your enclosure too hot, buy something lower wattage. If not warm enough, use higher wattage.

Another simple solution is to buy a 100 or 150 watt flood and run it through a rheostat. You can turn the power down until the temperature under it is correct.

 

[Gillian M]

Hi Gillian

Stopped using it as soon as I read on here about them and when Tom confirmed.

Picking up tomorrow the correct light and fitting and also a table top

Well done.

 

[Jakki]

So here we go ...

Not one shop in my area has a basking flood bulb so I have 2 on their way from good ol amazon.

Someone locally was selling a tortoise table on Facebook so picked that up this morning



So now we can take him outside when we're home and it's sunny.

 

[Jakki]

 

[Tom]

Most of what you need will not be found at the pet shops. You can buy regular bulbs at a hardware or department store and save a bunch of money.

I noticed a couple of things in your picture. Those stick on dial type thermometers and hygrometers are usually not accurate or reliable, and your are place too high up to give you an accurate idea of what is going on at tortoise level. I find the digital ones, with to without a remote probe to be more reliable. The other thing is your substrate is going to make a mess if left that way. Best to hand pack it down. You might need to add more once its all packed down. After a couple of weeks, it will settle in and offer more sturdy footing.

 

[Jakki]

I've got a digital thermometer coming from an eBay seller this week. I just got these to help give an indication for the time being, so they are temporary, I should have said.

Yes I was wondering about the substrate, I will go in and pat it down. Was very surprised how a small block watered down into so much!
How often should it need changing?
I got the bark for the table to give him a change, but think I prefer it, but I've not got to walk around on it.

I feel better now we have the other tube lighting.

Thank you

 

[Karenxx67]

I have found with my daughters 3ft viv its quite hard to regulate the temperature. The cool end was almost as hot as the hot end. Only about 4 degress different.
We were also sold a blue night time bulb which im not entirely happy about.
Jakki would you mind sending me the link for amazon as to where you got your bulb.
This is Flashs tank.