My Tortoise Enclosure

-Vizz-

New Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2020
Messages
18
Location (City and/or State)
Arizona
This is my tortoise enclosure, size 4’2’2 with a dome lamp that uses an “80W ZooMed PowerSun Self-Ballasted Mercury Vapor Bulb”. The right side of the tank usually gets around 95-100F whereas the left side is around 75-80F. The bulb is also hung around 16 inches since placing the lamp on top of the enclosure didn’t really warm it up.

I’d like to know if there’s anything I’m missing or if there’s something I can improve upon.

5C53FBE0-23C1-45D2-884A-1CE3FD41AD13.jpegEE839B26-761C-4715-B964-C16830C2F9C6.jpeg2161D273-DCAC-4530-9A23-5F2C8493B1E9.jpeg545BAE8F-5062-4217-9EC0-85F64E9D705F.jpeg
 

ArchieTheTort

New Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2020
Messages
14
Location (City and/or State)
Wisconsin
Alright.. so I’m not an expert or anything but one thing I know for sure is that your table is probably two small, I have a table that’s for by four and that’s still too small ( I’m in the process of adding another level) what age and type of tortoise do you have?
 

-Vizz-

New Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2020
Messages
18
Location (City and/or State)
Arizona
Alright.. so I’m not an expert or anything but one thing I know for sure is that your table is probably two small, I have a table that’s for by four and that’s still too small ( I’m in the process of adding another level) what age and type of tortoise do you have?
I’m actually already working on the table this one’s just temporary. As for the age, I don’t know the exact age but my siblings were told it was a baby, and the species is a Desert Tortoise.
 

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,750
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
Hi!

There are multiple improvements to be made to this enclosure, which is perfect for a baby DT.

1) For several reasons, we do not recommend MVB's for torts. To sum up the reasons, they're just no good.

2) You need a basking light. An incandescent flood bulb is the best. Go to Lowe's or Home Depot and buy one. I would try a 65 watt first, but only your thermometer can tell you if you need a different wattage. When you find the correct one, go back to the store and buy several more. You can still buy incandescent in AZ, but who knows for how long. Make sure it says "incandescent" on the box. You don't want LED or "replacement" or "only uses 13 watts".

3) You need a tube UVB bulb. I use Arcadia T5 HO 12%. You also need the fixture that goes with it, matching length. Like this...


4) You need ambient light for brightness. LED lights are good and bright. I use a screw in grow light since I have some plants in the enclosure.

5) You need heat for nighttime. It should be dark at night, so ceramic heat emitters (CHE's) are generally used. You can buy them at Petco or Petsmart. You must use ceramic sockets for them...they get really hot.

6) You need a thermostat to control the CHE's. By day, the basking bulb usually keeps the enclosure warm enough. At night, when the basking bulb goes off, the thermostat turns on the CHE to maintain the minimum temp.

7) The water dish you are using is a death trap for baby torts. Seriously. Get rid of it. The sides are too high and straight for babies to get in and out, so they fall backward. If they fall into the water they drown. Get a terra cotta flower pot saucer, and sink it down into the substrate til the lip of the saucer is even with the substrate. Get one big enough for the tort to completely get into.

8) Get a couple combo thermometer/hygrometers. Put them at tortoise height to keep tabs on temps and humidity at various places in the enclosure.

9) A plant or two would be nice in there. Pothos works great, along with spider plants and Boston fern. I like these because they make a place where the tort can get under them and hide. They help maintain humidity as well.

Here is some info you need to read. One explains lights and heat, and the other is our care sheet for DT's. I've only touched on the items avove...the sheets offer more detail. Read them and come back with questions or concerns. We can help you with links to equipment to buy.
4 elements of heating: By Tom
There are four elements to heating and lighting:

Basking bulb. I use 65 watt floods from the hardware store. I run them on a timer and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb.

Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. You'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT.

Light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish.

UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html

 

-Vizz-

New Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2020
Messages
18
Location (City and/or State)
Arizona
Hi!

There are multiple improvements to be made to this enclosure, which is perfect for a baby DT.

1) For several reasons, we do not recommend MVB's for torts. To sum up the reasons, they're just no good.

2) You need a basking light. An incandescent flood bulb is the best. Go to Lowe's or Home Depot and buy one. I would try a 65 watt first, but only your thermometer can tell you if you need a different wattage. When you find the correct one, go back to the store and buy several more. You can still buy incandescent in AZ, but who knows for how long. Make sure it says "incandescent" on the box. You don't want LED or "replacement" or "only uses 13 watts".

3) You need a tube UVB bulb. I use Arcadia T5 HO 12%. You also need the fixture that goes with it, matching length. Like this...


4) You need ambient light for brightness. LED lights are good and bright. I use a screw in grow light since I have some plants in the enclosure.

5) You need heat for nighttime. It should be dark at night, so ceramic heat emitters (CHE's) are generally used. You can buy them at Petco or Petsmart. You must use ceramic sockets for them...they get really hot.

6) You need a thermostat to control the CHE's. By day, the basking bulb usually keeps the enclosure warm enough. At night, when the basking bulb goes off, the thermostat turns on the CHE to maintain the minimum temp.

7) The water dish you are using is a death trap for baby torts. Seriously. Get rid of it. The sides are too high and straight for babies to get in and out, so they fall backward. If they fall into the water they drown. Get a terra cotta flower pot saucer, and sink it down into the substrate til the lip of the saucer is even with the substrate. Get one big enough for the tort to completely get into.

8) Get a couple combo thermometer/hygrometers. Put them at tortoise height to keep tabs on temps and humidity at various places in the enclosure.

9) A plant or two would be nice in there. Pothos works great, along with spider plants and Boston fern. I like these because they make a place where the tort can get under them and hide. They help maintain humidity as well.

Here is some info you need to read. One explains lights and heat, and the other is our care sheet for DT's. I've only touched on the items avove...the sheets offer more detail. Read them and come back with questions or concerns. We can help you with links to equipment to buy.
4 elements of heating: By Tom
There are four elements to heating and lighting:

Basking bulb. I use 65 watt floods from the hardware store. I run them on a timer and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb.

Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. You'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT.

Light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish.

UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html

Do you think you can provide some visual examples? Just so I can see the layout and understand what it should look like.
 

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,750
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
If you go to the enclosures forum and just start looking, there are lots of them.

Here are a few enclosures of different types.
2EEBBBE3-9EC6-467B-8840-1D4D8C159979.jpeg.jpgF4C42F05-F647-4E11-881B-80FEB9CD2675.jpeg.jpg25250E1E-5122-4C9E-94DA-C3E218F3768B.jpeg.jpg20200814_070646.jpg20200601_124955.jpg
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Alright.. so I’m not an expert or anything but one thing I know for sure is that your table is probably two small, I have a table that’s for by four and that’s still too small ( I’m in the process of adding another level) what age and type of tortoise do you have?
You got all excellent advice from Karen and I agree with everything she said. Just know that most of the info you find for this species is all wrong and will lead to the death of the baby if followed. Dry is not good for babies. Soak the baby daily, and moderate humidity, along with a more humid hide and damp substrate is really really good for them. I've started dozens of DTs, and 100s of other baby tortoises, to reach these conclusions.

Read that care sheet multiple times, and please feel free to ask any questions. We are all here to talk tortoises and your questions will fuel the conversation. :)
 

-Vizz-

New Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2020
Messages
18
Location (City and/or State)
Arizona

-Vizz-

New Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2020
Messages
18
Location (City and/or State)
Arizona
Hi!

There are multiple improvements to be made to this enclosure, which is perfect for a baby DT.

1) For several reasons, we do not recommend MVB's for torts. To sum up the reasons, they're just no good.

2) You need a basking light. An incandescent flood bulb is the best. Go to Lowe's or Home Depot and buy one. I would try a 65 watt first, but only your thermometer can tell you if you need a different wattage. When you find the correct one, go back to the store and buy several more. You can still buy incandescent in AZ, but who knows for how long. Make sure it says "incandescent" on the box. You don't want LED or "replacement" or "only uses 13 watts".

3) You need a tube UVB bulb. I use Arcadia T5 HO 12%. You also need the fixture that goes with it, matching length. Like this...


4) You need ambient light for brightness. LED lights are good and bright. I use a screw in grow light since I have some plants in the enclosure.

5) You need heat for nighttime. It should be dark at night, so ceramic heat emitters (CHE's) are generally used. You can buy them at Petco or Petsmart. You must use ceramic sockets for them...they get really hot.

6) You need a thermostat to control the CHE's. By day, the basking bulb usually keeps the enclosure warm enough. At night, when the basking bulb goes off, the thermostat turns on the CHE to maintain the minimum temp.

7) The water dish you are using is a death trap for baby torts. Seriously. Get rid of it. The sides are too high and straight for babies to get in and out, so they fall backward. If they fall into the water they drown. Get a terra cotta flower pot saucer, and sink it down into the substrate til the lip of the saucer is even with the substrate. Get one big enough for the tort to completely get into.

8) Get a couple combo thermometer/hygrometers. Put them at tortoise height to keep tabs on temps and humidity at various places in the enclosure.

9) A plant or two would be nice in there. Pothos works great, along with spider plants and Boston fern. I like these because they make a place where the tort can get under them and hide. They help maintain humidity as well.

Here is some info you need to read. One explains lights and heat, and the other is our care sheet for DT's. I've only touched on the items avove...the sheets offer more detail. Read them and come back with questions or concerns. We can help you with links to equipment to buy.
4 elements of heating: By Tom
There are four elements to heating and lighting:

Basking bulb. I use 65 watt floods from the hardware store. I run them on a timer and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb.

Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. You'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT.

Light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish.

UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html

So here's my shopping list for all of the items I need for my tortoise enclosure, does this look good? Sorry for being really thorough, I just want to be sure I get everything correct.
 

Attachments

  • Arcadia ProT5 UVB Kit.PNG
    Arcadia ProT5 UVB Kit.PNG
    52.4 KB · Views: 8
  • T5 High Output UVB Lights.PNG
    T5 High Output UVB Lights.PNG
    45.5 KB · Views: 8
  • BN LINK Digital Heat Mat Thermostat Controller for Seed Germination, Reptiles, and Brewing.PNG
    BN LINK Digital Heat Mat Thermostat Controller for Seed Germination, Reptiles, and Brewing.PNG
    109.8 KB · Views: 6
  • CHE Infrared Reptile Heater, 100-Watt.PNG
    CHE Infrared Reptile Heater, 100-Watt.PNG
    410 KB · Views: 7
  • Veanic 4 Pack min Digital Electronic Temperature Humidity Meters Gauge Indoor Thermometer Hygr...PNG
    Veanic 4 Pack min Digital Electronic Temperature Humidity Meters Gauge Indoor Thermometer Hygr...PNG
    175.8 KB · Views: 8

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
All looks pretty good. The type of HO bulb, 6% or 12%, will depend on the mounting distance.
 

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,750
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
The Arcadia kit comes with a bulb, so you don't have to buy extras right away, unless you want to.

Don't forget that the heat emitter must be screwed into a ceramic socket. It will melt plastic.
 
Top