Night time temps.

[Jay01]

So I’ve started my set up and to start with I’m just experimenting with temps.

day time temps not a problem all working out well. On the other hand night time proving a-bit more of an issue.

So my question is say I’m aiming for min 22c over night does that mean I need to get the whole viv to that temp? My problem is our house can get down to 15c in winter and obviously heating one end to 22 is fine but the other end will sit more at 18.

Do I require two heaters one each end or is it ok to have an area they can go to stay warm?

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Just checking, what species are we talking about?

 

[NamedNut]

So I’ve started my set up and to start with I’m just experimenting with temps.

day time temps not a problem all working out well. On the other hand night time proving a-bit more of an issue.

So my question is say I’m aiming for min 22c over night does that mean I need to get the whole viv to that temp? My problem is our house can get down to 15c in winter and obviously heating one end to 22 is fine but the other end will sit more at 18.

Do I require two heaters one each end or is it ok to have an area they can go to stay warm?

I’ll let the more experienced keepers comment; but my gut tells me that as long as their hide and surrounding area remain within the specified night temperature you should be fine. Seems the tort would seek out the area that it’s most comfortable.

Maybe I’m wrong.

Monitoring to see advise!

 

[Jay01]

Just checking, what species are we talking about?

Well that’s a good question i know it’s strange but I haven’t decided yet lol. I’ve got the equipment and setting it all up trying out temps humidity etc.

I know that doesn’t really help in answering the question lol. Is there some it would matter and others it wouldn’t?

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Well that’s a good question i know it’s strange but I haven’t decided yet lol. I’ve got the equipment and setting it all up trying out temps humidity etc.

I know that doesn’t really help in answering the question lol. Is there some it would matter and others it wouldn’t?

Basically different species have different nighttime temperature needs and some species tolerate temperature swifts better than others.

An adult tortoise of a temperate species like Greek, Hermanns or Russians can tolerate a night time temperature of 18c just fine. They can even tolerate temps as low as 16c.

 

[NamedNut]

Well that’s a good question i know it’s strange but I haven’t decided yet lol. I’ve got the equipment and setting it all up trying out temps humidity etc.

I know that doesn’t really help in answering the question lol. Is there some it would matter and others it wouldn’t?

Love the approach of sorting out the workings of an enclosures first!

How big is the enclosure?

Do you have photos of the enclosure?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Well that’s a good question i know it’s strange but I haven’t decided yet lol. I’ve got the equipment and setting it all up trying out temps humidity etc.

I know that doesn’t really help in answering the question lol. Is there some it would matter and others it wouldn’t?

Yeah it will definitely depend on species, topicals need night heat, temperate species tend not to. Also bear in mind babies need higher humidity, so if it’s a baby you’re after, it’ll need to be a closed set up.

Do you have some photos? It’s good to double check bulbs and equipment because stores often sell the wrong stuff, this might be a good read

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

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As well as this one!

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

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Welcome to the forum

 

[Jay01]

Love the approach of sorting out the workings of an enclosures first!

How big is the enclosure?

Do you have photos of the enclosure?

It’s currently just a Viv empty with the heater set up in it lol. I just wanted to get going testing it out. I know I’ll have to check again when it’s set up properly.

It’s just shy 5 ft x 1.5 so just using it while he/she is a hatchling/ small

I’ll def post the final set up thou as I want to check it’s all good before I go for it. I had problem (although not entirely sure what happened) so this time I’m paranoid to get it spot on before even add the tort.

 

[GraceAndTorty]

So I’ve started my set up and to start with I’m just experimenting with temps.

day time temps not a problem all working out well. On the other hand night time proving a-bit more of an issue.

So my question is say I’m aiming for min 22c over night does that mean I need to get the whole viv to that temp? My problem is our house can get down to 15c in winter and obviously heating one end to 22 is fine but the other end will sit more at 18.

Do I require two heaters one each end or is it ok to have an area they can go to stay warm?

For one end it should be a little colder than the other.. It just depends on what side your tort likes. Mine for example loves the heat lamp side! At night, if your tortoise digs to sleep like A Russian tortoise, they should be fine because they stay warm in it. But anything under around 65 degrees at night is probably not good

 

[wellington]

We need to know species first.
The Mediterranean species can have colder 65F at night.
Most other species need it in the 80's at night.

 

[Jay01]

We need to know species first.
The Mediterranean species can have colder 65F at night.
Most other species need it in the 80's at night.

So if you take either of those say take the Mediterranean for example, 65f at night so does that need to be over the whole enclosure or could you set the basking lamp (ceramic so not light emitting) to the 65 and maybe the other end would go down to say 60.

For those who use heating at night I’d be interested to see if it’s the whole viv or just one end. Obviously this would increase the overall as well but pos not to the needed level.

 

[wellington]

So if you take either of those say take the Mediterranean for example, 65f at night so does that need to be over the whole enclosure or could you set the basking lamp (ceramic so not light emitting) to the 65 and maybe the other end would go down to say 60.

For those who use heating at night I’d be interested to see if it’s the whole viv or just one end. Obviously this would increase the overall as well but pos not to the needed level.

If he sleeps and stays the night at the warmer end then yes, that would be fine. Most will sleep at one end, but they will choose the end. You can try to pick it, but that doesn't mean that's the end they will sleep. So you will have to watch and see which end they pick.

 

[Tom]

So if you take either of those say take the Mediterranean for example, 65f at night so does that need to be over the whole enclosure or could you set the basking lamp (ceramic so not light emitting) to the 65 and maybe the other end would go down to say 60.

For those who use heating at night I’d be interested to see if it’s the whole viv or just one end. Obviously this would increase the overall as well but pos not to the needed level.

#2 specifically addresses your issue.

Here is a breakdown of the four heating and lighting essentials:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours 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. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
2. 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. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
3. Ambient 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. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.

More helpful info here:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Jay01]

Thanks for all info I suppose I best decide species first then make sure I can provide the specific temps

 

[Tom]

Thanks for all info I suppose I best decide species first then make sure I can provide the specific temps

For sure. There are two main ways to go. Tropical or temperate. Essentially, tropical species need it warm day AND night. Temperate species need a cooler night temerpature, but still need warm "sunny" days when housed indoors. Temperate species should also be brumated over winter, while tropical species will need to remain warmed and well lit all year long.

Here are the care sheets for each type:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

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The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

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Questions are welcome. Once you narrow down your choice of species, we can share general info about that species.