Hi everyone! I absolutely love this forum; I'm so excited to join you all.
My name is Rebekah and I'm living in humid Savannah GA with my fiance and a 10 year old dachshund. We currently live in an apartment with roofed patio. I've experience with red-slider turtles, garter snakes, and Schneider's skinks, but this will be my first tortoise.
I am planning on buying my baby redfoot from tortoisesupply.com. Please kindly PM if you believe this a good or bad idea, and any preferable alternatives. I'm all ears. I've looked into rescues around here, but I've only been able to find Sullys.
I've attached photos of the RF setup so far. I am planning on making a trip to buy UVB tube, CHE, a couple more hideaways (including one to make quite humid), cuttlebone, and lamp stand. But I figured I would show you these pictures so you could kindly inform me of everything I'm doing wrong, so I can also add those items to the list.
This, of course, is only his starting baby cage. We have big plans for a bookcase inside and a kiddie pool outside as he gets larger. And plans on buying a house with a backyard and building a large pen for him, several years down the road.
Enclosure:
39 x 18.5 x 6.5 under-bed storage container with split top. We plan to keep the right-side closed and humid for the RF, and the left-side open for the heating/light elements. Actually, we plan to cut out the middle of the left-side top, so that there is a lip to hinder escape. We also plan to put a dog fence to block my dachshund from that room when we are absent in case of any escapes.
Humidity concerns:
I've currently got organic sphagum moss in there. I sprayed it down a little (especially the bottom layer, which I also pressed down). As you can see in the photos, from even that light misting, I was able to get 80% humidity under the hide-y section. However, it will take more effort on the open side (currently showing 70% as I type). Is that sort of gradient acceptable? Apartment humidity is about 55% tonight, unsure if that's typical, because I just bought those thermometers today.
Lighting/heating concerns:
Apartment temperature is typically set to 76-80 degrees. Initially the thought was to get a UVB tube, a heating/basking lamp (I currently have a 10.5 in, ceramic base utility light fixture, and a non-reptile-specific 125W heat bulb) and a CHE for nighttime. However, my fiance is concerned with overcrowded the space over that half of the cage. Can you replace a heating/basking light for a CHE? I understand a CHE produces no light, but would a tortoise find it a desireable basking spot?
Also, we are planning on moving the entire cage outside for 30min-2 hours a day (when we can supervise, as we have a first-floor balcony so there are birds of prey, cats, and children), but it won't always be beat-down Savannah GA sun, because our balcony is roofed. With that, do you guys still suggest the purchase of UVB? I know Turtletary says no to artificial UVB in general.
I really appreciate the supportive and brilliant group you've got going on here. Please check out my pictures and let me know what I can do better.
-Rebekah
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