Recommend light and heat wattage

[Onlyoneworks]

Hello I’m a first time sulcata person, I have experience with rescued older Herman’s and spur thighed tortoises.

I need help with light wattage for a 1 year old sulcata. I’m getting my first sulcata, in a few weeks time. I’m planning every I need to buy for him/her, and I could really use some help with light and heat wattage, He/she will be living in a 4 ft vivarium, I don’t want to do anything wrong

Any other tips and advice is greatly appreciated

I’m worried I’m going to do something wrong and have a semi flat tortoise
I have a 9 year old Herman’s that is quite flat (her old name was pan cake, she’s now called Athena), due to not getting uva as a young tortoise, vet said she definitely had mbd at some point, but shes ok now, living a happy life with her partner in crime

 

[wellington]

First, tortoises should not live in pairs, so if your Hermann's are living together then you need to get them separated ASAP before worrying about getting a sulcata
A 4 foot viv is too small for a one year old sulcata. It's okay for a hatchling not a one year old if it's been raised properly from the start.
You will need a incandescent flood bulb for basking a 65 watt should work. A tube florescent for uvb and ceramic heat emitters for any added day heat and for night heat.
Basking temp should be 95-100
All over temp day and night should be 80-85
Humidity 80%.
It also should be in a closed chamber for another year maybe two.

 

[wellington]

Thread 'For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata...' https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Thread 'The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise' https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threa...se-a-sulcata-leopard-or-star-tortoise.181497/


Thread 'Closed "Chambers"' https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/

 

[Tom]

Hello I’m a first time sulcata person, I have experience with rescued older Herman’s and spur thighed tortoises.

I need help with light wattage for a 1 year old sulcata. I’m getting my first sulcata, in a few weeks time. I’m planning every I need to buy for him/her, and I could really use some help with light and heat wattage, He/she will be living in a 4 ft vivarium, I don’t want to do anything wrong

Any other tips and advice is greatly appreciated

I’m worried I’m going to do something wrong and have a semi flat tortoise
I have a 9 year old Herman’s that is quite flat (her old name was pan cake, she’s now called Athena), due to not getting uva as a young tortoise, vet said she definitely had mbd at some point, but shes ok now, living a happy life with her partner in crime

Hello and welcome.

Start here. There is a heating/lighting breakdown and a sulcata care sheet near the bottom.

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

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[Onlyoneworks]

Thank you for the links, but im looking for definitive answers,

should I get a 100 watt light and 150 watt heat emitter?.
I have a hebistat,

Bubsys viv is huge

48 x 24 x 24, it’s 4ft side to side and 60 cm roof to base, i want the best start for bubsy, what would you recommend

 

[Onlyoneworks]

Bubsys viv is 4ft by 60 cm high and wide. I’m currently using a 15 watt 12%, and a 100 watt heat emitter, current temp is 29.1 c and humidity is 71%

I think he/she could use a higher light wattage , and heat emitter or am I wrong?

do I need to change anything in Bubsys viv?

Bubsys substrate is coco coir and misted twice a day for humidity,

His/her hatch date is 1/1/23

 

[Tom]

Thank you for the links, but im looking for definitive answers,

The definitive answers are in the links provided. Everything you need to do and all the correct temperatures and humidity are spelled out very definitively.

should I get a 100 watt light and 150 watt heat emitter?.

Only your thermometer can answer this question definitively. There are too many variables for anyone to be able to tell you exactly what wattage will work in your enclosure. Even in your enclosure, this is likely to change with the seasons.

Bubsys viv is huge

48 x 24 x 24, it’s 4ft side to side and 60 cm roof to base, i want the best start for bubsy, what would you recommend

No. No it isn't. Tortoises need a lot of space inside their enclosures to move about. Much more than most other reptiles. It is borderline too small now, and with just a little more growth, it will be too small. Start planing for the future now. Order up a much larger viv and start getting it set up soon.

Bubsys viv is 4ft by 60 cm high and wide. I’m currently using a 15 watt 12%, and a 100 watt heat emitter, current temp is 29.1 c and humidity is 71%

I think he/she could use a higher light wattage , and heat emitter or am I wrong?

The UV bulb is great. It should only be on for 3-4 hours mid day. You need more ambient light to be on in there for 12 hours a day. LEDs work best for this. Your thermostat that controls the CHE should be set to keep the ambient temperature in the coolest part of the enclosure 26-27C 24/7. During the day, the heat flood lamp should provide a basking area directly under it of around 36C, and this heat lamp should warm the entire enclosure up to around 30-33C during the course of the day. 29.1 is close enough. This is all explained definitively, in detail, in the link that I provided for you to read.

Humidity should be 80% or more 24/7. 71% is too low and that is why the tortoise is pyramiding.

Coco coir is too messy for my liking, but it is not unsafe. Orchid bark works better. If you are going to use coir, you need a much thicker layer, you need to dampen it, and you need to hand pack it down firmly. Its not good to leave it loose and dry the way you have it.

What is Busby's weight in grams? He/she looks very small for a one year old. Slow growers should be at least 400-500 grams at that age. Normal growers should be in the rage of 800-1000 grams. Fast growers can top 1200-1500 grams in their first year.

We will be glad to help you, but you are going to have to do some reading and learning. Read those links and you will find answers to all of these questions and much more info that will help you and your tortoise. Questions and conversation are welcome!

 

[Onlyoneworks]

The definitive answers are in the links provided. Everything you need to do and all the correct temperatures and humidity are spelled out very definitively.


Only your thermometer can answer this question definitively. There are too many variables for anyone to be able to tell you exactly what wattage will work in your enclosure. Even in your enclosure, this is likely to change with the seasons.


No. No it isn't. Tortoises need a lot of space inside their enclosures to move about. Much more than most other reptiles. It is borderline too small now, and with just a little more growth, it will be too small. Start planing for the future now. Order up a much larger viv and start getting it set up soon.


The UV bulb is great. It should only be on for 3-4 hours mid day. You need more ambient light to be on in there for 12 hours a day. LEDs work best for this. Your thermostat that controls the CHE should be set to keep the ambient temperature in the coolest part of the enclosure 26-27C 24/7. During the day, the heat flood lamp should provide a basking area directly under it of around 36C, and this heat lamp should warm the entire enclosure up to around 30-33C during the course of the day. 29.1 is close enough. This is all explained definitively, in detail, in the link that I provided for you to read.

Humidity should be 80% or more 24/7. 71% is too low and that is why the tortoise is pyramiding.

Coco coir is too messy for my liking, but it is not unsafe. Orchid bark works better. If you are going to use coir, you need a much thicker layer, you need to dampen it, and you need to hand pack it down firmly. Its not good to leave it loose and dry the way you have it.

What is Busby's weight in grams? He/she looks very small for a one year old. Slow growers should be at least 400-500 grams at that age. Normal growers should be in the rage of 800-1000 grams. Fast growers can top 1200-1500 grams in their first year.

We will be glad to help you, but you are going to have to do some reading and learning. Read those links and you will find answers to all of these questions and much more info that will help you and your tortoise. Questions and conversation are welcome!

Hello Tom, Bubsys weighing scale arrived today, he/she is 218 grams, I think under weight is an understatement. What else can I do to help my poor bubsy?


his/her led arrived today, just finished installing it, now to make the necessary adjustments

 

[Tom]

Hello Tom, Bubsys weighing scale arrived today, he/she is 218 grams, I think under weight is an understatement. What else can I do to help my poor bubsy?


his/her led arrived today, just finished installing it, now to make the necessary adjustments

That is on the small side, but certainly not terrible. If the tortoise was still 49 grams, then I'd think the problem was more serious. With the right temperatures, humidity, diet and hydration, I would expect growth to accelerate going forward.

 

[Onlyoneworks]

That is on the small side, but certainly not terrible. If the tortoise was still 49 grams, then I'd think the problem was more serious. With the right temperatures, humidity, diet and hydration, I would expect growth to accelerate going forward.

Thank you for your quick response, I was very worried about bubsy weighing 218 g. After reading your comment about his/her size / weight. Bubsy won’t be the lightest weighing animal I’ve raised

I’ve hand reared 2 very under weight kittens, the heaviest was 75 g, at 5 weeks old, in and out of the vet every other week, during covid

 

[Maggie3fan]

The Sulcata looks like he's pyramiding already...see how bumpy he is?