RI?

[Rexx Doopson]

hello. I saw a nose bubble on my baby leo tortoise. is it an RI? online it says it can be caused by stress, and this just popped up after waking up (i wake him/her up for lunch -dinner by picking him out from his hide.) - that can be stressful. This is happening after a scale fell off if this helps anything (probably not) , but the tort is healthy and eating. Just seeing if this is a sign of anything.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hi, Rexx.
I've no experience of this species or problem, though I would say that just a single bubble is nothing to be worried about.
If his breathing is ok and his appetite is good and there are no more bubbles, then he's probably fine.
Anyway, I've bumped this post, so maybe someone more knowledgeable will chip in.

 

[Big B]

Just make sure your temps are good, and measured with a accurate thermostat or temp gun.

 

[dmmj]

A singe bubble is not a cause for concern. Was it recently soaked?

 

[Rexx Doopson]

A singe bubble is not a cause for concern. Was it recently soaked?

A singe bubble is not a cause for concern. Was it recently soaked?

No, he wasn't soaked, which makes me worry. I'm planning on just pumping the heat for a couple days/week. I'll be getting a UTH (my CHE can barely maintain heat. Even when covered w/ foil in a 50% closed chamber enclosure. When waking up, I checked the temps for the first time after using a CHE for the first time. They were in the 70's! + the hide which he was sleeping in was colder, but it was only about 3 nights and he seems fine. temporarily night heat would be his hide under a basking light, but the hide to be covered so no light is to come in and disturb his sleeping), which I have a question about. Can I use a UTH on a plastic bin/tub? will it melt the plastic? but anyways, the update is I saw one, just one bubble a couple days ago, on fri, but none anymore.

 

[dmmj]

Those heating elements while hot, don't get hot enough to melt normal plastic.

 

[Rexx Doopson]

thanks. do you think that the pad with the addition of a CHE on a half closed chamber would be a good night heat source? i'll be using a thermostat (once I purchase one) to check, but just wanted to get other opinions.

 

[ascott]

No, he wasn't soaked, which makes me worry. I'm planning on just pumping the heat for a couple days/week. I'll be getting a UTH (my CHE can barely maintain heat. Even when covered w/ foil in a 50% closed chamber enclosure. When waking up, I checked the temps for the first time after using a CHE for the first time. They were in the 70's! + the hide which he was sleeping in was colder, but it was only about 3 nights and he seems fine. temporarily night heat would be his hide under a basking light, but the hide to be covered so no light is to come in and disturb his sleeping), which I have a question about. Can I use a UTH on a plastic bin/tub? will it melt the plastic? but anyways, the update is I saw one, just one bubble a couple days ago, on fri, but none anymore.

Perhaps cover the entire top, right around the light domes....use foil and it will wrap nicely....also, clear bubbles from time to time is not a tell all for RI... I would use a night heat source right over the sleeping area --and adjust higher or lower the fixture until you are at 80 - 83 degrees (f)...

 

[Rexx Doopson]

i tried the foil thingy too, that was actually the first thing I did with the CHE, around the lamps, and covered the rest of the opened enclosure very loosely by a random plastic lid (from a different tub) too, but the low temps were still the result. maybe I got a messed up bulb? I put a screen top from a 20 gallon enclosure under the lamps at night to prevent falling, could that be blocking/absorbing heat? either way, i like the idea of an UTH. less firhazard, and covers more area to heat.

 

[ascott]

i tried the foil thingy too, that was actually the first thing I did with the CHE, around the lamps, and covered the rest of the opened enclosure very loosely by a random plastic lid (from a different tub) too, but the low temps were still the result. maybe I got a messed up bulb? I put a screen top from a 20 gallon enclosure under the lamps at night to prevent falling, could that be blocking/absorbing heat? either way, i like the idea of an UTH. less firhazard, and covers more area to heat.

UTH, are you referring to an under tank heater? What type? actually under the tank or heating coils directly in the soil at the bottom of deep substrate? See, the trick with the foil is to wrap the entire top--snuggly, not loosely....kinda like you are wrapping the top of a pan ready to place into the oven to heat evenly....what type of enclosure? what strength of che? what is the distance from the che to the top of the tortoise? the screen at night to keep in the heat is good (not so good for daytime if you are using a uva/uvb--because the screen blocks out valuable rays from going through to reach the tortoise)...you see, you can place the heat source somewhat close to the area that the tortoise likes to sleep at...then take foil and wrap the entire top and then take foil and wrap it around all of the screen where it comes in contact with the enclosure..this will cap off/close in/keep in--the warmth...also, the strength of the heat source and the height at which is sets is important....

 

[Rexx Doopson]

UTH, are you referring to an under tank heater? What type? actually under the tank or heating coils directly in the soil at the bottom of deep substrate? See, the trick with the foil is to wrap the entire top--snuggly, not loosely....kinda like you are wrapping the top of a pan ready to place into the oven to heat evenly....what type of enclosure? what strength of che? what is the distance from the che to the top of the tortoise? the screen at night to keep in the heat is good (not so good for daytime if you are using a uva/uvb--because the screen blocks out valuable rays from going through to reach the tortoise)...you see, you can place the heat source somewhat close to the area that the tortoise likes to sleep at...then take foil and wrap the entire top and then take foil and wrap it around all of the screen where it comes in contact with the enclosure..this will cap off/close in/keep in--the warmth...also, the strength of the heat source and the height at which is sets is important....

yes, it is an under tank heater. im looking towards a zoomed large, probably under the enclosure (which is a plastic tub - ill post pics later). the CHE is a 60w, and is about 6 inches from the hide he sleeps in every single day, and about 3-4 inches high off the bottom of the enclosure, so about 6/7 inches away from the tortoise. I use the screen for the majority of the day, but he gets time off of it. My UVB source is just a big window in my house that the enclosure is in front of. it turns out UVB penetrates through glass. this solve all my problems of UVB that I had earlier. I was just wondering and asked a dermatologist I know, who told me this, and that actually great amount of it goes through.

 

[ascott]

yes, it is an under tank heater. im looking towards a zoomed large, probably under the enclosure (which is a plastic tub - ill post pics later). the CHE is a 60w, and is about 6 inches from the hide he sleeps in every single day, and about 3-4 inches high off the bottom of the enclosure, so about 6/7 inches away from the tortoise. I use the screen for the majority of the day, but he gets time off of it. My UVB source is just a big window in my house that the enclosure is in front of. it turns out UVB penetrates through glass. this solve all my problems of UVB that I had earlier. I was just wondering and asked a dermatologist I know, who told me this, and that actually great amount of it goes through.

Normal glass blocks almost all of UVB but allows UVA to come through.

Window glass blocks UVB but lets much of UVA through. The percentage of UVA that passes depends on the type of glass and the type of coating on the glass. Window glass falls into three major categories: ordinary (clear) glass, reflective glass (allows to see in one direction much better than in the opposite one), and tinted glass. While all these types of glass block UVB, their capacity to block UVA varies considerably

Clear glass allows up to 75% of UVA to pass. Tinted and reflective glass absorbs more of the UVA but still allows about 25-50% to pass; they also have the shortcoming of blocking more of the visible light than clear glass. There is also the so-called Low-E (low-emissivity) glass, developed to minimize heating and cooling costs. As far as UV is concerned, regular Low-E (the ones w/o special anti-UV coating, etc.) behaves similarly to clear glass: most UVB is blocked, most UVA gets through.

Please keep in mind we are discussing a animal that requires uva AND uvb....so, the exposure the tortoise is getting through the glass is not sufficient...again, we are discussing a reptile and not a human--so a dermatologist is not basing their information on a reptile...also, us humans need the uva and uvb periodically through out the day to maintain proper health ....

Also, if that 60 watt che is not working, especially at that close of range to the tortoise...I would seriously consider no less than 75 watt....just sharing...I also would suggest you acquire an artificial uva/uvb source for your tortoise...I also would try to get the correct heat from about source before trying the under tank heater....tortoise are designed to acquire heat from above...then to retain that obtained head within their shell....and not to rest on it to acquire the heat...