Self-regulating temperature when asleep?

[Joma]

Yes, that bulb can cause eye problems. If you have it running length wise side too side, horizontal it should be fine. If you are hanging it vertical it will cause problems and stop using it.
For the heat pad, it should not cover the whole bottom of the hide. He should be able too move off of it but still be able too remain in the hide. Tortoise are more accustomed to their heat coming from above not below so he may not regulate well.

Thank you. I thought I responded to your answer but may not have so....yes, I will be sure to hang the bulb length wise. Also, I will reorganize my hide to have half of it over the pad and the other not. That was my first instinct - but it was a cloudy day when I originally set it up I appreciate your insight!

 

[Yvonne G]

I would not allow a RF tortoise's enclosure to get below 75F degrees.

 

[Joma]

Yes, that bulb can cause eye problems. If you have it running length wise side too side, horizontal it should be fine. If you are hanging it vertical it will cause problems and stop using it.
For the heat pad, it should not cover the whole bottom of the hide. He should be able too move off of it but still be able too remain in the hide. Tortoise are more accustomed to their heat coming from above not below so he may not regulate well.

Received those bulbs both ballists broken. Can you please tell me what brand of low wattage UVB bulb you would recommend? Thank you

 

[wellington]

Received those bulbs both ballists broken. Can you please tell me what brand of low wattage UVB bulb you would recommend? Thank you

Wherever you got them from should be replacing them.
Otherwise the Arcadia fluorescent from lightyourreptiles.com

 

[Tom]

I don't know why no one wants to say it, but it doesn't sound to me like you are able to provide this tortoise with what it needs in a captive environment. They need a basking bulb to warm up in. They are ectotherms. They get their heat from external sources. If you can't provide that heat in the correct way, then you shouldn't have a tortoise, or any other reptile.

Likewise, heat mats and undertank heaters are also not safe for tortoises.

CFL bulbs are not safe in any configuration, and they aren't effective UV sources either. It doesn't matter if its mounted sideways or up and down. If you can solve the heat problem, then you can get UV from a simple florescent tube mounted at the correct height. An 18 or 24" tube will do it.

This may not be what you want to hear, but my primary interest is in the welfare of the animal. Human feelings are a distant second as far as my priorities go. I think the way you are choosing to live is pretty cool and I find it interesting, but its not the right situation for a reptile.

 

[JoesMum]

I have to agree with Tom for young animals. Your tort cannot be healthy without basking to raise its body temperature and that requires a high wattage spot lamp for those kept indoors. If you can’t run one of those for the necessary 12-14 hours a day then you need to rehome your tort with someone who can.

Older animals kept outside can be kept outside and hibernated in winter and solve this problem, but youngsters are not for those without electricity.

This one is 5 years old apparently and therefore could be kept outdoors successfully and hibernated in winter to avoid the electrical problem

 

[Pastel Tortie]

@Joma Dumb question from someone who lives in North Florida... How do you keep your home cool (or not too hot) in the summer?

Do you utilize any wind energy in your microclimate for the overnight period?

 

[Cathie G]

You would think that tortoises will automatically figure out that one area at night is warm and one area is too cold. But not all of them do.
Three winters ago, it got cold here and I had to go outside every night and place 6 of my then 8 tortoises into their heated night houses because they were sitting out in the open. Exposed.
So having a hot area during the day that is warmer than the rest of the enclosure at night doesn't mean that they will gravitate towards that area on their own.
You may have to do it for them.

That's why I chose one little guy. If I was younger and bigger I would still want a tortoise that I can carry to a safer spot.

 

[Cathie G]

Thank you. I thought I responded to your answer but may not have so....yes, I will be sure to hang the bulb length wise. Also, I will reorganize my hide to have half of it over the pad and the other not. That was my first instinct - but it was a cloudy day when I originally set it up I appreciate your insight!

I don't know if this will help but you might be able to get stuff that can be done with usb...how else are you posting stuff and charging your devices. If there's a will there's a way! How about a warm water humidifier with temperature and humidity checks just to keep the darling safe until you can figure out the perfect enclosure or 2. The 2nd one being a place to get a sunny day outside. Temperature and humidity as recommended by people more experienced then me with your kind of tortoise.

 

[DesertGirl]

Is the 13 watt uvb a coil type bulb? The tubs are U shaped? Those have been know too cause eye problems and I wouldn't use it.
@HermanniChris i think can help you on the rest. Btw if you can get him outside 3-4 days a week for about an hour each you won't need a uvb bulb for indoors.

That’s what we do in Vegas. Frisbee is outside as much as possible getting those natural rays.

 

[Cathie G]

Hay Joma! I was shopping on Amazon today for a small humidifier for me and saw a bunch of little cute ones(in a tortoise enclosure)...

 

[Joma]

@Joma Dumb question from someone who lives in North Florida... How do you keep your home cool (or not too hot) in the summer?

Do you utilize any wind energy in your microclimate for the overnight period?

Well our home is warmer using pass solar (basically the sunlight coming in the windows). The whole front face is top to bottom windows. Heat is maintained using thermal mass (concrete, the house is buried in the back etc). Cooled on with open windows the old fashioned way. Power comes from a solar system. Most of the time our house is a comfortable 70-80 degrees - in the direct sunlight it is more and that is why part of our tort table is in the direct sunlight. Natural basking

Actually, we built a lovey tortoise table in the window of our home. On sunny days large parts of the enclosure hang around 95 degrees. When we get cloudy days it can be cool (around 65) and that is why I added a heat mat in one hide. We cannot run a 125 watt bulb in our solar system on cloudy days and we don't need such a bulb on sunny days. I think that about sums it up except to say that in NM, it is almost always sunny. Hence my question about the tort overheating in his heated hide

 

[Joma]

Hay Joma! I was shopping on Amazon today for a small humidifier for me and saw a bunch of little cute ones(in a tortoise enclosure)...

Thank you. I think we are good for humidity. I add a bit of water to the substrate every so often.

 

[Joma]

That’s what we do in Vegas. Frisbee is outside as much as possible getting those natural rays.

Yes. Taos is northern NM so nowhere near as warm as you. But yes, I have been getting him out on sunny days still. Probably wont happen come late Nov

 

[Joma]

I don't know if this will help but you might be able to get stuff that can be done with usb...how else are you posting stuff and charging your devices. If there's a will there's a way! How about a warm water humidifier with temperature and humidity checks just to keep the darling safe until you can figure out the perfect enclosure or 2. The 2nd one being a place to get a sunny day outside. Temperature and humidity as recommended by people more experienced then me with your kind of tortoise.

Hi Cathy. Its the wattage that is the concern. I am not worried about keeping things hot enough on sunny days. On sunny days parts of the tort table that are in the direct sun are a lovely 95 degrees. Its on cloudy days (which there are not too many of here) that I cannot run a high wattage bulb. Active solar has it limits - I wont get into detail. And our system is not huge. But I can charge devices and watch TV etc - less drain on the system.

That said, my question was really related to the tort getting too hot inside the heated hide on sunny days.

 

[Joma]

I don't know why no one wants to say it, but it doesn't sound to me like you are able to provide this tortoise with what it needs in a captive environment. They need a basking bulb to warm up in. They are ectotherms. They get their heat from external sources. If you can't provide that heat in the correct way, then you shouldn't have a tortoise, or any other reptile.

Likewise, heat mats and undertank heaters are also not safe for tortoises.

CFL bulbs are not safe in any configuration, and they aren't effective UV sources either. It doesn't matter if its mounted sideways or up and down. If you can solve the heat problem, then you can get UV from a simple florescent tube mounted at the correct height. An 18 or 24" tube will do it.

This may not be what you want to hear, but my primary interest is in the welfare of the animal. Human feelings are a distant second as far as my priorities go. I think the way you are choosing to live is pretty cool and I find it interesting, but its not the right situation for a reptile.

I think you have misunderstood my situation. The table most often get direct sunlight from our windows that bring large areas of the table up to 95-100 degrees - for basking. It is sunny down here about 95 percent of the time - high desert. So 95 percent of the time, there is natural light for basking in that offers about 95-100 degree heat.

The other 5 percent of the time, when it is cloudy, I put a heated mat in the hide. This tort is not in a tank. It is in a homemade table and the heat mat is under cement board and plaster so that the heat is distributed and not acute. It warms the hide without creating hotspots if that is your concern. I imagine that torts like to sit on sun warmed rocks at times? That is the effect.

Currently it is still warm enough here to have him outside for a few hours on sunny days a few days per week. I have a low watt UVB bulb for the times when he will no longer be able to go outside that we can easily run on our solar system. The low watt UVB will be used in conjunction with the natural light coming in the window - at 95-100 degrees - as a heat source.

Lastly, my question was related to the times when it is sunny and therefore hot - if the tort goes in the heated hide at these times, will he move into one of the unheated hides if he gets too hot. Really my question is about how intelligent torts are and how easily they can learn. I hope that is clearer for you.

I too care about the welfare of the animal and that is why I posted in the first place. I will not hesitate to rehome him if I cannot care for him adequately. I don't think that is the case as I'm not a total dumb ***

 

[Cathie G]

Hi Cathy. Its the wattage that is the concern. I am not worried about keeping things hot enough on sunny days. On sunny days parts of the tort table that are in the direct sun are a lovely 95 degrees. Its on cloudy days (which there are not too many of here) that I cannot run a high wattage bulb. Active solar has it limits - I wont get into detail. And our system is not huge. But I can charge devices and watch TV etc - less drain on the system.

That said, my question was really related to the tort getting too hot inside the heated hide on sunny days.

actually I saw a different idea and saw many devices that you can charge and use, or run with usb on Amazon and was sharing. Ohio can lose electricity and in the winter so no heat, humidity, etc But in your situation and mine...usb, rechargeable devices can take up the slack.

 

[Cathie G]

actually I saw a different idea and saw many devices that you can charge and use, or run with usb on Amazon and was sharing. Ohio can lose electricity and in the winter so no heat, humidity, etc But in your situation and mine...usb, rechargeable devices can take up the slack.

Somehow we are talking together on totally different issues.

 

[Joma]

Somehow we are talking together on totally different issues.

lol. Well the issues are related - we are talking on different ends of the same issue. But I am interested in the devices you have seen for heating? Heat bulbs charged via USB? The problem with producing heat on a solar system is that it requires a great deal of power to convert electricity to heat. Hence the name "resistance elements" But if you have an idea that may allow me to provide a low watt heat on cloudy days I'm listening

 

[Minority2]

Thank you. I think we are good for humidity. I add a bit of water to the substrate every so often.

1. What do you consider as good humidity? Specifically what level?

2. what device are you using to measure your temperature and humidity levels?