The Book of Om: Or, Adventures in Tortoise Keeping, New Zealand edition

Neil fuller

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Stitchpunk

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I see the tubes are effective UPTO 50cm, how deep are your box's? Will this be in range?
How long until the little monster arrives?

Neil
Good point! Off the top of my head they would be 40-50cm tall, but then I have about 12cm of substrate in there too, so I should be able to hang them a little above the rim of the tubs. I'll check the measurements when I get home though. Would these lights get hot enough to soften/melt the plastic?
 

Stitchpunk

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I LOVE your picture. You look NOTHING like what I pictured. You're a "with it" kinda person!
lolol what did you think I looked like? A crusty old librarian with a bun and a cardigan and a sign saying SHUSH?! :D (well, I am pretty crusty. and i have been known to wear the odd cardigan. Preferably with a skull on it though.)
 

Stitchpunk

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I see the tubes are effective UPTO 50cm, how deep are your box's? Will this be in range?
How long until the little monster arrives?

Neil
Sorry, I forgot to say, we'll be picking up the little monster in April sometime so I've plenty of time to experiment with lighting etc( but NOT plenty of $, so I want to get that bit right first go if I can.)
 

Oxalis

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The tubs won't melt from the light, will they? :confused: I worry!
 

Neil fuller

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Sorry, I forgot to say, we'll be picking up the little monster in April sometime so I've plenty of time to experiment with lighting etc( but NOT plenty of $, so I want to get that bit right first go if I can.)
That's why I asked how far for the lights, 50cm is the furthest they should be in my mind. How hot they get I wouldn't know, I've never used them.
Sorry, I forgot to say, we'll be picking up the little monster in April sometime so I've plenty of time to experiment with lighting etc( but NOT plenty of $, so I want to get that bit right first go if I can.)

Maybe add some more substrate to bring the floor level higher, more room to dig and bury :)
 

Stitchpunk

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That's why I asked how far for the lights, 50cm is the furthest they should be in my mind. How hot they get I wouldn't know, I've never used them.


Maybe add some more substrate to bring the floor level higher, more room to dig and bury :)

Or maybe I should just go with the MVB after all. I've only been able to find one brand here that's non-coil: http://www.hollywoodfishfarm.co.nz/...-d3-self-ballasted-uv-b-lamp-100-watt/m/2721/ it comes in 100 or 150watt, but I can't find a photo anywhere that shows what the "holder" looks like so I don't know if I need to buy some kind of shade or cover for it too. I don't trust the shop staff to know, they're fish specialists with limited reptile knowledge.
 

Neil fuller

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Or maybe I should just go with the MVB after all. I've only been able to find one brand here that's non-coil: http://www.hollywoodfishfarm.co.nz/...-d3-self-ballasted-uv-b-lamp-100-watt/m/2721/ it comes in 100 or 150watt, but I can't find a photo anywhere that shows what the "holder" looks like so I don't know if I need to buy some kind of shade or cover for it too. I don't trust the shop staff to know, they're fish specialists with limited reptile knowledge.
They look expensive and you'd need one for each tub, the fitting is a standard desk lamp e27 bulb which you can buy easily from the warehouse for about $15 for a clip lamp. I used one before with a uvb coil bulb, but if you add it up 3 x lamps and 3 x bulbs your into $500 for lighting.
I think it'd be cheaper to add more coco coir to raise the level and use a tube light. Maybe go to a tropical fish shop and see how hot the bulbs get, I seem to think they run fairly cool, certainly not hot enough to melt those tubs with a small clearance between.
 

Lyn W

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Or maybe I should just go with the MVB after all. I've only been able to find one brand here that's non-coil: http://www.hollywoodfishfarm.co.nz/...-d3-self-ballasted-uv-b-lamp-100-watt/m/2721/ it comes in 100 or 150watt, but I can't find a photo anywhere that shows what the "holder" looks like so I don't know if I need to buy some kind of shade or cover for it too. I don't trust the shop staff to know, they're fish specialists with limited reptile knowledge.
I use a wide dome with a ceramic holder for my mvb - the deep domes apparently make the bulbs and possibly che over heat and burn out quickly. The dome directs the heat etc downwards. Also hanging is safe than the clamps which have been known to fail and cause fires - if hung you can adjust the temps by raising or lowering. I guess you already know about the risks of coil and red bulbs well documented here so won't go over all that again. Many US members use domes/shades for brooders used on farms and buy them from agricultural suppliers or hardware stores quite cheaply.
 

Stitchpunk

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They look expensive and you'd need one for each tub, the fitting is a standard desk lamp e27 bulb which you can buy easily from the warehouse for about $15 for a clip lamp. I used one before with a uvb coil bulb, but if you add it up 3 x lamps and 3 x bulbs your into $500 for lighting.
I think it'd be cheaper to add more coco coir to raise the level and use a tube light. Maybe go to a tropical fish shop and see how hot the bulbs get, I seem to think they run fairly cool, certainly not hot enough to melt those tubs with a small clearance between.

What I'd been thinking of was one really long UVB tube (the one I was looking at was a metre I think), with a basking bulb in one tub and possibly a CHE for winter. I'm not sure yet if I'll need regular daylight bulbs as well, the room gets some natural light already; I'm going to watch the plant growth and see how they respond to what's already there. I'd sort of envisioned a slightly different environment in each tub so that the tort could move between them for thermoregulation. So if I went with a MVB instead I'd still only have one, in the warm end/warm tub....and then maybe a smaller tube to cover the other 2 tubs. ARGH! The more I think about it the more confused I get! I suppose I've made it harder for myself by using a non-standard set up....but having spent $60 on the tubs and caused the bloke to swear a lot as he tried to cut the holes in the sides without the plastic breaking, I'm reluctant to ditch it and start over!
 

Neil fuller

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What I'd been thinking of was one really long UVB tube (the one I was looking at was a metre I think), with a basking bulb in one tub and possibly a CHE for winter. I'm not sure yet if I'll need regular daylight bulbs as well, the room gets some natural light already; I'm going to watch the plant growth and see how they respond to what's already there. I'd sort of envisioned a slightly different environment in each tub so that the tort could move between them for thermoregulation. So if I went with a MVB instead I'd still only have one, in the warm end/warm tub....and then maybe a smaller tube to cover the other 2 tubs. ARGH! The more I think about it the more confused I get! I suppose I've made it harder for myself by using a non-standard set up....but having spent $60 on the tubs and caused the bloke to swear a lot as he tried to cut the holes in the sides without the plastic breaking, I'm reluctant to ditch it and start over!
I would think the UVB tube would need to cover the whole environment, much like being out in the sunshine for real.
So in short... UVB for fake sun and a heat lamp to bake the little blighter so that he/she can feel warm and fuzzy :)
 

Neil fuller

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yeah, that make sense, thanks! :)
How are you getting along with your preparation??
I've just rehoused my Tort into her new garden home, she seems to be OK with it at the moment, just a bit worried that even as hot as we have it at the moment it's not hot enough.
Been thinking about winter keeping etc and your setup has given me some ideas, instead of a traditional table setup. But still not sure!!
 

Stitchpunk

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How are you getting along with your preparation??
I've just rehoused my Tort into her new garden home, she seems to be OK with it at the moment, just a bit worried that even as hot as we have it at the moment it's not hot enough.
Been thinking about winter keeping etc and your setup has given me some ideas, instead of a traditional table setup. But still not sure!!

Just watering the plants and keeping an eye on them. going to see if I can track down some organic potting mix this weekend, right now they're in their original pots shoved into the substrate. I get paid fortnightly and this was not a pay week so I have zero $ for buying lighting!

A traditional style table might be fine for you if your winter humidity levels are ok, part of the reason I went with the tubs was so I wouldn't have to bug the Mr into building something custom for me. I'm not sure what the winter humidity levels will be like here, but really,it's Auckland so it's always gonna be a bit damp! If need be I can use the lids somehow to keep heat/humidity in but that brings new lighting issues.
I'm SO ready for it to be Autumn!
 

Stitchpunk

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A quick plant update. Spider plants, coleus and oregano are doing well, and the forget-me-not seeds have sprouted already! The thyme is struggling and I don't think the baby's tears will make it. I split up my African violet over the weekend so now there are some baby ones in the enclosure too.I also found organic potting mix, but I'm going to wait till the forget-me-not seedlings are bigger before I repot everything. Humidity still reading 99%; it's been that kind of weather where you sweat buckets without even moving around. Ugh!
 

Oxalis

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A quick plant update. Spider plants, coleus and oregano are doing well, and the forget-me-not seeds have sprouted already! The thyme is struggling and I don't think the baby's tears will make it. I split up my African violet over the weekend so now there are some baby ones in the enclosure too.I also found organic potting mix, but I'm going to wait till the forget-me-not seedlings are bigger before I repot everything. Humidity still reading 99%; it's been that kind of weather where you sweat buckets without even moving around. Ugh!
Glad to hear you have a sprout! Me too; I'm amazed my cheap cucumber seeds have come up. :) They should be super tasty treats for my Russian when the grow bigger.
 
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