Tortoise Vivarium "L" Shaped

[lightningthetortoise]

Hi! :,

I have a four year old Hermanns tortoise (testudo hermannii hermannii)
His name is lightning!. I am building a new vivarium at the moment.... It is "L" shaped The bottom of the "L" is his cave/bed it is front facing opening door... Heres a video I have yet to install sliding glass windows..
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNmKXh2HXWo
[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNmKXh2HXWo[/video]



The appliances that i hope to install in this is 2 Lightbulbs 1 Moon glo bulb.
and 1 heat mat....
As for the substrate i use bark at the moment but with the new bigger custom built vivarium i was thinking of a better substrate can you guys recommend any?
Top soil?
Plantation soil? (Pet store approved)
Coco husk
Bark
Aspen (Dont realy want to use this)

<a href="http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/night_heat_lamp.php"> moon glo bulb</a>
Yours Sincerely,
Jack Leonard[/code][/code][/code][/code][/code]

 

[ascott]

Very cool! I can recommend clean dirt mixed with coco coir...this is just something that I like to use...however, others will offer their opinions as well

I am not certain of what a moon glo bulb is? and are the 2 lightbulbs just regular bulbs for light or are you referring to basking bulbs?

 

[lightningthetortoise]

@ascott
Do you mean like garden center soil/dirt?? Or pet store approved??
A moon glo bulb is a bulb that offers a tiny bit of light at night and heats and emits sufficient uvb/uva rays at night...
As for the other bulbs I'm referring to "normal uva/uvb Bulbs that provide vitamin "D" which helps with the breakdown of calcium"
Yours Sincerely,
JAck

 

[ascott]

I use good ole dirt from my property, however, I do this because I know I don't use any sprays of any kind...I then mix and then lay on top surface coco coir....but if you are going to use store purchased soil I would just suggest purchasing a truly organic, fertilizer free soil.

I was inquiring about the two lights, are you going to use a long tube uvb with an individual heat basking light with uva?

 

[lightningthetortoise]

NO just a regular sunglo bulb...

 

[lynnedit]

Nicely done! I like the 'L' shape and the access to the hide...

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Looks good.

 

[lightningthetortoise]

Thanks GUYs! Any recommendations for fixtures or for what i should put in there? I have a hermanns tort

 

[lynnedit]

I believe that daytimes UV/heat is all that is needed(MVB). Perhaps a second basking/house light if you need more illumination.
Or, some use a tube fluorescent for UV light, and Basking light for heat. That might work better in your set up.
Set your MVB or basking light on the 'non hide' end of the enclosure to be your warm/basking side.
Make sure you have some ventilation.
If your house is >60F at night, they seem to prefer cooling off, so you won't need night heat. That is why it is nice your hide is separate.

 

[lightningthetortoise]

@lynnedit
Thank you very much!, I have an electronic fan that i built myself it has a heated coil around it so i can just turn the coil on if i want it to be warm, i can turn it off if i want it to be cool, I also have UVA/UVBlighst (Fluorescent)

 

[lynnedit]

@lynnedit
Thank you very much!, I have an electronic fan that i built myself it has a heated coil around it so i can just turn the coil on if i want it to be warm, i can turn it off if i want it to be cool, I also have UVA/UVBlighst (Fluorescent)

That's the ticket!

 

[lightningthetortoise]

Yep!