# Heat Lamps and Plastic Tubs



## tofuqueen (Jul 9, 2009)

Hi everyone,
I'm new to this forum and the wonderful world of tortoises! LOL. My husband and I had been thinking about getting a tortoise since I REALLY want a pet and he's allergic to everything with fur and feathers. A friend has a Russian tortoise that is around 2 years old. He got it from a friend of his who no longer wanted it... so sad! But he can't keep it because of space restrictions and he has some new baby hatchlings to care for. Anyway... I'm trying to get a good set up ready so that we can pick up the little guy this weekend. I really don't have a huge amount of money to put into this or the time/skill needed to build a tort table. So I'm thinking a big 30 gallon Rubbermaid tub would be a great option. My big concern with that is the UVA/UVB light and heat lamp. Is it safe with a plastic tub?!? Is there a risk of fire? Right now my friend has him in a 10 gallon glass aquarium as a temporary holding zone. VERY TEMPORARY! We both know that's not enough space. The original owner (very irresponsible) was going to "release" it into the woods, so this truely was a rescue mission! Thanks for reading my post! I'd really appreciate any advice on this whole rubbermaid tub situation!


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## Maggie Cummings (Jul 9, 2009)

Most UVB lights don't put out any heat, so if you got a regular clamplight fixture and put a black light bulb in it that could suffice for the heat, and it wouldn't melt your plastic.


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## Yvonne G (Jul 9, 2009)

Hi Tofuqueen:







to the forum!!

A great temporary indoor habitat can be made out of those plastic under-the-bed storage containers. They are quite long, yet have low sides. And if you place a bulb in a clamp light attached to the side of the container, there is no danger of it melting the plastic. Or a Christmas tree storage container. Just be sure to get a container with the largest floor space, as the tortoise needs plenty of exercise.

Yvonne


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## jobeanator (Jul 9, 2009)

defently get a xmas tree storage container for a temporary indoor enclosure. they are somewhat expensive for plastic, but do perfect for a little while. i had used for a while a plastic container for walmart, cost me 15$ it was nice and long but very short in height. i had problems with have heat stay in since the height was so short.


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## tortoisenerd (Jul 9, 2009)

If it melts the tub it is waaaay too hot for the tort to be in there. Never heard of this being a problem. With any heat device you want to have a very sturdy base, clamp, and back up to the clamp (like wire looped around or whatever). Some also use two clamps. I have heard of lamps falling and starting fires to you can never be too cautious. Never just set it on a screen or similar. It needs to be adjusted to an exact height anyways for the correct temperature.

Welcome to the forum! We'd love pictures. Let us know when you have a set up started and with some pictures we can give you some pointers. In my opinion the set up is one of the toughest parts of tort ownership. Six months later and I'm still tweaking mine--I think of it as a work in progress always.

The more space the better. If the tort is still growing, you also need the enclosure to expand as the tort gets larger.

I do have a think against under the bed boxes for Russians though because they dig so much. You need the substrate to be at least as deep as they are long, so with the substrate and cage furnishings I don't think an under the bed box is high enough sided. They climb! Shop around to get the most floor space and don't worry too much about the sides as long as they are tall enough (too short is much worse of a problem). You can also combine two or more bins as some here have done...either slicing them and nesting them, or creating a tunnel. Pretty creative.


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## tofuqueen (Jul 10, 2009)

Thank you all for responding to my question! Everyone gives such great advice! I'm glad I came across this forum. I've already spent hours reading through previous posts and I've learned a lot! We just brought Pablo (named after Pablo Picasso.... my favorite artist!) home this afternoon. He seems to be adjusting well so far! I'll post pictures soon! We need to go shopping for some "supplies"!


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## tortoisenerd (Jul 10, 2009)

Sounds great Looking forward to pictures.


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## Okietorter (Jul 28, 2009)

Winter home for the redfoots. The light holder is a slide-in basket you can add to a computer desk or shelf in a closet. Very cheap at Walmart. I turned it upside down and bent u-shaped wires straight. Drilled holes in 55 gal. tub to fit the wires.


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## tortoisenerd (Jul 28, 2009)

That looks cool! It's amazing how much you can get for torts at hardware stores and such, instead of pet stores. Any more close up shots?


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