Overheating

Is it okay to turn off my ceramic heater and just leave uvb light when the inside of my house hits above 85 degrees? My house doesn't have installation, right now it's 85 degree inside, but yesterday it hit 100 inside my House. What do I do when it's hot ? There babies, I can't take them out until they get bigger. What's your guys recommendation. Please help, I feel like passing out from the heat, but are my dinosaurs enjoying the heat?

get air conditioning, it's was 80-90 for two days in LA i don't see how your house can hit a 100 with insulation .... it'll be 90-100 for 4 months soon so maybe for your health consider A/C

spray the enclosure down. 100 is in basking temp range but is still to high they need an area to cool down in. Do you have moss? You might be able to keep an area slightly cooler with wet moss. Also please make your your tortoise can get to water at all times.

I recommend getting a temperature gun so you can see the temps quickly anywhere in the enclosure.

Tank & Scooter said:

Is it okay to turn off my ceramic heater and just leave uvb light when the inside of my house hits above 85 degrees? My house doesn't have installation, right now it's 85 degree inside, but yesterday it hit 100 inside my House. What do I do when it's hot ? There babies, I can't take them out until they get bigger. What's your guys recommendation. Please help, I feel like passing out from the heat, but are my dinosaurs enjoying the heat?

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Your CHE should be running through a thermostat that will turn it off when the ambient temperature inside your enclosure get above the set point.

Yes you can unplug it when temps are over 85 in the house.

Your tortoises are fine as long as the temp in the house stays under 100 degrees, but they still need light.

They can go outside everyday that it is warm enough. Generally, I like to have them outside for about 1 hour per day for each inch of tortoise.

Thanks for your input tom, I've had them for 3 weeks and they've only gotten 4 hours of sunlight. I have to sit there with them and watch them that's why. There's a stupid rat that lives in my garage and I haven't been able to kill him, also crows like to sit on my fence.

Destben said:

I recommend getting a temperature gun so you can see the temps quickly anywhere in the enclosure.

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Ya I have like 4 in the garage, I already have 3 temp gauges in the enclosure that i know are accurate. That's why I haven't got temp gun. It will be a good hide checker huh? I'll go get it

Destben said:

spray the enclosure down. 100 is in basking temp range but is still to high they need an area to cool down in. Do you have moss? You might be able to keep an area slightly cooler with wet moss. Also please make your your tortoise can get to water at all times.

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I spray daily. I just took moss out yesterday, they kept eating it. Even right as I put them food. They eat moss

Ghazan said:

get air conditioning, it's was 80-90 for two days in LA i don't see how your house can hit a 100 with insulation .... it'll be 90-100 for 4 months soon so maybe for your health consider A/C

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I have AC in all the windows. But that only drops temps 5 degrees lower then outside. Without AC my house like 8 degree hotter than outside temp. NO my house doesn't have installation and I rent so centralAC out the question

Tank & Scooter said:

I spray daily. I just took moss out yesterday, they kept eating it. Even right as I put them food. They eat moss

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This is why I don't use moss with any tortoise of any species. I don't know how people use it without their tortoises eating it.

Tom said:

This is why I don't use moss with any tortoise of any species. I don't know how people use it without their tortoises eating it.

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Can eating moss hurt them?

Kristy1970 said:

Can eating moss hurt them?

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It can potentially cause impactions, yes.

Kristy1970 said:

Can eating moss hurt them?

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Yeah… What he said.

Its just not something they should be eating.

Kristy1970 said:

Can eating moss hurt them?

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Per the tortoise table, sph. moss is ok to feed in moderation. They are known to be cautious and conservative in their recommendations.

“There are no known hazards with Sphagnum Moss, and it is often used to increase humidity inside tortoise hides. There should be no harm done if your tortoise finds and nibbles some in the enclosure.”

https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/viewplants/?plant=527&c=6#.Wy-ve4plDmo

TurtleBug said:

Per the tortoise table, sph. moss is ok to feed in moderation. They are known to be cautious and conservative in their recommendations.

“There are no known hazards with Sphagnum Moss, and it is often used to increase humidity inside tortoise hides. There should be no harm done if your tortoise finds and nibbles some in the enclosure.”

https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/viewplants/?plant=527&c=6#.Wy-ve4plDmo

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This is correct to a degree. A little nibble here and there will do no harm. All of mine survived it. But when they start eating it like food, it can cause an impaction.

Also, there is much confusion about the difference between sphagnum moss, sphagnum peat moss, and long fibered sphagnum peat moss. I am referring to the long fibered sphagnum peat moss that people like to stuff into hides and around the enclosure. Every tortoise of every age and species I've ever kept tries to eat it like food. I can't use it. I don't know how other people can either.

I’m using orchid bark. Daisy gets filthy but it holds moisture and she loves it,