Hatchling temps

Little Atlas comes home tomorrow evening. I'm trying to make sure temps are correct. I've been running lights and adjusting today:

Basking temp:
93.5
Warm side:
81
Cool side:
73
Night temp:
70
Humidity:
~83%

Is this right? Do I need to change anything up? Trying to make a good gradient but I want to make sure this is correct before I put a living tort in the enclosure.

I'm a little worried the cool side temp is a touch low, however this is the very coolest part in the far end- and not sure how I could add additional heat enough to only bring this up 2 degrees without overwhelming with heat.

I'd boost the basking temp up to about 95-100 and I never let my hatchlings drop below 80 at any time.

Are you using a CHE at night? If so I'd bump up the wattage. 70 degrees is too cool for a hatchling especially in a wet environment.

Arizona Sulcata said:

I'd boost the basking temp up to about 95-100 and I never let my hatchlings drop below 80 at any time.

Are you using a CHE at night? If so I'd bump up the wattage. 70 degrees is too cool for a hatchling especially in a wet environment.

Click to expand...

In the care guide for greeks it says basking between 90-95 for hatchlings, and overnight cool down, no heat unless your house is regularly very cold, and no night tenps over 75. My house is a steady 70 overnight.

Can someone please confirm? I don't want to mess this up.

I can overall bump up temps if needed, but I'm not sure that is correct for t.graeca.

@HermanniChris ?

Do not boost that night time temp. Testudo species (most) need a cool night. As I detail in the care sheet, it can be a death sentence to keep them warm over night. Your temps seem fine however, the cool end should be warmer than that during the day. Try to get it closer to 80 if you can. And again, no nighttime heat. 70 is just fine.

Perfect I will try and get the cool end boosted up a little! I've read your care guide approximately 9000x, but I want to get this right. Most of the enclosure is already 80 so it shouldn't be too hard I have it running all day today to track temps and make any adjustments before my tort comes home tonight.
Thank you again!

Arizona Sulcata said:

I'd boost the basking temp up to about 95-100 and I never let my hatchlings drop below 80 at any time.

Are you using a CHE at night? If so I'd bump up the wattage. 70 degrees is too cool for a hatchling especially in a wet environment.

Click to expand...

Hello my friend! Just wanted to point out that this poster is asking about a greek, not a tropical species like our sulcatas. A nighttime temp drop is good, even in a relatively humid environment. I let my Testudo or DTs drop as low as the low 60s at night with an open top, damp substrate and a humid hide. 65-70 suits them well.

counting said:

Perfect I will try and get the cool end boosted up a little! I've read your care guide approximately 9000x, but I want to get this right. Most of the enclosure is already 80 so it shouldn't be too hard I have it running all day today to track temps and make any adjustments before my tort comes home tonight.
Thank you again!

Click to expand...

This is awesome. I wish all new tortoise owners did this. I've had to recently lose a couple of sales to people who were clearly not ready for a baby, didn't even have an enclosure set up, and intended to house the babies incorrectly. One wanted a female because he wanted it to get along with his other females... of multiple different species... No thank you. Another had gone and bought a 20 gallon fish tank from Petco and a red bulb, for a 180 gram yearling. Again, no thank you.

I don't spend all this time and effort raising babies right so buyers can kill them in new, novel and inventive ways... So I'm thrilled to see someone doing it right, and your reward will be a healthy thriving baby, along with a breeder that should be happy about their baby's new home. Now all you have to do is learn all your local weeds and leaves and stay out of the grocery store for tortoise food.

I already have some broad leaf plantain, dandelion and new strawberry leaves for a first meal! I'll be switching it up frequently- and have been researching preserving weeds and plants I can cultivate indoors to help over the winter months. I have been researching for a LONG time (and it is amazing how care recommendations have changed in the past 3 years alone!!), so I hope I am able to do right by this little one!

I hope you all don't get too annoyed with my questions though!!! I'm likely to have lots..haha

counting said:

I hope you all don't get too annoyed with my questions though!!! I'm likely to have lots..haha

Click to expand...

You are already on the right track. Doing better than 95% of tortoise keepers.

We are all here to talk tortoises. Your questions fuel the conversation.

Tom said:

Hello my friend! Just wanted to point out that this poster is asking about a greek, not a tropical species like our sulcatas. A nighttime temp drop is good, even in a relatively humid environment. I let my Testudo or DTs drop as low as the low 60s at night with an open top, damp substrate and a humid hide. 65-70 suits them well.

Click to expand...

Yikes, I've been out of the loop far too long! Guess I should read what section it's being posted under before responding...[emoji85]