My Setup

Joshualee67

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This is my setup. I know it’s extremely small but I have very limited space at the moment. But this is my light at night time. I keep it on all night until morning then I turn on the daytime bulb and open my blinds.
 

Miscally

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This is my setup. I know it’s extremely small but I have very limited space at the moment. But this is my light at night time. I keep it on all night until morning then I turn on the daytime bulb and open my blinds.
You shouldn't use the red light at night, they need dark like we do to sleep. Also the red light confuses them. Heat and humidity need to be the same at night but no light is needed. Good luck with your new tortoise, they are great fun.
 

Joshualee67

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You shouldn't use the red light at night, they need dark like we do to sleep. Also the red light confuses them. Heat and humidity need to be the same at night but no light is needed. Good luck with your new tortoise, they are great fun.

It’s actually purple like a black light. But I know what your saying how do I get a heat bulb that doesn’t produce light? Does Walmart sell them. That’s really the only store near me.
 

TechnoCheese

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There are some things that need to be changed.

-your enclosure needs to be a closed chamber, or completely enclosed with very little ventilation, to hold the 80-100% humidity this tortoise requires. Open tops will not work.

-your substrate needs to be several inches thicker to help hold this humidity.

-this tortoise requires a bare minimum enclosure size of 36x18 as a hatchling (which won’t last long with how fast they grow in the correct conditions), with 4x2 feet being much better. It is near impossible to have the correct temperature gradient in the enclosure you have currently.

-lamps should always be coming straight down, and never clamped at an angle. Clamps are huge fire hazards (I speak from experience), and make it very hard to obtain and measure the correct temps.

-colored lights should never be used, and your tortoise can see both the color and the light. You should be using a ceramic heat emitter or radiant heat panel on a thermostat.

-I see no UVB. Unless you are bringing your tortoise out for real sunlight a few hours a week, you need a tube UVB over the top of the enclosure. UVB does not travel through windows.

-I would highly recommend changing your food and water bowls to a terra cotta saucer. These are much easier to use because of their texture and shape.

Be sure to give these a read and come back with questions-

How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0 https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php...ealthy-Sulcata-Or-Leopard,-Version-2.0.79895/

For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata... https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/For-Those-Who-Have-a-Young-Sulcata....76744/

Beginner Mistakes https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/
 

Joshualee67

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Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
NC
There are some things that need to be changed.

-your enclosure needs to be a closed chamber, or completely enclosed with very little ventilation, to hold the 80-100% humidity this tortoise requires. Open tops will not work.

-your substrate needs to be several inches thicker to help hold this humidity.

-this tortoise requires a bare minimum enclosure size of 36x18 as a hatchling (which won’t last long with how fast they grow in the correct conditions), with 4x2 feet being much better. It is near impossible to have the correct temperature gradient in the enclosure you have currently.

-lamps should always be coming straight down, and never clamped at an angle. Clamps are huge fire hazards (I speak from experience), and make it very hard to obtain and measure the correct temps.

-colored lights should never be used, and your tortoise can see both the color and the light. You should be using a ceramic heat emitter or radiant heat panel on a thermostat.

-I see no UVB. Unless you are bringing your tortoise out for real sunlight a few hours a week, you need a tube UVB over the top of the enclosure. UVB does not travel through windows.

-I would highly recommend changing your food and water bowls to a terra cotta saucer. These are much easier to use because of their texture and shape.

Be sure to give these a read and come back with questions-

How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0 https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php...ealthy-Sulcata-Or-Leopard,-Version-2.0.79895/

For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata... https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/For-Those-Who-Have-a-Young-Sulcata....76744/

Beginner Mistakes https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/

Ok so I’m looking for a job right now. But my tortoise should be fine until I get the money to start upgrading right?
 

Miscally

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Get a ceramic bulb for heat without light. It's important not to use the coloured lights. Here in the UK they're not too expensive.
 

TechnoCheese

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Ok so I’m looking for a job right now. But my tortoise should be fine until I get the money to start upgrading right?

It depends on when you get the money. If it’s a while, there may be lasting effects, but if it happens soon, it should be fine. It’s just important that you get it changed as soon as you can :)

Try using a large tub for the enclosure. You can get a 50 gallon one for 20$ at Walmart.
 

Joshualee67

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It depends on when you get the money. If it’s a while, there may be lasting effects, but if it happens soon, it should be fine. It’s just important that you get it changed as soon as you can :)

Try using a large tub for the enclosure. You can get a 50 gallon one for 20$ at Walmart.

Oh it’s gonna be soon like a month or so. Thanks for the help. I’m going to get one of those tubs. And what could I put over top to make it more closed you know? So humidity doesn’t escape.
 
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