I’d like to create a permanent outdoor enclosure for my RT. He’s about 3-4 years old.
I live in Vallejo, California (located near the Bay Area) and have considered making him a huge outdoor enclosure to spend in year-round.
I know people say SoCal would be fine year-round for a tortoise, but...
From my understanding, we should keep our UVA lights on from sunrise to sundown (12-14 hours a day) to simulate sunlight.
What about UVB? How many hours a day is it appropriate to keep on my UVB T5 12% Arcadia tube? (My solar meter reads anywhere from 1.9 - 5.0 throughout the enclosure).
Is...
I'm considering possibly doing an enclosure overhaul depending on the feedback I receive.
I'll keep things short and simple: I have a ~1.5 year old Russian Tortoise that is almost 4.5 inches long. He/she needs more space to burrow in and I just want a bigger enclosure for it in general.
The...
I know this might seem a bit extra, but I know that some people claim that mesh below your lights is bad because it reduces UVB output anywhere from 20-50%.
I understand this and it's expected, but if I have a Solar Meter and if the levels are between 3-7 on the index scale for my Russian...
Hi guys,
Just doing my occasional check-in on my tortoise’s health.
I’ve recently noticed that the lines between each section of his shell have become more pronounced. Is this normal as he grows or is this a sign that something need to be changed?
The picture of him laying down with his legs...
I’m trying to do an overhaul of my tortoises enclosure, but realize that garden center substrate is usually a lot cheaper.
Does anyone know if this brand is perfectly safe for my tortoise?
Thank you!
I’m having some trouble trying to decide where the temp/humidity sensor should go in my enclosure. Over the last 6 months, I’ve had it on the log, in the corner, on the wall, but now I just set it down on the substrate near the wall.
Any recommendations for accurate readings? Thank you :)!
My 9-month old Russian tortoise is growing quickly and I’ve noticed that his shell isn’t perfectly smooth. I’ve never owned a tortoise before so I don’t know what to expect but is it normal for his shell to have lots of lines and look a bit rough/ridged as shown in the pics? I’m not referring to...
I’ve been using this UVB light for my enclosure and it seems like it has been doing great for my 7-month old Russian tortoise. However, I just wanted some feedback on what you guys think about this UVB light?
Hi everybody, I just wanted to show a few photos of my Russian tortoise (approx. 7-8 months old) and receive some feedback on how the health of my tortoise is looking. I admittedly purchased this tortoise rather young (4 months) as I was unable to find an adult captive-bred tortoise for sale...
I have a six month old Russian Tortoise that has primarily been indoors within a closed chamber enclosure to help maintain proper humidity and temps. I want to take my tortoise outside, but the outdoor enclosure I have is open-top.
Does humidity matter if my baby tortoise is outside for a bit...
I have a Zoo Med 3x2 tortoise enclosure outside that I’d like to put my tortoise in (has a hidden private area for shade and 4-6 inches of Coco fiber). However, it’s been getting a bit chilly here in the Bay Area, California. The average temps are about 64 F everyday where I’m at. Would I still...
Where is the ideal spot to put my humidity reader? It’s been at 99% for a while after I sprayed down my enclosure. The device itself is dry, but the reading has remained at 99% which I doubt is correct.
Where is a good spot to place it for accurate readings?
I recently upgraded this new enclosure to help keep the proper humidity levels for my 4-month old Russian tortoise. It’s great, but the metal top screen absorbs about 30% of the heat or so it seems. My heating/basking bulb now only reaches about 88-90f as opposed to 95-100f like it used to from...
I'm just curious as to why it's important that young tortoises have high-humidity enclosures. Also, would frequent soaking be a good way to make up for a lack of proper humidity? I'm struggling to find information on how the two work hand-in-hand.
I am upgrading the enclosure for my 4-month old Russian tortoise to a 6ft x 2ft space by putting together two Zoo Med Tortoise House’s.
The only issue is that they are mostly open-top and I suspect there will be issues with retaining humidity. I want to make sure that I get my humidity in check...
I just got my Russian tortoise and I’m a bit confused on what to expect from it. Are they fairly active during the day? Are they eating often? Are they mainly in one spot all day? I ask this because my new tortoise has been staying in a single spot under my fake plant all day and doesn’t seem to...