Another problem! Tom, help!

[ArmAni]

I hope it all works out. Keep us posted.

Will do!

 

[MySpurThighTortoiseRescue]

Maggie gave you a very good suggestion: PUT HIM IN A BOX!!! Rather than try to heat up that whole space, put him in a very large plastic tote/tub and heat that up instead.

Heat light, 65 watt incandescent flood bulb:

View attachment 353118

clamp fixture with ceramic base (called 'brooder light' at tractor supply or amazon):

View attachment 353119

large plastic tub:

View attachment 353120

Something on the floor of the tub (can be purchased at Amazon or chewy.com):

View attachment 353121
Using the clamp fixture on the light is sometimes not safe, so be sure to fix it securely to the tub. Place it at one end so the tortoise can move to the other end to get out of the bright light, and have it hanging straight down, not at an angle. Figure out a way to use the lid and still have the light shining inside the tub. The lid will help keep it warm inside.

I found this information very helpful too. Thank you very much.

 

[Tom]

I found this information very helpful too. Thank you very much.

Try this one:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[ArmAni]

Hey! Glad to say that we got the stuff and Raph is doing great thank you guys again so much.

 

[Tom]

Hey! Glad to say that we got the stuff and Raph is doing great thank you guys again so much.View attachment 353272

Okay....
He can't live in that. He needs a large enclosure and he needs to be able to move in and out of the basking lamp.

You need a ceramic based fixture. Those black plastic bakelite ones are not safe and it won't hold up. It is a fire hazard. Its also best to leave the dome on it to direct more heat downward.

Also, the fixture needs to be hung from over head. Those clamps ALWAYS fail eventually, and that could harm your tortoise or burn your house down.

 

[ArmAni]

I know that he cannot live in this. The vet suggested that we get him warm and fed and hydrated and then put him back into brumation. I don’t know if that’s the best suggestion or what.

 

[SinLA]

it would take 4-6 weeks to put him back into brumation and if he's eating and not moving between then I think you'll have an issue... I think the small space like that is fine to get him warm, but you can't sort of "inbetween" having him

Tom's Brumation Thread

Every fall we get bombarded here on the forum with all sorts of questions and problems regarding hibernation and tortoises "slowing down" for winter. The purpose of this thread is to talk about all aspects of this subject, to dispel some of the myths and mysteries, and give a "how to" list of...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[ArmAni]

To be honest, the heat bulb is not hot enough, but I can see why. It does not have the dome above it like it should. So, that will be going on the list of stuff to get. We still have the space heater in here too. I am turning it on during the day, and turning the heater and the lights off at night, as well as cracking the door to get some ventilation in there because it gets stuffy. I notice that with all of this, he is still sleeping. I don’t know if it is because he doesn’t have space to move around or what. I’ve soaked him for about 15 minutes every day for about a week now, but he’ll just go back to sleep. I’ll feed him in plant saucer, but he’ll just go back to sleep.

 

[Tom]

To be honest, the heat bulb is not hot enough, but I can see why. It does not have the dome above it like it should. So, that will be going on the list of stuff to get. We still have the space heater in here too. I am turning it on during the day, and turning the heater and the lights off at night, as well as cracking the door to get some ventilation in there because it gets stuffy. I notice that with all of this, he is still sleeping. I don’t know if it is because he doesn’t have space to move around or what. I’ve soaked him for about 15 minutes every day for about a week now, but he’ll just go back to sleep. I’ll feed him in plant saucer, but he’ll just go back to sleep.

The dome shouldn't matter much with a flood bulb like that because the bulb itself has reflection built in to direct the heat downward.

Did you get a "65 watt incandescent flood bulb", or is it a "65 watt replacement" LED bulb?

 

[ArmAni]

The dome shouldn't matter much with a flood bulb like that because the bulb itself has reflection built in to direct the heat downward.

Did you get a "65 watt incandescent flood bulb", or is it a "65 watt replacement" LED bulb?

I got a 65 watt incandescent flood/ heat lamp bulb with UVA for basking

 

[Tom]

To be honest, the heat bulb is not hot enough, but I can see why. It does not have the dome above it like it should. So, that will be going on the list of stuff to get. We still have the space heater in here too. I am turning it on during the day, and turning the heater and the lights off at night, as well as cracking the door to get some ventilation in there because it gets stuffy. I notice that with all of this, he is still sleeping. I don’t know if it is because he doesn’t have space to move around or what. I’ve soaked him for about 15 minutes every day for about a week now, but he’ll just go back to sleep. I’ll feed him in plant saucer, but he’ll just go back to sleep.

This tortoise cannot survive this way. It needs the proper heat and a large enclosure to move around in. If your family is unwilling or unable to meet its basic needs for survival, you need to give it to someone who can and will ASAP. You are killing this tortoise day after day like this.