Basking temperature

[sasha1104]

I am getting my Russian tort a new enclosure...ordering a T5 10.0 uvb. Bulb and heat lamp will be hung on the hanger the cage comes with. The walls I believe are 12 inches high and has a wire grate type thing on top of the enclosure. Do I hang the uvb light strip inside of the enclosure? And also what temp should the basking rock be? And what temp for the enclosure warn side?

 

[Mr. RussianTortoise]

The uvb can be put on top of the mesh or under, however if you put it on top of the mesh the amount of uvb produced is lowered and if you put the uvb under you will have to increase the distance of the location of the uvb since it will be too powerful. I would put the uvb on the mesh since that is the correct amount of uvb produced if placed on mesh thats 12 inches high. The basking area should be 95 degrees and the ambient should be 75 to 85 degrees. Remember you should get an incadenscent flood bulb and a ceramic heat emitter for the night.

 

[sasha1104]

The uvb can be put on top of the mesh or under, however if you put it on top of the mesh the amount of uvb produced is lowered and if you put the uvb under you will have to increase the distance of the location of the uvb since it will be too powerful. I would put the uvb on the mesh since that is the correct amount of uvb produced if placed on mesh thats 12 inches high. The basking area should be 95 degrees and the ambient should be 75 to 85 degrees. Remember you should get an incadenscent flood bulb and a ceramic heat emitter for the night.

Ok ty I do have a ceramic heat buld now for at night in her present enclosure

 

[Tom]

I am getting my Russian tort a new enclosure...ordering a T5 10.0 uvb. Bulb and heat lamp will be hung on the hanger the cage comes with. The walls I believe are 12 inches high and has a wire grate type thing on top of the enclosure. Do I hang the uvb light strip inside of the enclosure? And also what temp should the basking rock be? And what temp for the enclosure warn side?

Those enclosures are too small. Is your tortoise an adult? If yes, it needs something around 4x8 feet. Babies can be in smaller enclosures, but then those little wooden ones don't work because they are too open and the wood rots with the necessary damp substrate.

More here, and welcome to the forum!

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

 

[sasha1104]

Well right now she is in a 36 inch guinea pig cage that the pet store sold me. I can only upgrade to the size I am buying now as I have limited space, eventually when I have more room I can get her a bigger one. I do let her have free roam time also in my house. I would like to get a bigger one right now but this will have to do until then. It's longer than what I have anyhow.

 

[sasha1104]

And she is an adult, 8 years old. She is a good eater, and loves to roam the house when i let her. I just want to give her a bettrr enclosure and ljke i said i do not have room for an enclosure that i bigger than what i am getting but in the future I can get her something bigger. I read young tortoises need the damp substrate?

 

[wellington]

And she is an adult, 8 years old. She is a good eater, and loves to roam the house when i let her. I just want to give her a bettrr enclosure and ljke i said i do not have room for an enclosure that i bigger than what i am getting but in the future I can get her something bigger. I read young tortoises need the damp substrate?

They should never roam the house and she needs a bigger enclosure ASAP. You could cause her to not be able to walk and insides to not work properly in an enclosure that is too small.
The best for her is a proper sized enclosure. The minimum of a 4x8 still isn't the best size but is the minimum they should have as an adult.
Try having an enclosure built or build it yourself and put a second level on it if you can't go bigger in length.

 

[Tom]

And she is an adult, 8 years old. She is a good eater, and loves to roam the house when i let her. I just want to give her a bettrr enclosure and ljke i said i do not have room for an enclosure that i bigger than what i am getting but in the future I can get her something bigger. I read young tortoises need the damp substrate?

We don't want to come across as harsh or mean or insulting in any way. Our intention is to help you and your tortoise, not offend you.

Tortoises need large enclosures with lots of floor space. Confining them to small enclosures can do all sorts of harm. Locomotion is important for digestion and to keep the GI tract moving in much the same way a horse needs to walk a lot daily. They can also get orthopedic problems and sometime dip into a depression when kept in small quarters. Your tortoise NEEDS a larger enclosure, and your space limitations don't matter. The tortoise needs what it needs.

Pet stores are full of incorrect info and commonly sell the wrong products. Many people don't realize just how bad most pet store advice can be.

Loose on the floor is not safe and cannot be made safe. We see death, injury and sickness from this practice on a regular basis here on this forum all year every year. Please don't get defensive. We know you mean well and think it is safe. Everyone who does this thinks it is safe, or they wouldn't be doing it. And then they learn too late that it is not safe. We want to save you from that terrible tragic heartache.

Check this thread out. Lots of good info here:

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

 

[sasha1104]

I do want to give her a bigger home but have nowhere to out an enclosure that size. I am a single mom and can't build one myself..maybe I can find one with multiple levels for her.

 

[Mr. RussianTortoise]

Try reading this, it might help give you an idea

https://www.reddit.com/r/tortoise/comments/18jg1bw

 

[Tom]

Try reading this, it might help give you an idea

https://www.reddit.com/r/tortoise/comments/18jg1bw

That is a great post!

 

[sasha1104]

That is a great post!

Ty