Bowser's first night in the house.

[omgdoubletacos]

Well, tonight is the first really cold night we've had here in SE Georgia. checked the temps in bowser's outside house and its only going up to 62 in his house. So he's spending the night in the house. (Thank God I have large dogs. Large dogs = large crates) Got him set up in the largest dog crate ( made for danes and mastiffs) with some hay and a heat lamp. He seems happy enough. First thing tomorrow I'm running to the pet shop and getting a better heat bulb.

 

[wellington]

Check out the way Tom heats his torts in the colder nights of Cali. Here is his thread. I use the same things for my torts in Chicago. http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-66867.html

 

[Laura]

watch out using hay and heat lamps... fire danger..

its still in the 80's here during the day.. high 40 at night.. I have not turned their heat on yet.. they do in their houses.. come out and bask in the morn and eat..

but mine are all older..

 

[Tom]

I don't like heat bulbs for larger tortoises. The top of the carapace usually ends up getting too hot, while the air temps and plastron are too cool for my liking. I like it two ways:
1. Mini oil filled radiant heater on its own thermostat.
2. Radiant heat panel on top and Kane heat mat on bottom, all on their own thermostat. Both of these need to be used in very well insulated and sealed boxes to be effective.

 

[omgdoubletacos]

Bowser is about 40 to 50 pounds now. and tonight's low is 46 and the highs are only in the mid to low 70s. He was out basking and eating around 3 this afternoon. What kind of substrate do you use?

 

[Tom]

No substrate with option 2. Grass hay with option 1.