Can't get my tank warm enough

[jenG07]

We have a new adult box turtle and I'm having trouble getting the right temp for him. He is indoors, in a 50 g tank with no cover - I have a 125w MVB which I anticipated using for basking/UVB and a 100W CHE, both in clamp lamps on the same end of the tank. I'm only getting to about 81-82 directly under the MVB, with high 70s ambient heat on the warm end of the tank, low 70s on the cool end. He is NOT happy about this, but I can't figure out how to get it to warm up! Any suggestions for different lights/wattage I should be using?

 

[LaLaP]

Hi! I'm newer to tortoises and just getting my indoor setup dialed but I'm in Portland so we have a similar climate. How are you measuring temps? A temp gun is really good for spot checking and getting it all dialed in. If you have a stick-on gauge those are very unreliable. There are other probe types that are good I hear but I don't have one yet. The clamps on lamps are quite bad for several reasons...Lamps should always hangs down and not be tilted or clamped from the side to be most effective but most importantly those clamps fail often and when they do they can fall and cause fires and harm torts or worse. Beside the dangers if you have an alternate way to hang the light you can get it closer and therefore hotter. If you get a temp gun and make some kind of frame or hanger to hang the lamp from you can lower it until the temp gun reads the correct temp (95-100ish). A temp gun is very cheap at lowes or Home Depot. I got mine for $12.
I make my lamp frames from small diameter pvc pipe with elbows and such. You can do it with wood or suspend from a ceiling. You can also buy lovely wrought iron hangers. I saw one in a craft store for $15. Hope this helps. I'm still tweaking my temps and it's tricky

 

[LaLaP]

 

[LaLaP]

Umm.. the pic was very much a test situation which has changed but you can see that the black lamp which is a lower wattage spot lamp is very low. The higher lamp is a high watt flood lamp. I have since changed things and the wires were loose and crazy because it was a test but now I've tightened and tidied them. I just wanted to show you the type of pvc frame that can be easily built.

 

[JoesMum]

We have a new adult box turtle and I'm having trouble getting the right temp for him. He is indoors, in a 50 g tank with no cover - I have a 125w MVB which I anticipated using for basking/UVB and a 100W CHE, both in clamp lamps on the same end of the tank. I'm only getting to about 81-82 directly under the MVB, with high 70s ambient heat on the warm end of the tank, low 70s on the cool end. He is NOT happy about this, but I can't figure out how to get it to warm up! Any suggestions for different lights/wattage I should be using?

To increase the temperature under the MVB, lower it towards the substrate and/or use a higher wattage bulb.

To improve the ambient temperature in the enclosure, it needs to be covered. This means using plexiglass or a tent-like plant cover over the whole enclosure... There are examples of closed chambers in the enclosures forum

 

[Tom]

What is the room temp?

A 50 gallon tank is way too small for an adult boxie. You need something MUCH larger. A minimum of 3x6 or 4x8'. A closed chamber would make this much easier. In a closed chamber you won't be fighting the room temp. It will be easy to maintain whatever conditions you want.

 

[jenG07]

What is the room temp?

A 50 gallon tank is way too small for an adult boxie. You need something MUCH larger. A minimum of 3x6 or 4x8'. A closed chamber would make this much easier. In a closed chamber you won't be fighting the room temp. It will be easy to maintain whatever conditions you want.

Oh, no - really!? I got a 50 gal because both the exotic animal vet and the specialty reptile store where we adopted him said that was the right size. Plus he is out of the tank several hours a day - both outside or walking around the house. He is a little guy - only about 4" - but I will definitely look into something bigger

 

[jenG07]

To increase the temperature under the MVB, lower it towards the substrate and/or use a higher wattage bulb.

To improve the ambient temperature in the enclosure, it needs to be covered. This means using plexiglass or a tent-like plant cover over the whole enclosure... There are examples of closed chambers in the enclosures forum

I will take a look at some examples because I can't figure out how to cover it with the lamps there - thank you!

 

[jenG07]

Umm.. the pic was very much a test situation which has changed but you can see that the black lamp which is a lower wattage spot lamp is very low. The higher lamp is a high watt flood lamp. I have since changed things and the wires were loose and crazy because it was a test but now I've tightened and tidied them. I just wanted to show you the type of pvc frame that can be easily built.

Wow - that looks great. Seems like I need to start getting my DIY skills out!

 

[Melis]

Oh, no - really!? I got a 50 gal because both the exotic animal vet and the specialty reptile store where we adopted him said that was the right size. Plus he is out of the tank several hours a day - both outside or walking around the house. He is a little guy - only about 4" - but I will definitely look into something bigger

Welcome!

Unfortunately some stores will say lots of things just to make a sale. And if a vet told you that was big enough, I would worry about any care advice they may have to offer in the future.

Outside time is great, just make sure it is in a secure enclosure.

Roaming the floors of your house is not a good idea. There’s no way to maintain a proper temperature for a tort on the floor. If you are already struggling maintaining proper temp in the enclosure, think about how much cooler it is on the floor. You will also see lots of stories here of things that can go wrong, from eating something it shouldn’t, to being stepped on or falling, to being chewed on by a family pet.

 

[jenG07]

Welcome!

Unfortunately some stores will say lots of things just to make a sale. And if a vet told you that was big enough, I would worry about any care advice they may have to offer in the future.

Outside time is great, just make sure it is in a secure enclosure.

Roaming the floors of your house is not a good idea. There’s no way to maintain a proper temperature for a tort on the floor. If you are already struggling maintaining proper temp in the enclosure, think about how much cooler it is on the floor. You will also see lots of stories here of things that can go wrong, from eating something it shouldn’t, to being stepped on or falling, to being chewed on by a family pet.

Sorry, I should have been more clear - he never gets to roam anywhere unattended! I'm the helicopter mom of turtle parenting But I will definitely look into a bigger tank/enclosure - thanks!