Distance between tort and uvb lamp?

[PalestTortie]

Hi,

I got my baby Greek tortie on Thursday.
I don't have issues heating up using my DHP from Arcadia.

I have a 34 inch long T5 12% UVB lamp from Arcadia as well. It's 39 watts and sits 2ft high up as I used to house an ackie monitor in there before.

What should be the correct distance? How would I lower it down? A ramp perhaps?

I have two other vivs stacked on top of my Greeks so looking for easy options that won't harm my back even more.

I'll answer tomorrow as it's my only day off and I'll need to sleep 👍

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hi,

I got my baby Greek tortie on Thursday.
I don't have issues heating up using my DHP from Arcadia.

I have a 34 inch long T5 12% UVB lamp from Arcadia as well. It's 39 watts and sits 2ft high up as I used to house an ackie monitor in there before.

What should be the correct distance? How would I lower it down? A ramp perhaps?

I have two other vivs stacked on top of my Greeks so looking for easy options that won't harm my back even more.

I'll answer tomorrow as it's my only day off and I'll need to sleep 👍

Hello!
The correct distance is where UVI 3-4 is provided. Usually it's around 18-21 inches to substrate, depending on how old is the lamp.

The easiest option to regulate height is substrate hill with a basking slate (or the ramp, yes). More flexible is to hang the lamp on cords/chains, but in two feet tall terrarium you don't have much room for that.

 

[PalestTortie]

Hello!
The correct distance is where UVI 3-4 is provided. Usually it's around 18-21 inches to substrate, depending on how old is the lamp.

The easiest option to regulate height is substrate hill with a basking slate (or the ramp, yes). More flexible is to hang the lamp on cords/chains, but in two feet tall terrarium you don't have much room for that.

Hi,

I see I'm on the right path to correct UVB distamce then. The lamp's been functioning since about March this year, so still fresh.

He's on kitchen towels atm, but I have his Tortoise Life substrate and edible straw bedding coming tomorrow. It's a little difficult getting my parcels as I am working full time atm, and my neighbours love to steal.

I got a few more questions.
I'll start with a stupid one.

I have this Habba Hut from Komodo, a wooden log. Perfect size for a baby tortie.
But he's tryna to eat the log. Why? How Do I stop him? He's also tryna to climb it.. (Oh my God he just climbed on it)

What temps do they need? Different sources give different temperatures.

He's not really eating, he spent two days in one spot just sleeping. This morning he just started walking about, he ate a tiny bit but overall he's ignoring his bowl with a finely chopped greens. He's mainly just walking about trying to climb walls and stuff.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

> He's on kitchen towels atm, but I have his Tortoise Life substrate and edible straw bedding coming tomorrow
These aren't good substrate choices, unfortunately. Tortoise Life encourage tortoises to eat substrate (so they get mouthful of sand) and is bad for holding humidity. Straw in humid enclosures molds quickly. For a baby Greek get just plain coco coir (coco peat), rehydrate, pack it down with your hand and you are good to go.

> But he's tryna to eat the log. Why? How Do I stop him?
It's just out of curiosity and should not happen often. No need to stop him. As you have lizards, maybe you've seen like bearded dragons lick everything in sight - that's the same thing.

> He's also tryna to climb it.. (Oh my God he just climbed on it)
Yep, they aren't that bad at climbing - watch closely so he doesn't flip on his back.

> What temps do they need? Different sources give different temperatures
At basking area 90-95F, with 80-85F in the warm end, 75F in the cool end. Nighttime drops to 70F are okay.

As he is actively exploring - this is a good sign. Try offering him some radicchio or classic Mazuri pellets.

 

[PalestTortie]

> He's on kitchen towels atm, but I have his Tortoise Life substrate and edible straw bedding coming tomorrow
These aren't good substrate choices, unfortunately. Tortoise Life encourage tortoises to eat substrate (so they get mouthful of sand) and is bad for holding humidity. Straw in humid enclosures molds quickly. For a baby Greek get just plain coco coir (coco peat), rehydrate, pack it down with your hand and you are good to go.

> But he's tryna to eat the log. Why? How Do I stop him?
It's just out of curiosity and should not happen often. No need to stop him. As you have lizards, maybe you've seen like bearded dragons lick everything in sight - that's the same thing.

> He's also tryna to climb it.. (Oh my God he just climbed on it)
Yep, they aren't that bad at climbing - watch closely so he doesn't flip on his back.

> What temps do they need? Different sources give different temperatures
At basking area 90-95F, with 80-85F in the warm end, 75F in the cool end. Nighttime drops to 70F are okay.

As he is actively exploring - this is a good sign. Try offering him some radicchio or classic Mazuri pellets.

I read about the substrate, it's a 50/50 topsoil and sand mix and is good at water retention. I also read that such a mix is fine? I spent £93 on all of this, I'd hate having to return it. But if you really think that's bad, I could try getting Arcadia's stuff. I really don't want to use coco coir, I used to use it and it molded all the time. It was mad. The straw I thought about in small amounts there and there, just something like a chewable snack more like.

So that's how they taste stuff to "smell"? My beardie licks stuff, but not in a food way.
My tortie did that to slate plates, thermometer/hygrometer, a rock and came back to the log.

But when it comes to his actual salad, he won't really touch it...

Thanks, just still trying to calibrate the heater. Keeps slightly overheating, but that's workable and normal with it.

Glad to hear that's normal, makes me happy to know he's healthy and active.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I read about the substrate, it's a 50/50 topsoil and sand mix and is good at water retention. I also read that such a mix is fine? I spent £93 on all of this, I'd hate having to return it. But if you really think that's bad, I could try getting Arcadia's stuff. I really don't want to use coco coir, I used to use it and it molded all the time. It was mad. The straw I thought about in small amounts there and there, just something like a chewable snack more like.

So that's how they taste stuff to "smell"? My beardie licks stuff, but not in a food way.
My tortie did that to slate plates, thermometer/hygrometer, a rock and came back to the log.

But when it comes to his actual salad, he won't really touch it...

Thanks, just still trying to calibrate the heater. Keeps slightly overheating, but that's workable and normal with it.

Glad to hear that's normal, makes me happy now he's healthy and active.

50/50 top soil with sand is not as good as coco coir at retaining moisture. And has too much sand, those who keep tortoises on mixes containing sand usually use 20-40%. If you don't like coco coir you can use just plain fine grade fir bark (orchid bark). Substrates containing sand can cause impactions in tortoises - when it's not hydrated enough, diet has insufficient fiber, enclosure is not large enough, mineral deficiences (not only calcium) provoking substrate eating.

Greek tortoises aren't grass and hay eaters, I'm not sure if straw will be beneficial. But they definitely like to hide in it.

Tortoises have very good sense of smell, so they bite something to taste, not to sniff. Beardies were just for example - they examine everything in the enclosure.

 

[Tom]

I read about the substrate, it's a 50/50 topsoil and sand mix and is good at water retention. I also read that such a mix is fine? I spent £93 on all of this, I'd hate having to return it. But if you really think that's bad, I could try getting Arcadia's stuff. I really don't want to use coco coir, I used to use it and it molded all the time. It was mad. The straw I thought about in small amounts there and there, just something like a chewable snack more like.

So that's how they taste stuff to "smell"? My beardie licks stuff, but not in a food way.
My tortie did that to slate plates, thermometer/hygrometer, a rock and came back to the log.

But when it comes to his actual salad, he won't really touch it...

Thanks, just still trying to calibrate the heater. Keeps slightly overheating, but that's workable and normal with it.

Glad to hear that's normal, makes me happy to know he's healthy and active.

Hello and welcome. You are reading the wrong info. Much of the advice offered for tortoise out in the world is terrible, old, and simply incorrect. Read these two thread for the correct care info so that you will have a successful tortoise keeping experience:

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...

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The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

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You'll understand a lot more after reading these, and questions are welcome.

 

[PalestTortie]

Thanks both so much, I'll have no regrets now returning the substrate or at least reselling it. I'll get some orchid bark instead. I still don't want coco coir, it too easily molds. Mostly just underneath hides and such.

I'm sadly forced to use grocery store greens, in the area here in UK where I live doesn't offer weedy greens and two nearby parks have a crap ton of dogs, plus roaming foxes at night.

My vivarium is 5x2 feet. I know, too small. Not ideally, I can't get a 6x2 or 7x2. I wish I knew about that roaming GI tract thing before, I'd have gotten another bearded dragon instead or a collared lizard.

I'll get it some tortoise pellets for it for the sweet proteins and fibres. I also have some "expired" (dried flowers last ages) dried flowers from Lucky Reptile.

Had no idea the 2-3 hour UVB thing and the 2-3x per week of calcium either. I'll try looking for some light strips and adjust UVB time. Guessing I'm just used to lizards so much I thought it's the same for torts.

 

[PalestTortie]

Whilst looking for pellets, I found these as well. Should I get those and mix it my tort's salads?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Whilst looking for pellets, I found these as well. Should I get those and mix it my tort's salads?

This kind of amendments is good. I would recommend Agrobs or Arcadia.
Avoid feeding any fruit to him now. In the best case scenario he will get picky, worse case is disturbing the gut flora.