Distance of heater and basking bulb from baby cherry head tortoise.

[Torkoal#1]

I have a baby cherry head tortoise I got on the 8th of March 2022. When he got here there was still a skin patch on his belly healing from his egg sack. After a week it was gone and all black. I'd really like to know how far the heating bulb should be its a 100w ceramic heating bulb, and in the day, my 75w swamp basking bulb same ad I use for my red eared slider turtle. They are about 11 to 12 inches away its hanging so if I move it to where it's pulled to the top and not hanging in a bit its about 12 inches away. Today I noticed a spot on top of his eye that was lighter and its new, I look at him daily every morning soak. Shortly after noticing, about 2 hours, It's likda gone but just barely there. I was worried it was a burn spot maybe. Also is 6% uvb enough at 12 to 13 inches away, its sitting on top the tote lid with a full rectangular cutout it sits over. Sorry for the bad video but you can kinda see the spot you can't make it out but it's just instead if black or dark it's more grayish lighter idk. What'd all the possibilities it could be so far a lighter scale is what I was told but it want always like that so idk.

 

[Tom]

You've got all sorts of problems there. I don't say this to bum you out. I'm telling you so you can fix it before it causes major problems.

1. RFs don't need basking bulbs. They just need uniform warm temps day and night.
2. Get rid of the moss ASAP. They eat it and it can cause impaction.
3. Humidifiers shouldn't blow directly into enclosures like that. They should not be breathing those little water droplets. Maintain proper humidity by using a closed chamber with the heating and lighting inside.
4. If you are still going to use the heat lamps, only your thermometer can tell you how close to mount them. We can only guess.
5. That baby should not have been sold to you that early. It should have spent a week or more in a brooder box and then a good month in an enclosure. Whoever sold it to you didn't do you or that tortoise any favors. Not cool at all.

This may help explain more of this:

Redfoot Tortoise Care Sheet

NOTE: I do not keep redfoots, and I only have one tortoise in total. With this in mind, remember that I am in no way an expert, and this should not be used as cold hard proof of how to raise a redfoot. I used information from great keepers on this forum to put everything together. This care...

tortoiseforum.org

Questions are welcome.

 

[Torkoal#1]

I'm not going to use the basking light anymore my t5 has uva and uvb so I'll just use a ceramic heater to maintain the totes temperature at 85°F and no temperature drop for night, I believe he is only about 3 or 4 weeks old. Tortoise town is trying to say he is 3 1/2 months old. But he is tiny and had the skin on his belly still healing when I got him. Right under the bulb gets in the 90s and the other areas are only like 81 84 or 85. So how do I get the whole thing to be 85 and hold without the hot spot under the bulb, coming in from the side with it seems to close to the tortoise.

 

[Torkoal#1]

I was just trying to add this lol but the video I wanted to add of his spot on his eye took longer than 15 mins so I can't upload it.

 

[Torkoal#1]

You've got all sorts of problems there. I don't say this to bum you out. I'm telling you so you can fix it before it causes major problems.

1. RFs don't need basking bulbs. They just need uniform warm temps day and night.
2. Get rid of the moss ASAP. They eat it and it can cause impaction.
3. Humidifiers shouldn't blow directly into enclosures like that. They should not be breathing those little water droplets. Maintain proper humidity by using a closed chamber with the heating and lighting inside.
4. If you are still going to use the heat lamps, only your thermometer can tell you how close to mount them. We can only guess.
5. That baby should not have been sold to you that early. It should have spent a week or more in a brooder box and then a good month in an enclosure. Whoever sold it to you didn't do you or that tortoise any favors. Not cool at all.

This may help explain more of this:

Redfoot Tortoise Care Sheet

NOTE: I do not keep redfoots, and I only have one tortoise in total. With this in mind, remember that I am in no way an expert, and this should not be used as cold hard proof of how to raise a redfoot. I used information from great keepers on this forum to put everything together. This care...

tortoiseforum.org

Questions are welcome.

A fully enclosed tote wouldn't cause stale air and a respiratory infection?

 

[Tom]

A fully enclosed tote wouldn't cause stale air and a respiratory infection?

No, they are not air tight. And I wouldn't use a tote. You can't see your tortoise. Use a large closed chamber. Like these or something similar:

New Stack of Animal Plastics CLosed Chambers

AKA: Tom's baby emporium. @GStars asked for a pic on my new baby raising enclosures the other day. I only had a partial, but I took a fuller one today. Each cage is 96x30 and divided in the middle into two 48x30 cages for starting babies. The colored tape on each upper right corner shows the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Torkoal#1]

No, they are not air tight. And I wouldn't use a tote. You can't see your tortoise. Use a large closed chamber. Like these or something similar:

New Stack of Animal Plastics CLosed Chambers

AKA: Tom's baby emporium. @GStars asked for a pic on my new baby raising enclosures the other day. I only had a partial, but I took a fuller one today. Each cage is 96x30 and divided in the middle into two 48x30 cages for starting babies. The colored tape on each upper right corner shows the...

tortoiseforum.org

Will he be okay I've had him like this for almost 2 weeks now. He eats plenty and his poops are like brown little log like poops. Kinda human like but slimy looking. I'll build him a fully enclosed one that 4 foot long 2.5 foot deep and about 1.5 to 2 foot high based on the needed hight for my 4 foot long 6% uvb 30%uva t5 bulb with reflective hood. That should keep his temps to the right bit maybe even to hot possibly, may need a 2 foot bulb and hood instead. But the moss I was told is digestive and also without it how do I get the humidity to 85% even in the fully enclosed large spaced habitat?

 

[Torkoal#1]

No, they are not air tight. And I wouldn't use a tote. You can't see your tortoise. Use a large closed chamber. Like these or something similar:

New Stack of Animal Plastics CLosed Chambers

AKA: Tom's baby emporium. @GStars asked for a pic on my new baby raising enclosures the other day. I only had a partial, but I took a fuller one today. Each cage is 96x30 and divided in the middle into two 48x30 cages for starting babies. The colored tape on each upper right corner shows the...

tortoiseforum.org

Thanks so much for all your help aswell I want to keep this baby tortoise healthy. I already undid the fogger and used the shower curtains I got for hanging on the walls around him so he coukd see a cool veiw, and so that should hold humidity pretty well in there. And as soon as the coco coir shows up I'll get him setup with it (anything to do before using it from the bag to kill bugs or anything like freezer it?)

 

[Tom]

Will he be okay I've had him like this for almost 2 weeks now. He eats plenty and his poops are like brown little log like poops. Kinda human like but slimy looking. I'll build him a fully enclosed one that 4 foot long 2.5 foot deep and about 1.5 to 2 foot high based on the needed hight for my 4 foot long 6% uvb 30%uva t5 bulb with reflective hood. That should keep his temps to the right bit maybe even to hot possibly, may need a 2 foot bulb and hood instead. But the moss I was told is digestive and also without it how do I get the humidity to 85% even in the fully enclosed large spaced habitat?

You need heating elements of one sort or another to maintain the temps around 82-86 day and night. The florescent tube might make enough heat during the day, if the room is relatively warm, but you might need more, and you definitely need something for when the lights are off at night. Most people use a ceramic heating element or two, or they use a radiant heat panel or two. Either type of heating device needs to be set on a thermostat to maintain the correct temperatures.

FIne grade orchid bark will work better for a RF. They need it humid, but also relatively dry to prevent shell rot. A 3-4 inch layer of orchid bark will remain damp on the bottom layers for humidity, and dry-ish on top to prevent shell rot.

Moss is not digestible. I was working with a member today trying to figure out what was wrong with their tortoise, and I'm pretty sure it died of moss impaction. There hasn't been a necropsy, but those are the signs we saw.

It is easy to maintain high humidity in a closed chamber. Damp substrate and a water bowl will do the trick easily. The reason it doesn't work in your current enlcosure is because the heat and humidity go up and out that hole due to the chimney effect. Your closed chamber will have vents. It will not be air tight. You just want to reduce air movement so that you don't lose all your warm humid air.

The bugs don't come from the substrate. They come from the surrounding environment. They are harmless detrivores and they will colonize any warm damp substrate.

 

[Torkoal#1]

You need heating elements of one sort or another to maintain the temps around 82-86 day and night. The florescent tube might make enough heat during the day, if the room is relatively warm, but you might need more, and you definitely need something for when the lights are off at night. Most people use a ceramic heating element or two, or they use a radiant heat panel or two. Either type of heating device needs to be set on a thermostat to maintain the correct temperatures.

FIne grade orchid bark will work better for a RF. They need it humid, but also relatively dry to prevent shell rot. A 3-4 inch layer of orchid bark will remain damp on the bottom layers for humidity, and dry-ish on top to prevent shell rot.

Moss is not digestible. I was working with a member today trying to figure out what was wrong with their tortoise, and I'm pretty sure it died of moss impaction. There hasn't been a necropsy, but those are the signs we saw.

It is easy to maintain high humidity in a closed chamber. Damp substrate and a water bowl will do the trick easily. The reason it doesn't work in your current enlcosure is because the heat and humidity go up and out that hole due to the chimney effect. Your closed chamber will have vents. It will not be air tight. You just want to reduce air movement so that you don't lose all your warm humid air.

The bugs don't come from the substrate. They come from the surrounding environment. They are harmless detrivores and they will colonize any warm damp substrate.

I live in a log cabin and there's brown recluse here, we have spider traps catching them all the time. I'll seal my closet and do my best for him in that matter. What material are the awsome baby raising setup you have made from wood or plastic? And did you buy or build it?

 

[Tom]

I live in a log cabin and there's brown recluse here, we have spider traps catching them all the time. I'll seal my closet and do my best for him in that matter. What material are the awsome baby raising setup you have made from wood or plastic? And did you buy or build it?

Those are expanded PVC. I buy them now. Its cheaper to buy them than buying the materials and spending 30+ hours building one.

Our own @Markw84 makes the best ones I've ever seen. Called "Smart Enclosures", and they are. All the heating and lighting is already built in and they are the most perfect tortoise life support systems on the planet.

 

[Torkoal#1]

I love to build and create ideas so I'd love to see his setups and talk with him aswell .

 

[Torkoal#1]

Where can I buy one like that not a whole 6 of then but just one lol

Those are expanded PVC. I buy them now. Its cheaper to buy them than buying the materials and spending 30+ hours building one.

Our own @Markw84 makes the best ones I've ever seen. Called "Smart Enclosures", and they are. All the heating and lighting is already built in and they are the most perfect tortoise life support systems on the planet.

 

[Torkoal#1]

BOAMASTER PVC Reptile Cage, 48x24x14 - Chewy.com

Buy Boamaster PVC Reptile Cage, 48x24x14 at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!

www.chewy.com

No, they are not air tight. And I wouldn't use a tote. You can't see your tortoise. Use a large closed chamber. Like these or something similar:

New Stack of Animal Plastics CLosed Chambers

AKA: Tom's baby emporium. @GStars asked for a pic on my new baby raising enclosures the other day. I only had a partial, but I took a fuller one today. Each cage is 96x30 and divided in the middle into two 48x30 cages for starting babies. The colored tape on each upper right corner shows the...

tortoiseforum.org

Would this work? The front sliding glass at the top is all gapped open and gets wider towards the ends.

 

[Tom]

Where can I buy one like that not a whole 6 of then but just one lol

Send a message to @Markw84 here on the forum.

You can order from Animal Plastics, but it will take months to get your enclosure from them.

 

[Tom]

BOAMASTER PVC Reptile Cage, 48x24x14 - Chewy.com

Buy Boamaster PVC Reptile Cage, 48x24x14 at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!

www.chewy.com

Would this work? The front sliding glass at the top is all gapped open and gets wider towards the ends.

Its the right idea but you need at least 18 inches inside, and better to have 24 inches inside so you have room to hang and adjust your heat and UV bulbs. You really can't do better than Mark's Smart Enclosures, and he will usually get it to you within a couple of weeks.