Enclosure Help

[Orbela]

Okay this is a quick set up I been reading for ways to improve the enclosure and I am leaning of towards tank method to keep the humidity up. I am located in Southern California and it dry.
So break down it is a drawer
•Eco-Earth substrate
•I have a heated 550w fixture that is ceramic the one in the picture is for today that is until I clean the other one
•water bowl is cleaned daily with fresh RO/DI
•I am feeding Costco Spring Mix since I use pesticides also I'm looking to buy weed seeds and wheat grass to feed. I am going to start a garden for tortoise needs.
•The hide is humid but I don't think it is enough
•It gets sunlight 10 hour a day and I leave the windows open. So I don't have to worry about UVB and UVA. I heard it's the best for tortoise

I am thinking of placing Saran Wrap but not sure if the sunlight will go through

 

[wellington]

You need to put a top on the enclosure and you need a UVB bulb as the screen from your windo is blocking most of the Suns UVB. The sides of your enclosure is low, so you will need to cover it with something you can drape over tent style. The humidity needs to be 80% with temps day and night no lower then 80 with a basking spot that is 95-100.
A ceramic heat emitter or two for night time heat, it has no light and a UVB bulb, either mercury vapor bulb that gives heat and light or a tube flourescent.

 

[Orbela]

You need to put a top on the enclosure and you need a UVB bulb as the screen from your windo is blocking most of the Suns UVB. The sides of your enclosure is low, so you will need to cover it with something you can drape over tent style. The humidity needs to be 80% with temps day and night no lower then 80 with a basking spot that is 95-100.
A ceramic heat emitter or two for night time heat, it has no light and a UVB bulb, either mercury vapor bulb that gives heat and light or a tube flourescent.

There is no screen just open windows. I am putting Saran Wrap I read specs it allows full UVB and UVA penetration. I do have a ceramic heat emitter I turn it on at night and keep the red on during the day I use a timer. Hopefully with the Saran Wrap will work for humidity. I am going to start looking for a 40g breeder I think I had one laying around.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Do you have a non contact thermometer?
You may or may not have an issue with actual sunlight and a glass enclosure. At certain angles, glass will focus the sun into extreme heat and cause the enclosure to get very hot.
Just for this reason, I'd switch over to a tube florescent uvb light and remove the enclosure from a window area.
Also, you mentioned a RED light? These will often make things inside an enclosure look RED and trigger an instinct in tortoises that tell them that the object is good to eat. Things like substrate, etc.
With any incandescent bulb, be careful not to get them too close to your plastic wrap. It will quickly melt and maybe worse.
Don't get discouraged because once you iron out a few details, it gets much easier.
With windows open, how warm is the room? Do you need to have a lot or a little more heat? If any.

 

[Orbela]

Do you have a non contact thermometer?
You may or may not have an issue with actual sunlight and a glass enclosure. At certain angles, glass will focus the sun into extreme heat and cause the enclosure to get very hot.
Just for this reason, I'd switch over to a tube florescent uvb light and remove the enclosure from a window area.
Also, you mentioned a RED light? These will often make things inside an enclosure look RED and trigger an instinct in tortoises that tell them that the object is good to eat. Things like substrate, etc.
With any incandescent bulb, be careful not to get them too close to your plastic wrap. It will quickly melt and maybe worse.
Don't get discouraged because once you iron out a few details, it gets much easier.
With windows open, how warm is the room? Do you need to have a lot or a little more heat? If any.

This is really good advice that you I didn't think of the magnifying properties of glass. I will move it if I get a tank I was think of using metal halides or a mercury bulb.
My room is actually really cold. Well my house is actually really cold it usually stay 70 even with this heat, even more cold during the winter. I will not a lot more heat if I move the tank and even now I the spot light stays at 95 even when I try to raise the temperature. I will be needing more heat. I Saran Wrap the draws tonight and see how it goes tomorrow during the day.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I can't view your photo with my crappy security filter here at work.
A sulcata person can help with the specifics of the care you'll need.

 

[wellington]

It actually will be safer for you and your tort to not use the window/sun for the UVB in the enclosure. You can't control it. A baby can over heat very quickly. They need to temps, basking and over all. The 80 is over all day and night. The basking is 95-100 and this is with the 80% humidity. You can get a thermostat to control the che so the enclosure doesn't over heat. It would be safer and easier. If you can take him outside for a1/2 hour to an hour for sun light daily then you could do without a UVB indoors. Also provide shade and water when outside and give him a nice warm soak daily when you bring him inside.

 

[Jimb]

I would add that you might get some Orchard Grass & Timothy Hay at your local pet store and use a cheap coffee grinder to grind it up for him.
I mix that together and soak it for my little Torts. (Sulcata, Hermanns, & Leopard). A couple times a week I add a little Mazuri Diet in too. The Health Food stores usually carry organic Dandelion Leaves which I buy when they're not growing in my yard and give my Torts as well.

 

[Orbela]

Thank you guys this is really good advice