Enclosure

[Squirts]

How is this looking?so I just fixed thr enclosure. IIgot alot if advice on here. I closed it off with a shower curtain. Tomorrow I will cut a hole where the lights will go and use foil around the lights so it doesn't burn the plastic. i had a heat lamo on the opposite side of where the UVB light is but the lamo broke, so now I only have the UVB light on. On Thursday I will be getting his 60watt hearting lamp. But my question is, Will my baby sulcata be okay with no heat lamp? The temp right now is at 80 and humidity is at 90 so will she be okay.? Im worried about her.

 

[Squirts]

How is this looking?so I just fixed the enclosure. I got alot if advice on here. I closed it off with a shower curtain. Tomorrow I will cut a hole where the lights will go and use foil around the lights so it doesn't burn the plastic. i had a heat lamp on the opposite side of where the UVB light is but the lamp broke, so now I only have the UVB light on. On Thursday I will be getting his 60watt hearting lamp. But my question is, Will my baby sulcata be okay with no heat lamp? The temp right now is at 80 and humidity is at 90 so will she be okay.? Im worried about her.

 

[drew54]

I'm not going to say it's ok, but you need to get the little guy done heat soon. The temps will drop even if it's covered and with high humidity the last thing you want is the temps to drop. This could cause respiratory infections and other issues. How do you plan on heating throughout the night?

 

[drew54]

What substrates are you using?

 

[Squirts]

@drew54 hi yeah I was so worried about this lil guy. It took two days to receive the light but I finally got the heat emitter. 60watt. First time using it because they told me on here that the red light I was using wasn't good for his eyes so I like this light. His enclosure is now 90 and humidity at 80 . I use that substrate that looks like mulch but it's for reptiles.

 

[drew54]

@drew54 hi yeah I was so worried about this lil guy. It took two days to receive the light but I finally got the heat emitter. 60watt. First time using it because they told me on here that the red light I was using wasn't good for his eyes so I like this light. His enclosure is now 90 and humidity at 80 . I use that substrate that looks like mulch but it's for reptiles.

I would also invest in a thermostat for your heat emitter this will keep temps from getting too cold or too hot. Do you have an updated pic of your enclosure?

 

[Gillian M]

Please keep in mind that torts are cold blooded animals, and therefore need a lot of heat. ( @Squirts , I do not mean to worry you more than you are already worried, OK)?

How cold is it back there? Here in Jordan it is terribly cold. Temp has dropped without prior notice; making me think of torts and reptiles in general, even if they hibernate.

 

[Squirts]

@drew54 @Gillian Moore i have two thermometers one close to his heat lamp and one by the UVB light . Does that work . I'm constantly looking at the temp. Right now at night the humidity changes between 70-80 so I try to wet it as much as possible. I saw a video after I bout the heat lamp that it dries up the substrate faster then a regular heat lamp so it's harder to keep humidity highb but once I spray in there it goes up to around 85 but it doesn't last as long. I also check his shell and it's pretty warm.. it's about 75 in the home at night and during the day. He's by a window so it get the sun there to. I will take a picture of it tomorrow to show you guys to make sure I have his enclosure good .I want to make sure he's nice and warm. Which I think he is only because he sleeps with his legs out and relaxed and he's eating great still.

 

[drew54]

@drew54 @Gillian Moore i have two thermometers one close to his heat lamp and one by the UVB light . Does that work . I'm constantly looking at the temp. Right now at night the humidity changes between 70-80 so I try to wet it as much as possible. I saw a video after I bout the heat lamp that it dries up the substrate faster then a regular heat lamp so it's harder to keep humidity highb but once I spray in there it goes up to around 85 but it doesn't last as long. I also check his shell and it's pretty warm.. it's about 75 in the home at night and during the day. He's by a window so it get the sun there to. I will take a picture of it tomorrow to show you guys to make sure I have his enclosure good .I want to make sure he's nice and warm. Which I think he is only because he sleeps with his legs out and relaxed and he's eating great still.

Make sure the temps don't fall below 80. Ambient temp needs to be 80-85 . Basking 95-100. Pour some water into the substrate a glass or two and hand mix it all together. This will keep the bark damp by wicking the water from the bottom to the top. This will help keep humidity up and reduce the amount of times you have to mist the enclosure.

I use this on the cool side. It's the best hygrometer ive used as it's waterproof. and use my infra red gun to check temps all through my enclosure.


one on both side is fine as long as they are accurate. Also, make it a practice to use a temp gun to check floor temps of the enclosure.

Remember low temps and high humidity = illness

Hot and humid = happy and healthy tort

 

[Yvonne G]

If it were my enclosure, I would make a frame that goes up over the enclosure to hang the lights on, then I would drape the plastic over the frame. Much easier than what you have there. Something like this:



This was what I used for a very long time, however, it's not as good as a wooden or plastic box. It may have worked better had I gotten rid of the incandescent and MVB and used instead a fluorescent tube light and a radiant heat panel.

 

[Squirts]

@drew54 @Yvonne G here what mine looks like. Thank u guys and I'll be looking into that thermometer. On one said where he's basking it's about 95 and where he likes to be at is usually around 80-90. I have both lights now because its cold in the house. So temps drop in there to. But it looks and feels pretty good in there.

 

[drew54]

@drew54 @Yvonne G here what mine looks like. Thank u guys and I'll be looking into that thermometer. On one said where he's basking it's about 95 and where he likes to be at is usually around 80-90. I have both lights now because its cold in the house. So temps drop in there to. But it looks and feels pretty good in there.

It's a lot better. Still a little more to go, but you're almost there! Temps are good! I'm glad everything ous conning together. Is the lamp above the plastic a uvb?

 

[Squirts]

It's a lot better. Still a little more to go, but you're almost there! Temps are good! I'm glad everything ous conning together. Is the lamp above the plastic a uvb?

Thank you. I'm trying. It's in side threw a hold I made but it fits good straight with out to much air coming out to keep the humidity in.

 

[drew54]

Thank you. I'm trying. It's in side threw a hold I made but it fits good straight with out to much air coming out to keep the humidity in.

Keep updating and posting pics of your enclosure and tort!

 

[Squirts]

Yes yes. Thank you so much!!! @drew54

 

[drew54]

You're welcome!

 

[Squirts]

@drew54 @Yvonne G

so today I left to do some errands and when I got back my house smelled like burnt wood and I realized it could be squirts home. And I ran and sure enough the heated lamp burnt the plastic cover I was using to keep the humidity in. Thank God it didn't catch on fire, but there was alot of smoke trapped in her enclosure and when I grabbed her I saw that she was in her shell. So now there is a huge home in the plastic and the humidity is back down :/ and I am scared to have anything around the lamp because of it burning. So any other suggestions to keep the humidity high?

 

[Strawb]

This was how i temporarily set up my stars while my closed chamber was being built

 

[kazjimmy]

View attachment 257814

This was how i temporarily set up my stars while my closed chamber was being built

Nice green house. I used to done something like this. The only trouble is when getting tortoise soak. The humidity drops fast. So I end up use a storage plastic box.

 

[drew54]

@drew54 @Yvonne G

so today I left to do some errands and when I got back my house smelled like burnt wood and I realized it could be squirts home. And I ran and sure enough the heated lamp burnt the plastic cover I was using to keep the humidity in. Thank God it didn't catch on fire, but there was alot of smoke trapped in her enclosure and when I grabbed her I saw that she was in her shell. So now there is a huge home in the plastic and the humidity is back down :/ and I am scared to have anything around the lamp because of it burning. So any other suggestions to keep the humidity high?

I'm sorry that this happened, but I have to ask. In your previous picture of your enclosure did you leave the heat lamp above the plastic and turned on?