Freds lighting

[LittleLove]

Ceramic heat emitters are good to use with smaller tortoises like yours for maintaining ambient temperatures. They need to be controlled with a thermostat.

As your tortoise grows in size and mass, ceramic heat emitters and basking bulbs become ineffective and possibly harmful to the top of the carapace. This is when you make the transition to outside full time with a safer and more effective heating strategy.

Absolutely. I would. Your tortoise should already have a large outdoor enclosure to use during nice weather. You can also build your night box anytime. If you build it early, the tortoise will have a lot of time to use it and get used to it before it moves outside full time, and that will make the transition easier and less stressful.

Tom. So how old or big should Fred be outside

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Tom. So how old or big should Fred be outside

At ten inches sulcatas can be outside the whole day.

 

[LittleLove]

At ten inches sulcatas can be outside the whole day.

Hello The _Four_Toed_Edward, how are you?
When should he be outside day and night? He is only a year old. Also I started to give Fred Mazuri and it seems that's all he wants now

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Hello The _Four_Toed_Edward, how are you?
When should he be outside day and night? He is only a year old. Also I started to give Fred Mazuri and it seems that's all he wants now

It is really more about size than age. What is Fred's SCL?

 

[Tom]

Tom. So how old or big should Fred be outside

At 5 or 6 inches outside most of the day in nice weather is great. Once they reach about 10 inches, it's time for them to live outside full time with their heated night box shelter. They are just too big, rambunctious and destructive past that size to be kept indoors.