Future Owner from SF, CA USA!

[nicholas lim]

Hi all,

so the girlfriend and I are about to be new tortoise parents!

I've done so much reading the past few weeks and man is it overwhelming.

We decided on a 20 gallon low profile glass terrarium for the baby. I plan on wrapping three sides of it with some sort of insulating dark cloth or something. i know i'll need to get something larger in a few years but this was cheap and it came with tons of stuff.

I managed to set up the substrate last night with about 2 inches of coco husk and a good 4inches on the burrowing end.

i have a little water dish with smooth aquarium stones surrounding it (i read it helps keep debris out of the water)

theres a little hut in there that we bought from the aquarium store for hiding and a nice piece of slate for basking.

my lighting and heat have been troubling. i'm trying to set it up and get it stable before we get him.
i have a deep dome for the 125w MVB and a 8" porcelain clip lamp for the 150w CHE. we live closer to the beach so it gets colder (and it's san francisco). i realized i had to get higher wattage bulbs to keep the temps better. we tried a 100w che but the temps were only 75 in hot section. lots of trial and error.

if you guys have any suggestions, i would greatly appreciate it.

 

[leigti]

Hello, welcome to the forum. What kind of tortoise do you plan on getting? You said you were getting a hatchling? A 20 gallon is not going to be nearly big enough. Even for a hatchling. What are you using to measure the temperatures? With those high wattage bulbs it should be extremely hot in there. Is it covered? A picture would be great. There are many experienced people here that can give you lots of great advice.

 

[nicholas lim]

We were planning on getting a male golden greek or Russian since they're on the smaller side.

The tank is a low 20gal so it's about 30" long.

Currently i have an analog thermometer and hygrometer in the tank and a infrared temp gun. I'm looking into a digital setup soon.

I haven't gotten a cover yet. I think once i do, Ill end up with lower wattage bulbs or a thermostat.

Ill post up a picture when i get home from work.

 

[pam]

Welcome

 

[leigti]

Yes, covering it, even if you just cover part of it will make it much hotter in there. You can't tell male from female as hatchlings. The little tank will probably work for a while. As adults they recommend an indoor enclosure for a Russian 4 x 8'. But you have a little time to get that built Where do you live? Will the tortoise be able to get some outdoor time? We look forward to seeing your progress, don't forget lots of pictures when the little one arrives. Where do you plan on getting it?

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the forum!

I hope you're getting a baby, because a 20 gallon is way too small for an older tortoise.

 

[nicholas lim]

i'll be sure to get a piece of plexi from home depot to try. i have a 100w che as well so i'll try them both after i get the cover.

i'm in San francsico, CA and i'm closer to the beach so it's kinda cold all year long haha. during the summer months we have a good amount of sun in my yard. i'll be sure to make an outdoor enclosure when we get a real summer haha.

a friend of mine has a breeder contact near us that has a few greeks that hatched recently. all the little guys at petco and petsmart look pretty sad.

once he gets a little bigger, i'll build an enclosure since i'll have more time. my girlfriend got a little anxious so we decided to buy the tank.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise forum to you and your girlfriend, Nicholas.
For Greeks look at http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/greek-tortoise-testudo-graeca-care-sheet-overview.87146/
If you haven't done so already, and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/
for baby Russians.
These will provide you with up to date information on their requirements including minimum enclosure sizes.
Good luck.

 

[nicholas lim]

Hello, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise forum to you and your girlfriend, Nicholas.
For Greeks look at http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/greek-tortoise-testudo-graeca-care-sheet-overview.87146/
If you haven't done so already, and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/
for baby Russians.
These will provide you with up to date information on their requirements including minimum enclosure sizes.
Good luck.

i appreciate the links. i've combed over those many times. i know my tank is small but it's a temporary enclosure. i figured once i'm ready to build a new table, the lights i've purchased can grow with him.

 

[Lyn W]

Hi and welcome - Sorry to be picky but I think I have read here that deep domes can make bulbs over heat and burn out so check that before using it. Better safe than sorry! Good luck

 

[nicholas lim]

Hi and welcome - Sorry to be picky but I think I have read here that deep domes can make bulbs over heat and burn out so check that before using it. Better safe than sorry! Good luck

thanks lyn! i'll be sure to keep an eye on it. it's more of a medium 7" dome just to tuck the bulb inside to take advantage of the reflection. if it does start to overheat, i also bought an 8" regular lamp. my girlfriend thinks i've been going overboard. i just want to make sure the little guy is happy!

 

[Lyn W]

.

thanks lyn! i'll be sure to keep an eye on it. it's more of a medium 7" dome just to tuck the bulb inside to take advantage of the reflection. if it does start to overheat, i also bought an 8" regular lamp. my girlfriend thinks i've been going overboard. i just want to make sure the little guy is happy!

............... and watch the clamp lamp too as they have a habit of coming loose and falling which could burn your tort and be a fire hazard - I think most people here recommend hanging them which is safer and maximises heat. If you haven't already found it have a look at the Enclosures thread for ideas.

I know it seems that we are all very critical but we all want your tort to b happy and healthy too.

I found the Beginners Mistakes thread very useful as it gives us a chance to learn from other people's mistakes and saves us money and heartache in the long run!

 

[nicholas lim]

i appreciate it!

i'm going to the hardware store tonight to build a hanger to fix the lamps to. when i tried to clamp it to the side, things were so stable and i don't like the idea of added weight to the structure of the tank.

tons of great ideas in the enclosures thread. one day i'll build something awesome for the little guy.

 

[leigti]

It's very easy to go overboard. I know I do. It takes a lot to take care of a baby. You can get an 11 inch dome at the feed store for about 10 bucks. Check in the chicken section, they are used for brood lamps. Just make sure you get the ones with ceramic base. Cheaper than the pet stores and works very well. It spreads the heat and the UVB over a bigger area. This works well to measure heat and humidity, a temperature gun is also nice.

Don't worry about returning half of what you buy, I think many of us have done that. The pet stores give bad advice and so you a lot of stuff you don't need. It took me a while to figure out that I could find a lot of what I need at the hardware store or plant section of Walmart instead of buying everything at a pet store.

 

[nicholas lim]

i have build up a few gift cards from the local pet store so i'll look for a digital thermometer/hygrometer tomorrow before work.

i'm finding out the local pet stores are more catered to fish and fluffy friends haha. i'm glad i stumbled across this forum. a huge wealth of knowledge.

any suggestions as to what i should wrap the glass sides with? i was just going to find some brown or black vinyl sheets.

 

[4jean]

Welcome! Be sure to post some pictures of your tortoise when you get it!

 

[Lyn W]

i have build up a few gift cards from the local pet store so i'll look for a digital thermometer/hygrometer tomorrow before work.

i'm finding out the local pet stores are more catered to fish and fluffy friends haha. i'm glad i stumbled across this forum. a huge wealth of knowledge.

any suggestions as to what i should wrap the glass sides with? i was just going to find some brown or black vinyl sheets.

I think I would just cover the bottom part on the outside with something wide enough to block his sight so he's not trying to get through the glass all the time. I have never used a tank as my leopard is too big so see what other folks who have say before you decide.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello Nicholas welcome to the TFO from AZ . Torts rule !