General setup and some questions

[Arlo]

I currently have Arlo in a 3’ x 1’10” x 10” blacked out plastic fish pond. He is only 2-3 months old and I feel that this is pretty spacious for him at the moment.

Lighting + Heat:
I have the 75 watt "Halogen Basking Spot" by ExoTerra in a BOYU Glow dome fixture for the basking area and then the 100 watt "Reptile UVB" bulb in the same fixture as the UVB source for the enclosure.

Humidity:
The humidity in the enclosure varies between 60% - 70% but I also have a humid hide available for Arlo under a large wooden hut. I keep some damp sphagnum moss under it and I find that he spends quite a bit of time under there.

Feeding:
Arlo's meal consists of 60% Timothy and Orchard hay and 40% of other plants and vegetables. Recently, I've been rotating these plants+veg: Hibiscus (leaves), African Violets (flower + leaves), watercress, English parsley and a bit of romaine lettuce. He doesn't willingly seem to eat the dried hay so I find myself having to soak it prior to offering it to him. I'm also currently trying to grow a patch of grass myself, I'm just waiting for the seeds to germinate. I dust his food with calcium every day, using either just calcium or calcium + D3. Which should I be using? Also, should I be using multi vitamins on his food as well?

Substrate + Decorations:
I'm using ZooMeds ReptiBark as the main substrate in the enclosure, as well as a bit of dried EcoEarth mixed in. The water dish I use is the base of a flower pot since it is quite shallow and easily accessible to him. I have one large and one smaller wooden hut in the enclosure for enrichment purposes, he often climbs and slides down them which is very entertaining to watch. I'm currently using a small plastic lid as Arlo's food bowl but I am hoping to get a Terracotta plate soon. Another thing I wish to get soon is a cuttlefish bone, I've been looking around at different pet stores and they all seem to be out of stock at the moment. Arlo's enclosure also has a variety of live plants including:
- 3 edible cactus/succulents
- 1 purple African Violet
- 1 tall palm




If you have any suggestions on what I should change or add to the enclosure please feel free to reply !

 

[Minority2]

1. Your enclosure should constantly be above 80F day and night. The humidity level for a young Leopard tortoise should also not fall under 80% day at all times. These two requirements cannot be kept stable in a open styled enclosure. Young Leopards should be housed in a closed chamber styled enclosure for best results.

2. Your current enclosure size is quite small to be honest. Small enclosures do not provide enough space for different temperature zones. A small enclosure also would not encourage tortoises to exercise. Some keepers also believe small enclosure sizes are among one of many contributing factors to stunted growth in tortoises.

I usually recommend at least a 4 x 2 x 2 ft enclosure for young hatchling tortoises. More is always better.

3. Your current "reptile UV(B)" bulb that doesn't provide heat may possibly be a compact florescent bulb. These types of bulbs are known to cause severe eyes issues in tortoises.

A linear florescent bulb is a safer and more cost effective option. I usually recommend T5 fixtures and bulbs because they provide additional heat to a closed chamber style enclosure which allows owners to use a lesser wattage basking bulb. Example linked below:
http://www.reptilebasics.com/arcadia-desert-12-uvb/arcadia-d3-12-uvb-t5-bulb-22/

4. Halogen style bulbs provide an intense amount of heat which desiccates a tortoise at a much faster rate than a regular incandescent flood bulb would. This is one of the reasons why I do not recommend using these types of bulbs instead of an incandescent flood bulb for basking fixtures.

5. A terracotta plant saucer would make a good feeding dish. You should also get a large flat rock, slate, or ceramic tile and place it under the feeding dish so your tortoise will not accidentally drop their food into the substrate. Food that do fall into the substrate can cause tortoises to accidentally ingest a large amount of substrate in an attempt pick up the fallen food. Even ingesting a safe substrate may cause blockages if a tortoise eats large amounts of it. Be sure to spot clean daily to prevent this from happening.

6. Your water dish should be submerged into the substrate. It should be deep enough to allow your tortoise to go in and out without any trouble.

7. I have already included diet and links of Leopard care sheets in the other thread you created.

 

[Arlo]

1. Your enclosure should constantly be above 80F day and night. The humidity level for a young Leopard tortoise should also not fall under 80% day at all times. These two requirements cannot be kept stable in a open styled enclosure. Young Leopards should be housed in a closed chamber styled enclosure for best results.

2. Your current enclosure size is quite small to be honest. Small enclosures do not provide enough space for different temperature zones. A small enclosure also would not encourage tortoises to exercise. Some keepers also believe small enclosure sizes are among one of many contributing factors to stunted growth in tortoises.

I usually recommend at least a 4 x 2 x 2 ft enclosure for young hatchling tortoises. More is always better.

3. Your current "reptile UV(B)" bulb that doesn't provide heat may possibly be a compact florescent bulb. These types of bulbs are known to cause severe eyes issues in tortoises.

A linear florescent bulb is a safer and more cost effective option. I usually recommend T5 fixtures and bulbs because they provide additional heat to a closed chamber style enclosure which allows owners to use a lesser wattage basking bulb. Example linked below:
http://www.reptilebasics.com/arcadia-desert-12-uvb/arcadia-d3-12-uvb-t5-bulb-22/

4. Halogen style bulbs provide an intense amount of heat which desiccates a tortoise at a much faster rate than a regular incandescent flood bulb would. This is one of the reasons why I do not recommend using these types of bulbs instead of an incandescent flood bulb for basking fixtures.

5. A terracotta plant saucer would make a good feeding dish. You should also get a large flat rock, slate, or ceramic tile and place it under the feeding dish so your tortoise will not accidentally drop their food into the substrate. Food that do fall into the substrate can cause tortoises to accidentally ingest a large amount of substrate in an attempt pick up the fallen food. Even ingesting a safe substrate may cause blockages if a tortoise eats large amounts of it. Be sure to spot clean daily to prevent this from happening.

6. Your water dish should be submerged into the substrate. It should be deep enough to allow your tortoise to go in and out without any trouble.

7. I have already included diet and links of Leopard care sheets in the other thread you created.

Thanks for your response! Incredibly detailed and useful.

I have sprayed the substrate to increase the humidity in the tank. In regards to the incandescent flood bulb, do they sell these bulbs in pet stores commonly or is it better to go to a electronics shop for this?

 

[Minority2]

Thanks for your response! Incredibly detailed and useful.

I have sprayed the substrate to increase the humidity in the tank. In regards to the incandescent flood bulb, do they sell these bulbs in pet stores commonly or is it better to go to a electronics shop for this?

Pet stores will not usually sell regular incandescent flood bulbs. Hardware stores, Japan Home centres, and Costco Japan would probably be the type of places you would find bulbs and fixtures at fair prices.

Simply spraying an enclosure is not enough. You'll also need to pour water and mix the substrate by hand. Monitor your enclosure humidity levels at all times. An open enclosure may require multiple visits a day to keep humidity levels above 80%.

 

[Arlo]

Pet stores will not usually sell regular incandescent flood bulbs. Hardware stores, Japan Home centres, and Costco Japan would probably be the type of places you would find bulbs and fixtures at fair prices.

Simply spraying an enclosure is not enough. You'll also need to pour water and mix the substrate by hand. Monitor your enclosure humidity levels at all times. An open enclosure may require multiple visits a day to keep humidity levels above 80%.

Thanks for your help!

 

[wellington]

I second everything Minority2 has posted.