New tortoise owner and trying to figure all this out. I know it needs a basking light for approx 12hrs out of the day.. how warm should it be directly below the area it’s heating? We are using a 40 gallon tank for right now until our new family member gets bigger.. it came with a heating mat that can be placed on an outside side wall to provide general warmth. It would not be in direct contact with our tortoise. Is this needed at night to keep the tank at a certain temp level at night when the light is off?
Heat sources
- Thread starter lsp56
- Start date
Welcome to the forum!
First off, be sure to have a read through this: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-best-way-to-raise-any-temperate-species-of-tortoise.183131/
You want the basking spot temperature to be 95-100 degrees. Be sure that you're using a flood bulb that will give your tortoise a large basking spot, and not a spot bulb that will heat one small part of the tortoise.
No need to use the heat mat. If you do need night heat, shoot for a ceramic heat emitter. Russians can handle a night time temp drop down to 60 or so, but if you're having trouble keeping your tortoise awake for the winter, you can boost that temperature to at least 70 degrees.
Are you sure that your tortoise is going to get bigger? Most Russian tortoises in the US, especially sold at chain pet stores, are wild caught adults. A 40 gallon works for a tiny hatchling, but Russian tortoises at least 5 inches in length are generally fully grown or close to it and require an 8 x 4 foot or similarly sized enclosure.
First off, be sure to have a read through this: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-best-way-to-raise-any-temperate-species-of-tortoise.183131/
You want the basking spot temperature to be 95-100 degrees. Be sure that you're using a flood bulb that will give your tortoise a large basking spot, and not a spot bulb that will heat one small part of the tortoise.
No need to use the heat mat. If you do need night heat, shoot for a ceramic heat emitter. Russians can handle a night time temp drop down to 60 or so, but if you're having trouble keeping your tortoise awake for the winter, you can boost that temperature to at least 70 degrees.
Are you sure that your tortoise is going to get bigger? Most Russian tortoises in the US, especially sold at chain pet stores, are wild caught adults. A 40 gallon works for a tiny hatchling, but Russian tortoises at least 5 inches in length are generally fully grown or close to it and require an 8 x 4 foot or similarly sized enclosure.
95-100 basking with flood bulb.
Rest of the enclosure 75-80 day time
Night in winter is better around 70.
Be sure the enclosure is brightly lit during the day to keep him from brumating
Post pic of him. If he is not a hatchling he needs a bigger enclosure now.
Humidity for hatchlings 80% adult, 30-50%
Rest of the enclosure 75-80 day time
Night in winter is better around 70.
Be sure the enclosure is brightly lit during the day to keep him from brumating
Post pic of him. If he is not a hatchling he needs a bigger enclosure now.
Humidity for hatchlings 80% adult, 30-50%
Ok great. Thank you.. yeah sounds like we will need something bigger
Ok great thank you! Yeah sounds like we will need something bigger.. what are options to maintain humidity? How damp should substrate be? Using coconut fiber/bark mixture..
If it's an adult, then dampening the substrate of spraying warm water a few times a day.
