Hello, new member with a baby sulcata, looking for critiques or recommendations for its current enclosure

Maggie3fan

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I've got some stuff coming, 12"x16" cork bark panels and fake foliage and I will be checking out the nearby nursery for some foliage plants and picking up some terracotta pots. Is Pothos an option because I have a lot of it.


It was more of a question on whether the enclosure would be enough to last between 1-2yrs old and then also be able house an adult tortoise of a smaller breed when I move the Sulcata to an outdoor pen, I would hate to build something and then have it go to waste. In the fall I will start working on a 10' x 15' foot outdoor enclosure.
turtles and tortoises come in species, not breeds.
If your baby is healthy and growing good at 2 years in my house they would graduate from a 6'x2' tort table to the tort shed and it's several outside enclosures. I have operated a small special needs turtle and tortoise rescue for a buncha years, so my tortoise keeping is somewhat different as I rehab sick or injured chelonia then find homes for them...for the last few years a number of Sulcata have been dumped on me but they don't stay...this is Mary Knobbins, she was rescued from antifa in Portland Oregon. She just had to knock over this birdbath regularly100_3792.JPG
 

Sulcata_AZ

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I also use pothos in the enclosures; they are so easy to grow after some Sulcata has destroyed it...
Thanks for the information that’s good to know.
turtles and tortoises come in species, not breeds.
If your baby is healthy and growing good at 2 years in my house they would graduate from a 6'x2' tort table to the tort shed and it's several outside enclosures. I have operated a small special needs turtle and tortoise rescue for a buncha years, so my tortoise keeping is somewhat different as I rehab sick or injured chelonia then find homes for them...for the last few years a number of Sulcata have been dumped on me but they don't stay...this is Mary Knobbins, she was rescued from antifa in Portland Oregon. She just had to knock over this birdbath regularlyView attachment 377250
And thank you for the correction on species & breeds.
Mary knobbins is a great name. That is a very kind and wonderful thing that you do for those tortoises.
 

Sulcata_AZ

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Jul 14, 2024
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Phoenix, AZ
Got the uvb light installed, added some cork bark panels and a fake shrub I had laying around for more shade and hides. I’m going to go to a local nursery to look for some live plants that were recommended.
The Arcadia Lumenize is some pretty cool tech, T5 39w D3+ desert 12% lamp. From 6am to 11am the lamp will slowly increase from 0% to 100% in brightness and UVB intensity, supposedly. Then it will be at 100% brightness and UVB output until 3pm. From 3pm until 7pm it will begin to decrease its brightness and intensity until finally shutting off at 7pm. I’ve got the heat lamp set to come on at 9am and shutoff at 6. I literally just set this up tonight I so haven’t actually seen it operate other than testing the functions while the tortoise soaked in the tub.
Ignore the timeframes on the picture, I was just messing around with the setup. IMG_2559.jpegIMG_2557.png
 

Alex and the Redfoot

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Cyprus
Got the uvb light installed, added some cork bark panels and a fake shrub I had laying around for more shade and hides. I’m going to go to a local nursery to look for some live plants that were recommended.
The Arcadia Lumenize is some pretty cool tech, T5 39w D3+ desert 12% lamp. From 6am to 11am the lamp will slowly increase from 0% to 100% in brightness and UVB intensity, supposedly. Then it will be at 100% brightness and UVB output until 3pm. From 3pm until 7pm it will begin to decrease its brightness and intensity until finally shutting off at 7pm. I’ve got the heat lamp set to come on at 9am and shutoff at 6. I literally just set this up tonight I so haven’t actually seen it operate other than testing the functions while the tortoise soaked in the tub.
Ignore the timeframes on the picture, I was just messing around with the setup. View attachment 377428View attachment 377429
Hello!
I suggest to adjust ramp up/ramp down timers for UVB: at low power it has some flickering and there is little effect on D3 synthesis anyway. Right now your lamp runtime is 14.5 hours a day, you can make ramps just 1-2 hours long, this will make lamp last longer as a side effect. In my area UVI is low until 9AM and then it rises from 2-3 to 8 by 12AM. And at 6PM UVI is 1-2.

But heat lamp can be turned on for 14 hours.
 

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