HELP!!!! Hatchling habitat

[tortdad]

Forget about water bowls and use a terra cotta plant saucer for Home Depot. It should cost you like $1.50 and they may great water and food plates. They are shallow so the can't drown if the flip and have low sides to them making it ease for them to get in and out. They have plenty of traction and will help keep nails trimmed.

Go to Home Depot and get yourself a $10 home comfort meter made by accurite (in the outside garden section). They measure temps and humidity, it will also keep track of daily highs and lows. I'll find the link for you so you know what your looking for. You just put a battery in it and drop it in the bottom of your tank.

 

[tortdad]

http://m.homedepot.com/p/AcuRite-Di...mperature-Comfort-Monitor-00619HDSB/202260980

And hers a pic of mine soaking in a plant saucer. Just be sure to push them down into your sub straight so the top of the saucer is flush with the sub straight.


Here is a pic of my box turtle enclosure. It shows the saucers and the humidity meter in there.

 

[DDrivera]

http://m.homedepot.com/p/AcuRite-Di...mperature-Comfort-Monitor-00619HDSB/202260980

And hers a pic of mine soaking in a plant saucer. Just be sure to push them down into your sub straight so the top of the saucer is flush with the sub straight.
View attachment 106280

Here is a pic of my box turtle enclosure. It shows the saucers and the humidity meter in there.
View attachment 106281

Are both of those saucers for water? What's the black saucer for?

 

[tortdad]

Are both of those saucers for water? What's the black saucer for?

Ones for water and ones for food. The black one is a small paint tray. Box turtles are semi-aquatic so the paint tray is a swimming pool. It's shallow and has a slopes side so the can get in and out easy. They work for tort soak ponds too.

 

[tortdad]

Are both of those saucers for water? What's the black saucer for?

That bulb is also a no go. It's the same thing as a coil bulb just shaped in a U.

 

[DDrivera]

I purchased these items today. Are they suitable? Now I'm on the hunt for a covering? I don't know how to keep the heat in without my wood covers as shown in the picture in the first post

 

[tortdad]

I purchased these items today. Are they suitable? Now I'm on the hunt for a covering? I don't know how to keep the heat in without my wood covers as shown in the picture in the first post
View attachment 106400View attachment 106401

That is the right type of bulb but I can't say for sure if it will work. You need to read the back of the box and see how far away from the tort it can be mounted and see how tall your tank is to make sure your not too far away. By chance did the have a high output model of the same kind of UVB bulb?

That thermometer is okay but you'd be better off with one made by the same manufacturer that measures humidity too. Home Depot sells them for $10. I'll post a link for you and I'll post a link to another thread talking about tube UVB lights. After you read that you'll see why I'm asking if they had a high output one.

 

[Tom]

You are making progress. A few things to note:
You need a much thicker layer of substrate. 3-4". Spot clean daily. No need to replace it.
You need a humid hide, not just an open half log.
You need a thermostat for your CHE. This will maintain ambient temps day and night.
The 18" tube will work for UV, but it will need to be mounted no more than 10-12" from the tortoises.
You still need a basking bulb. The MVB would fulfill this need and eliminate the need for the tube lamp.
They need to be separated. Tortoises do not do well in pairs. Did you read the link above? Post #11.

If you wish to stop the pyramiding in progress, you are going to need a large closed chamber for each tortoise. Like this: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/


All of these things are explained in more detail in the care sheet.

 

[tortdad]

I posted the link earlier for that home comfort meter. Yours does measure humidity but it won't measure it in the tank. That model has a probe you stick in that tank and the digital read out goes outside the tank. That read out has a sensor in it that measures temp and humidity, the probe only measures temps. The way that is supposed to be set up is put the probe outside your house and the readout inside, like on a kitchen counter. The probe gives you your "outside" temps and the readout gives you your "inside temps" and reads the humidity in your house. The meter I put a link to has no probe. You drop the entire digital readout down in your tank and it read temps and humidity in your tank.

Setting up your torts is confusing isn't. Your on the right track now just with stuff that's oh so close.

I'll find that link to the tube lights now. I would say that I you had box turtles that light would be fine but since you have torts you need a bulb that puts out way more UV. You'll be surprised at just how little uv those bulbs put out after you read my thread.

 

[tortdad]

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/more-tube-uvb-s.106095/

 

[tortdad]

You are making progress. A few things to note:
You need a much thicker layer of substrate. 3-4". Spot clean daily. No need to replace it.
You need a humid hide, not just an open half log.
You need a thermostat for your CHE. This will maintain ambient temps day and night.
The 18" tube will work for UV, but it will need to be mounted no more than 10-12" from the tortoises.
You still need a basking bulb. The MVB would fulfill this need and eliminate the need for the tube lamp.
They need to be separated. Tortoises do not do well in pairs. Did you read the link above? Post #11.

If you wish to stop the pyramiding in progress, you are going to need a large closed chamber for each tortoise. Like this: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/


All of these things are explained in more detail in the care sheet.

Don't you think the MVB would be too hot for such a little tank?

 

[DDrivera]

I posted the link earlier for that home comfort meter. Yours does measure humidity but it won't measure it in the tank. That model has a probe you stick in that tank and the digital read out goes outside the tank. That read out has a sensor in it that measures temp and humidity, the probe only measures temps. The way that is supposed to be set up is put the probe outside your house and the readout inside, like on a kitchen counter. The probe gives you your "outside" temps and the readout gives you your "inside temps" and reads the humidity in your house. The meter I put a link to has no probe. You drop the entire digital readout down in your tank and it read temps and humidity in your tank.

Setting up your torts is confusing isn't. Your on the right track now just with stuff that's oh so close.

I'll find that link to the tube lights now. I would say that I you had box turtles that light would be fine but since you have torts you need a bulb that puts out way more UV. You'll be surprised at just how little uv those bulbs put out after you read my thread.

Yes, this is very difficult because I'm easily confused with the choices and info.. I am searching everywhere for items lol however, I want to give them a good home. I'll take back the thermometer and uvb because my tank is 48 inches long and 16 inches deep. Now I really don't know what to do tomorrow I'm going to Home Depot and buying the terra cotta saucer and thermometer once U post it. If I could use the MVB DURING the day and CHE at night that would be ideal but I'm no expert; you are I'm also ordering this because they say it works wonders, any input

 

[DDrivera]

Is this appropriate?

 

[DDrivera]

You are making progress. A few things to note:
You need a much thicker layer of substrate. 3-4". Spot clean daily. No need to replace it.
You need a humid hide, not just an open half log.
You need a thermostat for your CHE. This will maintain ambient temps day and night.
The 18" tube will work for UV, but it will need to be mounted no more than 10-12" from the tortoises.
You still need a basking bulb. The MVB would fulfill this need and eliminate the need for the tube lamp.
They need to be separated. Tortoises do not do well in pairs. Did you read the link above? Post #11.

If you wish to stop the pyramiding in progress, you are going to need a large closed chamber for each tortoise. Like this: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/


All of these things are explained in more detail in the care sheet.

Tom how do I find out which one is more dominant. One is more scared and takes a long time to show its head when held and the other is very reception when I talk to it and caress its head and indee chin. I am sad that I need to rehome a sulcata. My husband will kill me if I buy another tank and two of everything lol right now I have a 50 gallon tank and am struggling to put a home together I'm so overwhelmed with info i feel like my CHE is drying out my stuff so I see the importance of a humid hide.. I'm confused

 

[tortdad]

View attachment 106405
Is this appropriate?

That's the one. You can get them at lowes too, even saw one at a bass pro shop once.

 

[tortdad]

Yes, this is very difficult because I'm easily confused with the choices and info.. I am searching everywhere for items lol however, I want to give them a good home. I'll take back the thermometer and uvb because my tank is 48 inches long and 16 inches deep. Now I really don't know what to do tomorrow I'm going to Home Depot and buying the terra cotta saucer and thermometer once U post it. If I could use the MVB DURING the day and CHE at night that would be ideal but I'm no expert; you are I'm also ordering this because they say it works wonders, any input

I use a MVB during the day and Che at night for my Redfoots. You can do the same thing too but know that your going to dry your stuff out quickly so you'll be adding moisture a lot. I would save your money and buy a $10 timer at Home Depot or lowes, not the plug strip you have listed. You can get basic mechanical timers that allow you to plug one light into for $5 and once with two outlets for $10. That plug strip has several outlets but your MVB and or tube UVB and basking lamp are all that you need plugged into a timer for 8-12 hrs a day. I'll post a link to a timer too rule #2 about tort raising is that pet stores don't carry very much stuff for us and what they do carry is expensive and not as good as what you can find at a hardware store.

Your CHE needs to be on a reptile thermostat. I think I paid $50 for mine at a pet store because I didn't want to wait for shipping from Amazon where they are closer to $40. I'll see if I can find a link to that too.

If you do go MVB I would go with a small one.

Also, let's be very clear on something. In an earlier post you said I was the expert. I'm still a intermediate level tort owner just trying to help you out. @Tom is the actual expert. He has decades of experience with this species and you can take whatever he says as gospel. The older members post this info over and over again so I feel that it's the responsibility of new members (once they've got there sets up complete and correct) to help other new members so the older ones aren't repeating the same stuff over and over again.

 

[tortdad]

Timer
http://m.homedepot.com/p/Defiant-15...echanical-Big-Button-Timer-49810DI/203678109/

Any Walmart will carry this too. The other one is the same thing as this just allows you to plug 2 items in it and is $9.94

 

[tortdad]

Heres the thermostat I have. This is the 1000 watt model which is more than you need at the moment. They make a 500 watt model too but just know you'll need the bigger one later down the line when your torts are bigger and require stronger lights but the smaller one will for you now if you want to save the cash. You DO NOT want this on the timer and it is to run your CHE only.
Lights, basking and UVB during the day on a timer and CHE on a thermostat so it can come on and off as needed. This combined with you adding moisture as needed and you'll maintain a great environment for your torts.

Keep a close eye on your torts. Bulling is not a matter of IF, with sullys its a matter of when. Some do fine while small like that and some don't. As some point you WILL need to separate them or one will suffer, if it's not already.

 

[tortdad]

There's a section in here dedicated to nothing but enclosures and lighting. Take a look in those and you'll get plenty of ideas.

 

[Tom]

Tom how do I find out which one is more dominant. One is more scared and takes a long time to show its head when held and the other is very reception when I talk to it and caress its head and indee chin. I am sad that I need to rehome a sulcata. My husband will kill me if I buy another tank and two of everything lol right now I have a 50 gallon tank and am struggling to put a home together I'm so overwhelmed with info i feel like my CHE is drying out my stuff so I see the importance of a humid hide.. I'm confused

Your's is a dilemma faced by every new person. You have vets, books, breeders, and internet "experts" all telling you to do different and conflicting things. Plus the pet store trying to sell what is on their shelves. What to do? How do you know which one is right?

I find it helpful to determine two things. What "stake" does someone have in this, and what results can these various people show you. What is to be gained by each of these various people? What do they want from you, and what is their driving motivation to try and ell you what to do? I think there is an element of wanting to do the right thing in most people. Pet store folks want your money though. So do vets. Breeders might want to make a sale. Internet nerds might have some sort of ego thing going on. I don't think anyone wants to harm your tortoise, and there are always going to be differing opinions. Tortoise husbandry techniques and understanding has grown tremendously in the last few years. Leaps and bounds over the growth of the previous two decades. Many have not caught on to the mistakes of the past or the new understanding of how things work that some of us now have.

This leads me to the second of the two things to determine that I mentioned above. Results. What do people from each of the above mentioned groups have to offer you in the way of proof that their methods and philosophies should be followed by new hobbyists? Vets often have nothing to offer. Most of them don't even keep torts and are reading out of a vet handbook in the back area. If you find a good one with actual hands on experience, treat him/her right and give them your business. Breeders have their adults and they have new hatchlings which are sold off ASAP. They are not in the business of raising tortoises in various ways to see which methods produce the best results over 6, 12 or 24 months. They need to get the burden of baby care off their shoulders as fast as they can. Pet stores? These are usually staffed by kids who like animals, but have little practical knowledge. I know. That used to be me. I've got 8 years in the retail pet market, plus a year of wholesale... That leaves us with this group of internet nerds you have stumbled upon. There are hundreds of pics of my tortoises on this site showing my results. My "End of Pyramiding" thread is now 35 pages long and shows my hatchlings from hatching until now at 4 and half years old. There are also hundreds of other tortoise keeper all over the world use my methods or something similar and getting the same positive results. I don't stand to gain anything from you. I'm not selling anything. My interest is in helping people avoid the same mistakes that I have made in the past and have healthy happy tortoises.

You will have to choose whose advice to follow. Good luck.