Hermanns Enclosure Review

[wafflesthehermann]

Hi all, can i get a review of my setup? I got Waffles almost a year ago from Garden State Tortoise. I just moved him from a baby bin to a small Aivituvin table. The lights are ZooMed 50w basking spot lamp and Reptisun 10.0 UVB. The lights are about 12 in from top of his shell. The temp in the enclosure is 73 in the closed compartment and 88 under the spot lamp. Is this warm enough for him? He hasn't been quite as active since I moved him into the table, but he still gets around. PS - he is missing a scale from his nose. He got the zoomies and bonked it somewhere in the table.

 

[wellington]

He should be in a closed chamber with 80% humidity now and for about another year or two.
I can already see pyramiding.
The bulbs need to go too. An incandescent flood bulb should be used, not a spot bulb for basking that reaches 95-100.
A tube florescent for uvb, not a coil, halogen or mercury.

 

[Ink]

Welcome to the forum. Cute tortoise. Please follow @wellington suggestions. I too see the pyramiding.

 

[wafflesthehermann]

Heard. Maybe I moved him into the table too soon. What do you all think of this bin and lights?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hi all, can i get a review of my setup? I got Waffles almost a year ago from Garden State Tortoise. I just moved him from a baby bin to a small Aivituvin table. The lights are ZooMed 50w basking spot lamp and Reptisun 10.0 UVB. The lights are about 12 in from top of his shell. The temp in the enclosure is 73 in the closed compartment and 88 under the spot lamp. Is this warm enough for him? He hasn't been quite as active since I moved him into the table, but he still gets around. PS - he is missing a scale from his nose. He got the zoomies and bonked it somewhere in the table.

Hi!
It's better to leave him in this table, just put a greenhouse top or the bin from the second photo over the meshed part.
The basking bulb is fine. The UVB tube is not super powerful but should work for your enclosure height.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Heard. Maybe I moved him into the table too soon. What do you all think of this bin and lights?

That tub looks too small, I don’t think you’ll get a good temperature gradient.

The floodlight is ok, I can’t speak for the t8 hood, maybe others can tell you if it’s any good.
I read t5 are the best, a lot people here use the aricadia brand, myself included🙂 but that one you have might be ok for the enclosure you have right now.
I’d recommend adding a greenhouse topper to up your humidity👍🏻

 

[wafflesthehermann]

How would you suggest I arrange the bulbs and the lid if I stick with the table? Have the bulbs shine through the lid? Or cover the whole table and light hook in greenhouse plastic? I’m having trouble picturing

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I wouldn’t have the lights shining through the lid no, I’m struggling to envision how to hang them with that lid so perhaps Alex will elaborate on how to hang them for that option.

Some people mount the uv making a stand like this for the kind of enclosure you have(pic attached) but if you go with the greenhouse top to help your humidity, you can hang your lights from the frame, making sure those wires are nice and secure, you could wrap the wire round, so it hangs to the height you need, then maybe add some zip ties around the wires for extra security🙂

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

How would you suggest I arrange the bulbs and the lid if I stick with the table? Have the bulbs shine through the lid? Or cover the whole table and light hook in greenhouse plastic? I’m having trouble picturing

This UVB lamp outputs approximately a half of what T5 lamps do. So you need a distance 10-11" inches between the lamp and substrate.

Mesh will attenuate UV output by some unknown amount (10-50%) so I would just remove the mesh lid.

Cover over the table should enclose the lights too. You can hang the basking lamp from a greenhouse frame or screw a hook in storage bin or use a lamp stand if greenhouse top is larger than the table (you just put the whole table inside).

 

[wafflesthehermann]

Thanks everybody for the feedback on my other post. Here is where I landed after incorporating some suggestions. The lights are Zoomed Reptisun T5 10.0 and Arcadia 75w solar basking floodlight.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Thanks everybody for the feedback on my other post. Here is where I landed after incorporating some suggestions. The lights are Zoomed Reptisun T5 10.0 and Arcadia 75w solar basking floodlight.

Yay well done!!😁

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

That looks great! With the greenhouse top you should be able to avoid further pyramiding. You could still aim for higher humidity, 70-85% while he is small. This can be done by pouring water to the substrate. Though, it might be that the closed of hide area already reaches that. Have you done humidity readings there?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Yeah try and get humidity up just a little more if you can to 75-80, lukewarm water pours into the corners of the substrate every now n then should do it👍🏻not loads but just enough to dampen the bottom layer, aim for your top layer to be dry, to avoid it getting dusty on top though simply mix the substrate now n then too🙂

Might be worth getting some cheap pond liner to line your set up as it’s wooden, the moisture mights seep out/cause the wood to rot.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Looking good though op well done for making some needed changes❤️

 

[Tom]

Thanks everybody for the feedback on my other post. Here is where I landed after incorporating some suggestions. The lights are Zoomed Reptisun T5 10.0 and Arcadia 75w solar basking floodlight.

Much better.

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[wafflesthehermann]

Inside the closed part

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Inside the closed part

👌🏻