SweetKaykes
Member
I know it needs sun during the day and dark at night, but do I leave my ceramic heater on 24/7 or do I turn that off at night as well? I keep seeing contradicting answers.
Is night time heat needed for a Sulcata hatchling?
- Thread starter SweetKaykes
- Start date
Yes. Temperatures should never fall below 80 in the coolest part of the enclosure day or night.
Most places on the internet are full of incorrect, outdated info. Take it from someone who had to throw away a year and a half worth of research when they joined- stick with this forum
Be sure to give these a read-
How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0 https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php...ealthy-Sulcata-Or-Leopard,-Version-2.0.79895/
For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata... https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/For-Those-Who-Have-a-Young-Sulcata....76744/
Beginner Mistakes https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/
Most places on the internet are full of incorrect, outdated info. Take it from someone who had to throw away a year and a half worth of research when they joined- stick with this forum
Be sure to give these a read-
How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0 https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php...ealthy-Sulcata-Or-Leopard,-Version-2.0.79895/
For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata... https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/For-Those-Who-Have-a-Young-Sulcata....76744/
Beginner Mistakes https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/
Best to get a thermostat and hook your CHE into it. Really comes in handy and takes a lot of guesswork out of it. If you don't already have one, it's also advisable to obtain a temperature gun so that you can zone out different areas of the enclosure (thus ensuring no zone falls below 80F. Both devices are relatively inexpensive.
SweetKaykes
Member
Yes. Temperatures should never fall below 80 in the coolest part of the enclosure day or night.
Most places on the internet are full of incorrect, outdated info. Take it from someone who had to throw away a year and a half worth of research when they joined- stick with this forum
Be sure to give these a read-
How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0 https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/How-To-Raise-A-Healthy-Sulcata-Or-Leopard,-Version-2.0.79895/
For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata... https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/For-Those-Who-Have-a-Young-Sulcata....76744/
Beginner Mistakes https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/
Yes. Temperatures should never fall below 80 in the coolest part of the enclosure day or night.
Most places on the internet are full of incorrect, outdated info. Take it from someone who had to throw away a year and a half worth of research when they joined- stick with this forum
Be sure to give these a read-
How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0 https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/How-To-Raise-A-Healthy-Sulcata-Or-Leopard,-Version-2.0.79895/
For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata... https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/For-Those-Who-Have-a-Young-Sulcata....76744/
Beginner Mistakes https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/
So the room itself stays at 80. Even when the ceramic heater isn’t on. I just couldn’t find if they needed a basking spot at night. I would assume as long as the temperature of the room doesn’t drop below 80 he wouldn’t need it. There’s no basking spot at night in the wild. Lol.
If the enclosure is covered, like we advise, then the CHE doesn't make a "basking spot." It heats the whole inside of the enclosure. And if it's on a thermostat, as suggested above, it goes on and off as needed.
daniellenc
Well-Known Member
It’s easy enough for peace of mind to provide heat plugged into a thermostat. If your room temp drops it kicks on. If not it doesn’t.
Because it's very important for a baby not to get cold. A cold baby is a sick baby most of the time. You don't want that. Better safe then sorry and the Che on a thermostat will provide that safety
Why is the room heated to 80? Is it a reptile room? My tortoise babies are in a heated reptile room, so I don't need night heat at all. The whole room is heated to 80 all the time. Basking lamps warm things up during the day time.
SweetKaykes
Member
Yes, even if I turn the ceramic heater off at night the room doesn’t go below 80f. We got a very tiny and not detailed piece of paper of instructions when we got him. It said to keep the basking spot on 24/7. But reading threads in this forum I have seen it is not necessary. So I was just wondering what everybody else does.
Basically im gathering that as long as the temperature of the room is ideal then I don’t need the basking spot?
We bought this little guy from tortoisetown.com and they apparently gave us some outdated information. And the internet is full of mixed info. I am so grateful for this forum.
I don't use a "basking spot" at all. My babies are under a fluorescent tube light and their heat comes from a radiant heat panel. Having said this, after the babies are finished eating in the a.m. they all head for a spot directly under the fluorescent light and "bask" for a while. So, even though I don't provide a light for basking, the tortoises seem to think they need to bask in order to digest their meal.
Desert tortoises "basking" after breakfast this a.m.:
Desert tortoises "basking" after breakfast this a.m.:
SweetKaykes
Member
That makes sense. And thank you for sharing! Your little guys are so adorable!
You do need a basking spot during the day. Just not at night if your whole room is staying 80 degrees at tortoise level.
SweetKaykes
Member
Awesome thank you! Last night i turned the Che off and was paranoid and kept going in to make sure the temp wouldn’t drop and it didn’t. I will still check during the night, but not as often as I did last night. Lol.
Similar threads
