Lighting help!

[lbailey4487]

My tortoise table is finally ready to move into my school room and set up! As someone else said, before I do drilling I will regret, what would be the best placement for lighting for a 4 X 8 rectangular enclosure? I’ve included a picture of the outside (still needs decoration but I can do that part later) and two possible locations in my room that also get natural sunlight that I thought my little guy may enjoy. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[wellington]

If it were mine. I would place the basking bulb in the middle of an end, with the tube fluorescent by it. Then place the other end where it would get the sun light. Be sure the sun doesn't shine in on too much of the enclosure or you could over heat him.
Then place a ceramic heat emitter also on the sun end if needed for night time heat or any needed extra day time heat. Put his hide on the sunny end also. Clay water saucer in the middle or a bit closer to the basking end and food dish towards the sunny end.
If you can get it set up in its location and run it for a couple days to be sure the heat/temps are correct then all tweaking can be done before he occupies it.
Day time temp should range from 75 cooler end to 80 warmer end with basking 95-100 with incandescent flood bulb.
Night temps can be in the 60's. If he tries to brumate and stops eating then keep night temps higher, like 70 and make it brighter during the day. 12-14 hours of day light.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Keep in mind that the "natural sunlight" coming through a window is great for a light. But absolutely no UVB will be provided that way. And probably little warmth.
It'd be a light only

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

If you can get it set up in its location and run it for a couple days to be sure the heat/temps are correct then all tweaking can be done before he occupies it.

This is great advice, because you may need to move the basking lamp up or down etc. before getting the temps just right.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Great pointers already! This is so exciting!! The table looks great! Can’t wait to see it up and running! Definitely post photos!

 

[Seul001]

For the lighting, I’d suggest placing it in a spot where it covers both the basking area and a cooler shaded area, so your tortoise can choose where to hang out.

 

[lbailey4487]

I am so excited to have a “draft version of my habitat actually in my classroom! I need help tweaking it so it’s the best it can be for my little guy! I was going to leave it open, but a therapy ball landing in it yesterday and one little guy being too interested in digging in the mulch convinced me I need a lid. I’m making one of 1 X 2s with 1/4 hardware cloth. Have the materials, just haven’t had time to get it together. Hopefully by tomorrow! Now, my questions—is it ok to position his basking light and UVB light on top of the hardware cloth? It’s worked well so far for his small enclosure. I know I’d need to check temperatures underneath to be sure. I put the placement I plan in an attached picture. Basking light is yellow circle, UVB in red. His water dish will go near the tree limbs. Finally, is the hill I created around his hide safe for him? I made the mulch pretty deep so that, should he ever overturn, he could right himself. I have a few more plants to add, too. Ideas?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I am so excited to have a “draft version of my habitat actually in my classroom! I need help tweaking it so it’s the best it can be for my little guy! I was going to leave it open, but a therapy ball landing in it yesterday and one little guy being too interested in digging in the mulch convinced me I need a lid. I’m making one of 1 X 2s with 1/4 hardware cloth. Have the materials, just haven’t had time to get it together. Hopefully by tomorrow! Now, my questions—is it ok to position his basking light and UVB light on top of the hardware cloth? It’s worked well so far for his small enclosure. I know I’d need to check temperatures underneath to be sure. I put the placement I plan in an attached picture. Basking light is yellow circle, UVB in red. His water dish will go near the tree limbs. Finally, is the hill I created around his hide safe for him? I made the mulch pretty deep so that, should he ever overturn, he could right himself. I have a few more plants to add, too. Ideas?View attachment 382097

Hi!
The enclosure looks nice. And hill-hide is great. Are the walls high enough to prevent him from climbing out? Probably, the lid will prevent the escapes as well.

It's fine to place basking lamp and UVB tube over hardware cloth (just move them a bit closer so they light the same area). One concern is that kids (or the therapy ball) can knock them down. This must addressed for everyone's safety. UVB tube is a thin glass with some mercury inside, basking lamp blows up in thousand pieces and is hot enough for someone to get burned.

 

[lbailey4487]

Hi!
The enclosure looks nice. And hill-hide is great. Are the walls high enough to prevent him from climbing out? Probably, the lid will prevent the escapes as well.

It's fine to place basking lamp and UVB tube over hardware cloth (just move them a bit closer so they light the same area). One concern is that kids (or the therapy ball) can knock them down. This must addressed for everyone's safety. UVB tube is a thin glass with some mercury inside, basking lamp blows up in thousand pieces and is hot enough for someone to get burned.

Good to know. Yeah, we are already working on addressing the ball, etc. I moved the enclosure to an area I have more control over, too. May put my shelving around it with a baby gate.

 

[lbailey4487]

Ok, I’ve finally had a chance to bring all the lights in and set them up. Running temperature checks now. But any thoughts on the light set up so far? The sun comes across the whole enclosure, progressively moving over the course of the day. I put the CHE between two hides. I also have another question. If I read the care guides correctly, Russian tortoises do ok at typical room humidity as long as they have more humid hides? Is this correct? I keep water in the coco coir beneath the hides about every other day. Is that enough? And how can I measure inside the hides? TIA!

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

And how can I measure inside the hides?

There are digital humidity meters with separate gauges. Many use tape to secure the gauge at tortoise shell level and have the monitor outside the hide/enclosure. I think Tom has said a humidity of 90 to 100% to be good for the hide.

I also have another question. If I read the care guides correctly, Russian tortoises do ok at typical room humidity as long as they have more humid hides?

That is correct. Usually the room humidity referred here would be 40 to 50%.

I am thinking, will the tortoise receive enough ambient lighting during the winter weekends, when the sun is out less and the classroom overhead lights aren't on?

 

[lbailey4487]

There are digital humidity meters with separate gauges. Many use tape to secure the gauge at tortoise shell level and have the monitor outside the hide/enclosure. I think Tom has said a humidity of 90 to 100% to be good for the hide.

That is correct. Usually the room humidity referred here would be 40 to 50%.

I am thinking, will the tortoise receive enough ambient lighting during the winter weekends, when the sun is out less and the classroom overhead lights aren't on?

I was thinking about ambient lighting this morning. I do think he needs more for cloudy days. What type and placement would you recommend?

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

I was thinking about ambient lighting this morning. I do think he needs more for cloudy days. What type and placement would you recommend?

LEDs in the 5000 to 6500 kelvin color range are the current recommendation.