New keeper need advice

[Lyn W]

I've never set up a viv as my tort is too big for them but you should be OK with the mvb for day and the che on thermostat for night.
I have a 150 w MVB for a room but you may not need it that high in a viv. Does your shed have any natural light in it?

 

[Ian555]

At night just have the che on ??

 

[Ian555]

Nice one lyn help is so valueable
What can i put in the viv to help humid and whats the best substrate can you buy from reptile shop?

 

[Ian555]

Its been living on soil im sure thats not right

 

[Lyn W]

At night just have the che on ??

I do - but then I also have the radiator on, you need to check the temps at night to make sure they are within the caresheet range.
I use coco coir and orchid bark for my tort but if you are not going to be around I would just use the coco coir in case he tries to eat the bark chips - PatH and the Range sell them. The coco coir comes in blocks which you have to soak and it will expand. I keep that moist by adding water but you don't want it soaking wet. You really need to check your temps though.
right temps + humidity = healthy tort
too cold + humidity = sick tort.
Most people add plants such a spider plants which are tort safe if nibbled to help with humidity and give the tort some security, but if shop bought you need to repot in chemical free soil and wait to let any fertilisers and sprays etc grow out.

I'm tagging @Yvonne, @Tom and @Team Gomberg to see if they can help with you with the viv set up in the shed which I assume can get quite cold - they will be able to help more than me with viv set ups.

 

[Lyn W]

Its been living on soil im sure thats not right

If the soil is fertiliser/chemical free it would be ok but even with bought compost you don't know what plants have been used in it and if they are all tort safe so I would go for coco coir.

 

[Ian555]

Thanks lyn its only for a few weeks i have read the care sheet etc will be able to use items for new enclosure

 

[Lyn W]

Do you have someone going in to change water etc while you are away?

 

[Lyn W]

Just found your latest pics and looking at your viv I don't think its deep enough to hang the mvb or che
without making heat safe holes in the top. The tubes may be better. Have a look at how they do it in the Enclosures thread.

 

[Lyn W]

You really need to monitor temps to make sure you are not cooking the tort, they can overheat as well get too cold.
You will need the things I have suggested for the shed, but the heat/uvb I use may not be suitable for that viv so wait to see what others who use vivs say.

 

[Tom]

At night just have the che on ??

What can i put in the viv to help humid and whats the best substrate can you buy from reptile shop?

Its been living on soil im sure thats not right

All of this and much more is explained in detail right here:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

 

[Ian555]

Morning
I managed to get a 250 che and a new uv light i can manageto keep temp last night at 80 and can get 105 for the day all be it i dont trust the thermostsat so will be purchasing a digital one today si i think all is well
Lyn my daughter is at home whilst away so all be fine thanks all
Regatds
Ian

 

[Lyn W]

Morning
I managed to get a 250 che and a new uv light i can manageto keep temp last night at 80 and can get 105 for the day all be it i dont trust the thermostsat so will be purchasing a digital one today si i think all is well
Lyn my daughter is at home whilst away so all be fine thanks all
Regatds
Ian

Yes a thermostat would be good with 250w che in a viv - don't want to come back to baked tort!
You may already know this but a mvb won't work off a thermostat, because of the delay in coming back on after they switch off. I thought I'd broken mine when it didn't come back on straight away.

 

[Ian555]

Lyn i have the che on a thermostat and i have the uv strip just plugged in from 0700 for 12 hrs

 

[Ian555]

Lyn quick question
I have the che on at 100 in day tand turn down to 85 at night
When i drop the temp for night time i i turn th uv light off
Before i go to work at 7 i turn temp back up and turn uv light back on does this sound correct ?

I have installed the new che and uv strip i bought a digi thermostat so really easy to use and a new thermometer all seems ok

I have left the old fittings in there in case sometnig fails and i can just plug these back in which consists of a uv bulb and fitting and a ceramic fitting with bask bulb and i have a spare thermostat

Just a bit concerned that its pitch black in there at night as only the che bulb on ???

 

[Ian555]

Also i noticed today when i approached her/him the tort was panting
I let it out for a bit and it was ok
Was it just annoyed do they do that ?

Dont know if its a bit of a shick being at the right temp for it as the other equiptment was not strong enough
And it has really long toe nails ??

 

[JoesMum]

When a tort pulls its head in quickly, the air in its lungs is exhaled quickly and you hear a sharp hiss. It's not panting and is entirely normal.

I am a little confused by the description of your heat and light setup. I will post a more detailed explanation of what your tort needs shortly, but briefly...

Daytime needs:
- To bask under the sun, an MVB or Basking Lamp (Reflector bulb) so it can digest food and be active
- UVB from the sun, an MVB or tube bulb so it can make Vitamin D which it uses to process dietary calcium for a healthy shell and bones
- Shouldn't need any supplementary CHE heat unless room temperature is very cold. CHEs are not good for basking.

Night-time needs:
- Complete darkness
- Supplementary heat from a CHE controlled by a thermostat

 

[JoesMum]

Here's a lighting breakdown:

Your tort needs:

1. A basking lamp
This must hang vertically, not at an angle. Basking is essential to raise your tortoise's core temperature so it can digest food.

2. UVB light
Read the instructions for the source to see how close to the substrate it must be. UVB is essential so your tort can process dietary calcium and have healthy bones and shell.

Both 1 and 2 are available from the sun for those able to live outside.

UVB does not pass through glass or perspex(plexiglass) - light must be direct to be effective not through a window. Mesh screening can also interfere with UVB.

3. A minimum overnight temperature (see the care sheet for your species) and complete darkness at night to sleep.


Notes

(a) A Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB) provides combined UVB and Basking. Alternatively you can use 2 bulbs: a tube UVB and a reflector bulb for basking (a household reflector - not low energy or halogen - from a hardware store will do the job; it's the wattage that counts)

(b) Ignore any references to UVA you may read - it's misleading marketing speak.

(c) Compact coil UVB harms tortoise eyes and must not be used.

(d) Basking and UVB should be on a timer so the light(s) are on for 12 hours a day. Temperature under the basking is regulated by its height above the substrate.

(e) Overnight, depending on your home, you may need additional heat. You get this from a CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) which must be on a thermostat.

(f) Torts have outstanding colour vision and love red and purple food. Coloured heat lamps colour tank decor and torts don't always apply intelligence to what they eat, resulting them in eating tank decor. Coloured bulbs should not be used.


Measurements

There are 4 important temperatures that you must know for an indoor enclosure.
- Directly under the basking lamp
- Warm side
- Cool side
- Overnight Minimum

You will need digital thermometers for accuracy.

A temperature gun thermometer (inexpensive from Amazon) measures temperature accurately in specific places like directly under the basking lamp.

A min/max thermometer so you know the min/max temperatures in your home by day and night.

You should also get a good digital probe hygrometer to measure humidity.

Thermometers and hygrometer that stick to the side of the enclosure tend to be less accurate.

 

[Ian555]

Here's a lighting breakdown:

Your tort needs:

1. A basking lamp
This must hang vertically, not at an angle. Basking is essential to raise your tortoise's core temperature so it can digest food.

2. UVB light
Read the instructions for the source to see how close to the substrate it must be. UVB is essential so your tort can process dietary calcium and have healthy bones and shell.

Both 1 and 2 are available from the sun for those able to live outside.

UVB does not pass through glass or perspex(plexiglass) - light must be direct to be effective not through a window. Mesh screening can also interfere with UVB.

3. A minimum overnight temperature (see the care sheet for your species) and complete darkness at night to sleep.


Notes

(a) A Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB) provides combined UVB and Basking. Alternatively you can use 2 bulbs: a tube UVB and a reflector bulb for basking (a household reflector - not low energy or halogen - from a hardware store will do the job; it's the wattage that counts)

(b) Ignore any references to UVA you may read - it's misleading marketing speak.

(c) Compact coil UVB harms tortoise eyes and must not be used.

(d) Basking and UVB should be on a timer so the light(s) are on for 12 hours a day. Temperature under the basking is regulated by its height above the substrate.

(e) Overnight, depending on your home, you may need additional heat. You get this from a CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) which must be on a thermostat.

(f) Torts have outstanding colour vision and love red and purple food. Coloured heat lamps colour tank decor and torts don't always apply intelligence to what they eat, resulting them in eating tank decor. Coloured bulbs should not be used.


Measurements

There are 4 important temperatures that you must know for an indoor enclosure.
- Directly under the basking lamp
- Warm side
- Cool side
- Overnight Minimum

You will need digital thermometers for accuracy.

A temperature gun thermometer (inexpensive from Amazon) measures temperature accurately in specific places like directly under the basking lamp.

A min/max thermometer so you know the min/max temperatures in your home by day and night.

You should also get a good digital probe hygrometer to measure humidity.

Thermometers and hygrometer that stick to the side of the enclosure tend to be less accurate.

 

[Ian555]

This is whats in there now so basicly the uv strip and the che
It seems i am missing the basking lamp
If you look i do have the old fittings still avaliable
So if i put the badking lamp above the hide set thermostat underneath
Move the che to a more central position on a thermostat
Turn on uv and basking lamp fir 12 hrs
The woman in the pet shop told me wouldnt need basking lamp che is ok