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Maggie Cummings
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You are talking about what you heard we are talking about our years of experience. We use them for heat is all...and they can be turned off in the day time if you want...don't talk about what you heard
New to Forum and SULCATAS....some advice please...
- Thread starter Cre8ruckas
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Cre8ruckas said:
That's much too low and there are lots of things you can do to help. Wet your substrate regularly. Cover as much of the top as you can. Use a proper humid hide box for sure (not a half log or something wide open that allows the humidity to easily escape). Spray the torts and the enclosure with plain water several times a day. Its all in here:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies
working on that now. Have to go to the store today to pick up some forest floor by zoo med. it's 100% cypress mulch. Being i had a hard time finding it at a garden supply etc. didnt realize that the random petco carried 100% cypress mulch. lol go figure why would i have thought to check there! LOL DUH! im dumb. lol. as for humid hide, right now i have a cardboard shoe box with a hole cut for the opening, but going to pick up a small rubbermaid container (shoe box sized) today and cover it with the mulch when i pick that up also.
as for the lighting. right now the basking lamp is a 75w zoo med reptile basking spot lamp (approx 9inches above the top of the shell of the tort , and the 100w black like heat bulb at the other end of the tank approx 6inches above the shoe box hide. temp in between bulbs (center of tank is staying approx 83F.)
temp under the basking lamp is 97.6F approx 6in under the bulb
as for the lighting. right now the basking lamp is a 75w zoo med reptile basking spot lamp (approx 9inches above the top of the shell of the tort , and the 100w black like heat bulb at the other end of the tank approx 6inches above the shoe box hide. temp in between bulbs (center of tank is staying approx 83F.)
temp under the basking lamp is 97.6F approx 6in under the bulb
maggie3fan said:
Thanks for the notification.
emysemys said:
Thanks Yvonne for the helpful info.
Cre8ruckas said:
Heat lamps under a newspaper substrate is dehydrating for the torts and decreases the humidity by a lot. Give your tort a moist substrate and consider using the black light at night...I don't think they really need it in the day.
anything you buy at petco will be $$$ more then a garden center.. got dirt?
that, if clean from outside, would be better then newspaper for right now.
is he eating? what are you feeding?
that, if clean from outside, would be better then newspaper for right now.
is he eating? what are you feeding?
feeding Zoo med Natural grassland tortoise food (wet and smushed up) and Tetra's REPTOMIN SoftGel. I wet the zoomed grassland tortoise food to smush it up a bit (But not dripping wet) and mix some of the reptoMin softgel food in with it. So far He/she LOOOVES it!! I went out a just got a plastic bucket/hide, some cypress mulch (zoo med forest floor) and 2 little digital thermometers...so far the humidity has raised to 60% already in just about a half hour! woohoo.! heres some pix...what's everyone think?
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so what's everyone think?
That's nice. I think Tom mentioned that the basking light should be on one end of the habitat. That way its cooler on the other end. You can moisten the substrate a bit for humidity in the habitat.
ok, so i have the basking light on one end and the black heat light on the other end above the hide. SHould i change this and put both bulbs at the oppsite end of the hide box?? I have had the black heat bulb OFF and the end with the hide box went down to 74*F. and the end with the basking light was high 80's but that was not directly under the basking bulb.
which bulb should i get for UVB's? considering i already have a 75w zoo med basking spot lamp that throws off uva's. And a 100w Black HEAT bulb by zilla. Would adding a uvb bulb make the tank too hot, due to having a basking lamp also? tring to figure out the best Lighting COMBO and it's giving me a head ache! lol. ugh.
which bulb should i get for UVB's? considering i already have a 75w zoo med basking spot lamp that throws off uva's. And a 100w Black HEAT bulb by zilla. Would adding a uvb bulb make the tank too hot, due to having a basking lamp also? tring to figure out the best Lighting COMBO and it's giving me a head ache! lol. ugh.
maybe i should add this to the mix........? >>>>> EXO-TERRA REPTI-GLO 5.0 REPTILE COMPACT BULB 13W UVB
i think you need to add some fresh greens to the diet..
Laura said:
like.....?? supermarket greens?
Cre8ruckas said:
NO!!!
The compact bulbs have been dangerous in the past, and even though they might be fixed now, I wouldn't chance it. They harm the tortoise's eyes.
Here's what you need to buy:
http://www.google.com/products/cata...log_result&ct=image&resnum=4&ved=0CDoQ8gIwAw#
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Maggie Cummings
Guest
Yes super market greens. I use Spring Mix and add other greens to it then I cut it up and stir it all around. Get radicchio, torts love it and won't turn it down. I think you need some more substrate and be sure to wet it...
emysemys said:
WOHA!!!! THATS A BIG BULB! Wont that be Way too much HEAT for my little 30gal long tank?? RIght now it's approx 111*F Directly under my little zoo med 75w basking lamp! And approx mid 90's around the outside of the direct beam of light under my bulb. You posted a 160w bulb. SHouldnt i get that bulb but maybe 75-100watt?? Everyones saying no over 110F under the basking light, but with the bulb you posted the link to i cant imagine even being able to keep the tank under 150*F unless i keep it 2ft above the tank lol. or place industrial box fans above my tank! lol. Maybe im confused?
the aquarium he/she is in now is approx. 18in TALL x 36in Long x 12in Wide. and i have about 2 and a half inches of cypress mulch at the bottom.
That was merely a link to show you the type of bulb you should get. Of course, you should get the correct wattage for the size of your habitat. The ones I have here are all 100 watts. Then you can raise or lower them for more or less heat.
lol ok, thank you very much for all the info and sorry for all the dumb questions. lol. Yet heres another one.....This bulb should be used INSTEAD of the 75w basking spot lamp we already have or Use it IN ADDITION to the basking bulb we already have.?? Again THANK you SOOO much for all the info, Im so new to this site yet everyone is so awsome im already glued to the site!
If your 75 watt bulb emits heat plus UVB, then you don't need to replace it. The bulb in my link would be used instead of a regular light or basking bulb. All you need is the one UV/heat bulb (like the link) and a night time heat source.
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