Newbie Set Up

[Kala]

As recommended, I’m starting a new thread with the items I’ve been looking at for our set up. Would very much appreciate your approval before going ahead with anything, we want to get everything just right!

This is the enclosure I’ve been looking at for our hatchling. It measures 3.15ft by 5.15ft and is 30cm high. The hide and ‘viewing’ areas have separate pull out bottoms for easy cleaning.

I have 26 litres of ZooMed ReptiBark (fir bark)on my list, will that be enough to fill it as deep as is needed? Should I stick with just that 1 type of substrate or have different types in different areas? I’ve also seen edible bedding by Komodo (screenshot of ingredients below). Is this worth getting for now as weeds etc are scarce in winter?

Terracotta plant tray for water

Small cuttlefish bones

I read that nutrobal calcium & vitamin D3 powder is recommended. Is that something you guys endorse?

Arcadia solar basking floodlight 75w bulbs
Any recommendations for best lamp?
Do I need a dimmable thermostat? I’m not very technically savvy so the simplest options would be great.

Arcadia ProT5 12% UVB Kit. 24w, is that right?

Any recommendations for thermometer & hygrometer?

Will make sure there are plenty of things to climb, hide under, play with etc and some safe to eat plants.

Anything else I’ve missed?

 

[wellington]

You need a closed chamber enclosure which means it's closed but not with wire top. The one pictured is not it.
Search for pop up portable greenhouse or raised garden beds, like pictured below.
A straight tube florescent for uvb, incandescent flood bulb for basking and ceramic heat emitter or two for added day heat and night heat.
Arcadia has both types of lighting

 

[Kala]

You need a closed chamber enclosure which means it's closed but not with wire top. The one pictured is not it.
Search for pop up portable greenhouse or raised garden beds, like pictured below.
A straight tube florescent for uvb, incandescent flood bulb for basking and ceramic heat emitter or two for added day heat and night heat.
Arcadia has both types of lighting
View attachment 367130

Sorry I should have said, we need an indoor enclosure. Why does it need to be a closed chamber enclosure? For humidity purposes?

Have the Arcadia bulbs at the ready, but not sure which lamp is best for the basking bulb.

 

[wellington]

Sorry I should have said, we need an indoor enclosure. Why does it need to be a closed chamber enclosure? For humidity purposes?

Have the Arcadia bulbs at the ready, but not sure which lamp is best for the basking bulb.

Those are used indoor for tortoises. Many of us used or use them.
The closed chamber is really the only way to keep heat and humidity stable at tortoise height. Heat and humidity rises, so open tops most heat escapes and have to be either closer to torts or more used to get the temps to stay correct at their level. Also about the only way to keep them from pyramiding.

 

[wellington]

@Maggie3fan can you post your RF enclosure please.

 

[Kala]

Those are used indoor for tortoises. Many of us used or use them.
The closed chamber is really the only way to keep heat and humidity stable at tortoise height. Heat and humidity rises, so open tops most heat escapes and have to be either closer to torts or more used to get the temps to stay correct at their level. Also about the only way to keep them from pyramiding.

What is the correct humidity for a hatchling Russian please? I live in a very humid area and am usually trying to decrease the humidity so believe it will probably be perfect for a tortoise. My house is heated by thermostat 24/7, and my daughter’s room (where the tortoise will be) is the warmest room in the house as the pipes from the water tank are fed through her floor to the rest of the house.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

On substrate:
Just stick with Reptibark, there is need to mix substrates. For a hatchling you might want to get a coco coir (soil-like fine ground coconut shells), but Reptibark works too. To make a 7cm (3 inches) layer of substrate you will need about 100 liters. Don't use edible beddings, soils and so on. Coco coir, fir bark or cypress mulch.

Calcium powder: better use one without D3 to avoid overdosage. Tortoises synthesize D3 on their own under UVB light as much as they need. With calcium-rich diet and cuttlefish bone available you might not need powder at all.

Lamps are fine (you need both mentioned). You don't need a dimming thermostat for the basking lamp - just adjust lamps height to get right basking zone temperature (95-100F). UVB lamp should be mounted at 15-18 inches above substrate, you can put it on the mesh lid and raise it a little with anything suitable like Lego-bricks.

For a hatchling you can follow 80/80 rule (80% humidity at ambient temperature of 80F). Humidity and temperatures in the room might be very different from those in the enclosure, so a "closed chamber" is an essential thing.

Thermometer/hygrometer - get any digital (with a display) from a hardware store. Those with probes on a wire are more handy, but it's not strictly necessary.

 

[wellington]

Yes, just to repeat. The whole house temps likely will not be enough for a tortoise.
Russian hatchlings need 80 temp day. 80% humidity and 95-100 basking.
With the proper temps the humidity in your house will not be enough. Temps lower humidity. With a closed chamber while a hatchling, the heat and humidity are kept stable.

 

[Kala]

On substrate:
Just stick with Reptibark, there is need to mix substrates. For a hatchling you might want to get a coco coir (soil-like fine ground coconut shells), but Reptibark works too. To make a 7cm (3 inches) layer of substrate you will need about 100 liters. Don't use edible beddings, soils and so on. Coco coir, fir bark or cypress mulch.

Calcium powder: better use one without D3 to avoid overdosage. Tortoises synthesize D3 on their own under UVB light as much as they need. With calcium-rich diet and cuttlefish bone available you might not need powder at all.

Lamps are fine (you need both mentioned). You don't need a dimming thermostat for the basking lamp - just adjust lamps height to get right basking zone temperature (95-100F). UVB lamp should be mounted at 15-18 inches above substrate, you can put it on the mesh lid and raise it a little with anything suitable like Lego-bricks.

For a hatchling you can follow 80/80 rule (80% humidity at ambient temperature of 80F). Humidity and temperatures in the room might be very different from those in the enclosure, so a "closed chamber" is an essential thing.

Thermometer/hygrometer - get any digital (with a display) from a hardware store. Those with probes on a wire are more handy, but it's not strictly necessary.

I think I’ll get coco coir then as 75L of that is £16, as opposed to £25 for 26L of reptibark. £100 every couple of weeks is a lot just for the substrate.

Would this raised planter with greenhouse cover be ok? It’s a lot smaller than the enclosure (3.7 x 2ft) but still big enough for a hatchling I’d assume? And I’d still be able to fit the UVB strip?

With the lamp; when you say it can be put on the mesh lid, I thought the enclosure needed to be closed without a mesh lid? Or do you mean just not wire mesh? Sorry, getting a little bit confused with everything.

 

[Maggie3fan]

I don't keep Russians anymore, but if I did...I would use this habitat that I use for a Redfoot...it's a greenhouse placed over a tort table...it constantly holds the humidity at 85% and the heat at 85 to 90 degrees. Russians like to cool off at night so I'd make sure to turn off a che at night. I am so glad to have this method of keeping a growing tortoise...it's so easy to control their ambiance, this one is over a wooden 6'x2.5' tort table, but the green house is 3'x7', so I had to build a platform for the whole thing

 

[Kala]

Yes, just to repeat. The whole house temps likely will not be enough for a tortoise.
Russian hatchlings need 80 temp day. 80% humidity and 95-100 basking.
With the proper temps the humidity in your house will not be enough. Temps lower humidity. With a closed chamber while a hatchling, the heat and humidity are kept stable.

The UK has a whole different level of humidity because we’re surrounded by water. When we have a heatwave (35+ degrees Celsius), the humidity levels reach 80-90%. Right now it’s 8 degrees celcius outside and my daughter’s bedroom is 20.3 degrees with 55% humidity.

 

[Kala]

I don't keep Russians anymore, but if I did...I would use this habitat that I use for a Redfoot...it's a greenhouse placed over a tort table...it constantly holds the humidity at 85% and the heat at 85 to 90 degrees. Russians like to cool off at night so I'd make sure to turn off a che at night. I am so glad to have this method of keeping a growing tortoise...it's so easy to control their ambiance, this one is over a wooden 6'x2.5' tort table, but the green house is 3'x7', so I had to build a platform for the whole thingView attachment 367136

Do you think the greenhouse/planter ive posted above would work then? It looks like it’s basically what you’ve created here

 

[Kala]

I don't keep Russians anymore, but if I did...I would use this habitat that I use for a Redfoot...it's a greenhouse placed over a tort table...it constantly holds the humidity at 85% and the heat at 85 to 90 degrees. Russians like to cool off at night so I'd make sure to turn off a che at night. I am so glad to have this method of keeping a growing tortoise...it's so easy to control their ambiance, this one is over a wooden 6'x2.5' tort table, but the green house is 3'x7', so I had to build a platform for the whole thingView attachment 367136

Where did you attach the UVB light?

 

[Maggie3fan]

The UK has a whole different level of humidity because we’re surrounded by water. When we have a heatwave (35+ degrees Celsius), the humidity levels reach 80-90%. Right now it’s 8 degrees celcius outside and my daughter’s bedroom is 20.3 degrees with 55% humidity.

The ambient temperature or humidity in your house basically has nothing to do with a PROPERLY set up tortoise...he should be in a closed habitat so the temp or humidity in y9ur house wouldn't even reach him...if he set up correctly...also I'm all for fine grade orchid bark without cocoir orchid bark is great alone...

Where did you attach the UVB light

see it hanging inside?

 

[Maggie3fan]

You can see an aluminum shade hanging and a cord that leads to a che for heat...
in this shot there's 2 hanging fixtures one for light and the other for heat...but I ended up taking out the black one for heat...1 che is enuf

 

[wellington]

The UK has a whole different level of humidity because we’re surrounded by water. When we have a heatwave (35+ degrees Celsius), the humidity levels reach 80-90%. Right now it’s 8 degrees celcius outside and my daughter’s bedroom is 20.3 degrees with 55% humidity.

We have lots of places in the US with high humidity. Florida being one of them and their outside humidity only works well for them when they are big enough to live outside
We have many UK members on here too. It's no different there than here when it comes to raising hatchlings. They all need the closed chamber, high humidity.

 

[SinLA]

adding @Sarah2020 and @Lyn W who may be able to speak more knowledgeably about UK tortoise keeping and temps/weather

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I think I’ll get coco coir then as 75L of that is £16, as opposed to £25 for 26L of reptibark. £100 every couple of weeks is a lot just for the substrate.

Would this raised planter with greenhouse cover be ok? It’s a lot smaller than the enclosure (3.7 x 2ft) but still big enough for a hatchling I’d assume? And I’d still be able to fit the UVB strip?

With the lamp; when you say it can be put on the mesh lid, I thought the enclosure needed to be closed without a mesh lid? Or do you mean just not wire mesh? Sorry, getting a little bit confused with everything.

Substrate need to be "spot cleaned" daily and with daily soaking (bathing) of your tortoise it should last for a year or so (they, ahem, "relax" in the warm water).

I think, larger enclosure is better (adult Russians need something like 4x8 feet, but can live outdoors). Just cover it with a green house top. Or you can try a trick with a tin foil wrapped around mesh lid and cut around the lamps.

I understand that head might be spinning round. But I can reassure, that all of this needs to be done once and then things will be much easier.

I'll try to find some examples for you, how this type of the enclosures can be turned into the "closed chamber".

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I have found only this one, so far, with a greenhouse top (very similar to what Maggie uses):

Humidifier / Open top enclosure / Sulcata

Hello all, I am fairly new (3 weeks) as a sulcata owner. I’ve done lots of research online and read Tom’s article. I realized I needed to keep a higher humidity within the enclosure so decided to add this humidifier. I have it set to maintain between 70%-90% humidity constantly. It will for a...

tortoiseforum.org

Sorry, there are technical issues with the search, so it's not easy dig out the threads I wanted to show.

 

[wellington]

Substrate need to be "spot cleaned" daily and with daily soaking (bathing) of your tortoise it should last for a year or so (they, ahem, "relax" in the warm water).

I think, larger enclosure is better (adult Russians need something like 4x8 feet, but can live outdoors). Just cover it with a green house top. Or you can try a trick with a tin foil wrapped around mesh lid and cut around the lamps.

I understand that head might be spinning round. But I can reassure, that all of this needs to be done once and then things will be much easier.

I'll try to find some examples for you, how this type of the enclosures can be turned into the "closed chamber".

Just an FYI, the tin foil doesn't work as good. If the OP had already purchased an enclosure then the tin foil would be an option other than buying a new enclosure. This OP hasn't purchased yet, so they should start with a proper enclosure which will do the job and likely cheaper.