Newbie tort enclosure - supply list help

[BriGuy31]

I would be more concerned with scratches during cleaning. If you buy a proper track then the doors should never touch while opening, less it is really thin plexiglass that bends too much.

 

[haylee345]

Here's a tortoise supply wish list I put together on Amazon. It might have some things you haven;t though about, like a spray bottle. http://amzn.com/w/AIJN8EJ1WCWY

I have a leopard tortoise in a 4x2.5 ft enclosure that'll be expended when she grows a bit. She loves flower pots on their side for a hide, but I also went to a dollar store for a couple black plastic bowls that I cut doorways in for humid hides. I went to a hardware store and picked out pieces of broken natural stone slate tiles and got them at a discount for decorations/nail files. A bromeliad in clean natural soil and a small flower pot grows great in my enclosure. The pot is kinda half buried where she can't really reach the leaves, but they won't hurt her even if she does nibble them. She'd have to eat a lot to cause any harm. I also sprinkled chia seeds (like what you would find in a grocery store) in the coco coir substrate and that grows great.

I have a 14 in fluorescent tube uva/uvb tube, 100 watt black CHE, and a heat basking bulb. The CHE is near her hide and stays on 24/7 so temps stay constant at 80-90 degrees. The basking and tube lights are on about 10 hours a day. It's important to have areas at different temperatures so your tortoise can self regulate. I'm not sure what those temps are supposed to be for a Hermanns though.

 

[haylee345]

I worry about MVBs, especially for a baby. There have been complaints that they can be too intense/hot/drying. Maybe search the forum for more info. Plus they focus the UVA/UVB into a narrow ray. I prefer the tube light bc it spreads the rays out even if they are less concentrated.

 

[grandlinegirl]

Here's a tortoise supply wish list I put together on Amazon. It might have some things you haven;t though about, like a spray bottle. http://amzn.com/w/AIJN8EJ1WCWY

I have a leopard tortoise in a 4x2.5 ft enclosure that'll be expended when she grows a bit. She loves flower pots on their side for a hide, but I also went to a dollar store for a couple black plastic bowls that I cut doorways in for humid hides. I went to a hardware store and picked out pieces of broken natural stone slate tiles and got them at a discount for decorations/nail files. A bromeliad in clean natural soil and a small flower pot grows great in my enclosure. The pot is kinda half buried where she can't really reach the leaves, but they won't hurt her even if she does nibble them. She'd have to eat a lot to cause any harm. I also sprinkled chia seeds (like what you would find in a grocery store) in the coco coir substrate and that grows great.

I have a 14 in fluorescent tube uva/uvb tube, 100 watt black CHE, and a heat basking bulb. The CHE is near her hide and stays on 24/7 so temps stay constant at 80-90 degrees. The basking and tube lights are on about 10 hours a day. It's important to have areas at different temperatures so your tortoise can self regulate. I'm not sure what those temps are supposed to be for a Hermanns though.

Thanks for the reply! You've got some great ideas there. I love heading to the dollar store to find thrifty ways to care for my pets. My snakes all have hides made from plastic containers from the dollar store and they love them! I'll definitely be picking up some hides and getting a little creative. I want a natural looking enclosure but I plan on using a trick from when I had my hermit crabs. I used dollar store plastic containers and aquarium silicone to cover them with rocks and pebbles. Looked pretty cool!

I'm going to see if I can find some stuff to grow in there. Like I mentioned previously, I really do suck at growing stuff. I've even killed the plants that are supposed to be really easy to care for... But I love the idea of the chia seeds and I'm most definitely going to try that out!

 

[Lyn W]

I worry about MVBs, especially for a baby. There have been complaints that they can be too intense/hot/drying. Maybe search the forum for more info. Plus they focus the UVA/UVB into a narrow ray. I prefer the tube light bc it spreads the rays out even if they are less concentrated.

I use an MVB for my leopard and I haven't had any problems. I find it very easy to have light heat and uvb in one bulb.
I adjust the temp by raising or lowering the lamp and make sure that its about 10 -12 inches above the shell - that will depend on the wattage I suppose. You need to check the temp at top of carapace level to make sure it isn't going to burn.
It is better to hang lamps rather than use the clamps because you can't adjust the temp with them and because the rays are at an angle you only get a limited area of uvb.
I don't know if there are coil or loop type mvbs but if there are don't touch those as they can damage torts eyes.

I use a CHE also. It is run through a thermostat so that it switches the che on and off as needed to prevent overheating.
I haven't seen any complaints about mvb being drying can you remember where you read this please?

 

[Lyn W]

I'm going to see if I can eventually get someone to build me a very long one of these for the Hermann's. With the lip in front big enough that the tort won't be able to see out and all the heating inside (and no vent in the back). I'm just not sure how big I would need it.

Nice design.
Torts are naturally wandering animals so the bigger the better! A minimum of 4x8' is usually quoted.
Don't forget it is the floor space not the volume that counts. 50 gallon may sound big but its the actual width x length that counts

 

[grandlinegirl]

Nice design.
Torts are naturally wandering animals so the bigger the better! A minimum of 4x8' is usually quoted.
Don't forget it is the floor space not the volume that counts. 50 gallon may sound big but its the actual width x length that counts

Understood. Unfortunately, 4x8 won't work. The enclosure is going in my room and my room isn't very big. 2x7 is going to take up half of my room and the only other things that will fit in there are my bed and dresser. Literally. It's tiny.

The only reason I am making it so high, 3-4 feet high, is to account for the lamps hanging inside. But, I can eventually add a second level to increase space in there

 

[Lyn W]

Understood. Unfortunately, 4x8 won't work. The enclosure is going in my room and my room isn't very big. 2x7 is going to take up half of my room and the only other things that will fit in there are my bed and dresser. Literally. It's tiny.

The only reason I am making it so high, 3-4 feet high, is to account for the lamps hanging inside. But, I can eventually add a second level to increase space in there

There's some great ideas in the enclosures thread.
Will you be able to provide outdoor space when the weather is warmer?

 

[grandlinegirl]

There's some great ideas in the enclosures thread.
Will you be able to provide outdoor space when the weather is warmer?

For sure! Being in Southern Ontario, we have really harsh winters. But I am going to have the little one outside every day in the warmer weather. I'm going to build an outdoor enclosure for him/her. I've read that hatchlings should be inside for the first year but after that I will definitely get it outside.

 

[grandlinegirl]

So I was thinking about picking up 2 of these for the doors....

https://www.lowes.ca/skylight-acces...-in-x-36-in-clear-acrylic-sheet_g1191724.html

I would put them in a proper sliding track. I just need to find these!

 

[grandlinegirl]

That, or I can just put a door on a hinge. Not sure. I just want it to be easy for my sis and her boyfriend to make!

 

[haylee345]

I use an MVB for my leopard and I haven't had any problems. I find it very easy to have light heat and uvb in one bulb.
I adjust the temp by raising or lowering the lamp and make sure that its about 10 -12 inches above the shell - that will depend on the wattage I suppose. You need to check the temp at top of carapace level to make sure it isn't going to burn.
It is better to hang lamps rather than use the clamps because you can't adjust the temp with them and because the rays are at an angle you only get a limited area of uvb.
I don't know if there are coil or loop type mvbs but if there are don't touch those as they can damage torts eyes.

I use a CHE also. It is run through a thermostat so that it switches the che on and off as needed to prevent overheating.
I haven't seen any complaints about mvb being drying can you remember where you read this please?

Here's the thread. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/infrared-sunlight-vs-basking-lamps.84606/

I think it's saying that strong lamps like mvbs weren't designed to consider how much sunlight is filtered out by the moisture in the miles of atmosphere between the sun and the tortoise's shell, so mvbs can be harsh and drying, especially to babies. There's also an unequal distribution of heat and rays, making the top of the shell too hot and dry before warming the entire tortoise. On Page 2 they start talking about the benefits of tube lights, like the t8 and t5. So I have a t8 tube, black CHE in a dimming fixture that's on 24/7 and gets about 91 degrees directly underneath, and a cheap $8 basking bulb in a dimming fixture that gets around 97 degrees underneath. My 3 month old leopard really doesn't like being under either heat bulb. She tends to hide behind things and in the corners where it's cooler. I feel like if I didn't have the strip light, she wouldn't get any uva/uvb. I always soak her under the tube light as well to make sure she's getting some rays.

MVBs also can't be used with a dimming fixture, and I find it a lot easier to turn a little knob to lower temps than to lower the whole lamp.