Our new setup and tortoise group

Elemenohpee

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Looking for any advice on this new set up...

We have 2 sulcatas and 3 leopards. Eventually all tortoises will perminetly live outside when they are big enough. We live in Southern California so we have access to a secure outdoor enclosure. I normally only keep them outside a few hours a day when the weather is good.

The torts are currently eating dandelion greens, spring mix, collard greens, and kale. I soak them 3-4 times a week for 15 min.

Enclosure is 4’x2’x2’
Substrate: cypres mulch
Lighting: (2) Reptisun 10.0 bulbs, (1) 150w ceramic heat bulb

****** I also have a 100w Zoo Med Powersun bulb that I was using on a different setup and I’m wondering if I need to mount it somewhere in my new setup? (My old setup was a glass tank with an open top)

Currently the humidity is in the 90’s. Is this ok? The temperature is about 80-90 degrees

Anything I should be doing differently please let me know.

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Alex Z

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Excellent. I do not know the specific needs for a leopard tort but this looks great. What is it made of?
 

Alex Z

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The inside walls are plastic or painted?
 

Elemenohpee

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Inside walls have a plastic type coating but I don’t think they are meant to have water on them all the time or the walls will warp. No paint.
 

Elemenohpee

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It’s basically the same material that coffee tables and furniture is made from Ikea. The front is glass. I purchased this enclosure from a local pet store.
 

Alex Z

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Still looks great. What are the temps?
 

baldegale

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which if it is melamine for future reference its water resistant on the white part but itll swell if it touches bare edges
 

Sterant

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You say the humidity in the enclosure is 90%. How are you measuring that? What is the ambient humidity in the room containing the enclosure? I ask all of this because that enclosure doesn't look like an enclosure looks when the RH is around 90%. Also, your tortoises are showing an amount of pyramiding that you wouldn't see if the humidity was up in the 90's, but thats probably from your prior open-top tank. Cypress doesn't hold much water either, so that is also making me question your 90% humidity level.
 

Elemenohpee

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You say the humidity in the enclosure is 90%. How are you measuring that? What is the ambient humidity in the room containing the enclosure? I ask all of this because that enclosure doesn't look like an enclosure looks when the RH is around 90%. Also, your tortoises are showing an amount of pyramiding that you wouldn't see if the humidity was up in the 90's, but thats probably from your prior open-top tank. Cypress doesn't hold much water either, so that is also making me question your 90% humidity level.

I have a zoo med digital thermometer. Before I snapped the photos I wiped off all the condensation off the glass. The left piece of glass is always covered. I’m thinking it’s because I opened a brand new bag of cypress mulch and mixed in what I already had (was getting dry). The new bags are always really moist.

I am the new owner of these tortoises for a little over a week now. The 2 larger leopards I purchased online do have pyramiding yea.
 

Sterant

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I have a zoo med digital thermometer. Before I snapped the photos I wiped off all the condensation off the glass. The left piece of glass is always covered. I’m thinking it’s because I opened a brand new bag of cypress mulch and mixed in what I already had (was getting dry). The new bags are always really moist.

I am the new owner of these tortoises for a little over a week now. The 2 larger leopards I purchased online do have pyramiding yea.
OK Good. @Tom can share some great threads on leopard and sulcata care that will answer all of your questions. You might have to bail on the cypress and use either orchid bark or Coco Coir in order to maintain high humidity.
 

baldegale

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OK Good. @Tom can share some great threads on leopard and sulcata care that will answer all of your questions. You might have to bail on the cypress and use either orchid bark or Coco Coir in order to maintain high humidity.

heres a good place to buy “bulk” coco coir: https://www.earthscapeusa.com/onlin...on-p51658828?gclid=CKbQ4tSWxdICFUc6gQod8HUMLg

itll take about 1/4-1/3 of a brick to do a decent layer in a 4’x2’ ive been using it for a year now. you can also do a mixture of this and cypress mulch, its a bit more clean that way.
 

Elemenohpee

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OK Good. @Tom can share some great threads on leopard and sulcata care that will answer all of your questions. You might have to bail on the cypress and use either orchid bark or Coco Coir in order to maintain high humidity.

Ok I’ll switch over to one of those you recommended next time I clean the enclosure. I’m just wondering if I need to mount my 100w PowerSun bulb in addition to what I have in there now?
 

Elemenohpee

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baldegale

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is that a t5 HO tube UVB or no? if it is then you shouldnt need the powersun. if it isnt then id recommend it so they can get some UVB
 

baldegale

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Awesome thanks. I’ll save the link.

also- it may seem expensive cause of the shipping but if you break it down it is still marginally cheaper than buying elsewhere. thats why i use it. plus you have to take into account that each brick weighs 11lbs
 

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