Rate my set up

[Skekmal]

https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/snake/tanks-and-terrariums/thrive-lightweight-eco-flex-composite-terrarium---46-5312233.html?gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgO2XBhCaARIsANrW2X05dup7JoHhs98_N9ketSYMJd9OXDU9K3XY4kTihPLp75pkpCS3iqcaAtZUEALw_wcB

This is the enclosure. Bulb is a 100W in winter or 80W in summer. I have a 60W ceramic heater bulb for winter nights. Bulb brands are T-Rex Active and Solar GLO or zoo med, really whatever uvb is available. Timothy hay next to food plate with water dish big enough for him to walk around in. Looking for a better hide/basking combo than the current brick and tile set up if anyone has any ideas (he's a Greek, 14-15cm long and maybe 2in tall). Substrate is just regular topsoil with no fertilizer. The little green block in front is a nutrient block he doesn't really touch. He gets a calcium and nutrients supplement sprinkled on his food twice a week (I rotate kale and escarole one week and water cress or arugula with Radicchio the next, shredded carrots on top daily).

 

[wellington]

Uvb should be a tube florescent not a Mercury vapor bulb.
No hay should be used as a substrate.
The water dish with the ramp is a flipping and drowning hazard, return it and get a regular clay saucer.
A regular flood bulb for basking and ceramic heat emitter s for added day heat and night heat if needed.
As an adult a minimum of a 4x8 foot enclosure will be need.
The diet needs more items included.

 

[Skekmal]

Uvb should be a tube florescent not a Mercury vapor bulb.
No hay should be used as a substrate.
The water dish with the ramp is a flipping and drowning hazard, return it and get a regular clay saucer.
A regular flood bulb for basking and ceramic heat emitter s for added day heat and night heat if needed.
As an adult a minimum of a 4x8 foot enclosure will be need.
The diet needs more items included.

I know the enclosure is a bit small but until I have my own place it's the biggest I can do. Hay is not part of the substrate, I just toss a little in every now and then for him to nibble on. As for the water dish, I like that it lets him soak while also drinking and I haven't had any flipping issues in it (though I am open to alternatives to avoid future issues). Any particular reason the uvb should be changed? Havent had any issues in the past 4 years with them, but am open to change if needed.

 

[Ink]

What species of tortoise do you have?

 

[wellington]

If you have a problem with the water dish, your tortoise might be dead.
We suggest these things because it has already been proven to be a problem.
The mercury vapor bulb causes pyramiding. They are too intense. They used to be the best, now they are one of the worse! Again, been proven!
I mentioned in first post to use a tube florescent bulb for uvb.
If you didn't want to change anything why ask us to rate it?

What species of tortoise do you have?

It's a Greek.

 

[Skekmal]

If you have a problem with the water dish, your tortoise might be dead.
We suggest these things because it has already been proven to be a problem.
The mercury vapor bulb causes pyramiding. They are too intense. They used to be the best, now they are one of the worse! Again, been proven!
I mentioned in first post to use a tube florescent bulb for uvb.
If you didn't want to change anything why ask us to rate it?


It's a Greek.

I was just curious as to the problem with the uvb, I had not heard it caused pyramiding. As for the water dish I only meant to say I have not seen a better one that works for soaking as well as a drinking dish, I am more than open to different options. Is there a particular brand of tube bulbs that work well for heat and uvb?

 

[wellington]

No, the best uvb is the tube florescent and they really don't produce heat. The arcadia are the better ones.
Even in the best enclosed chamber high humidity proper enclosure for hatchlings, if a mercury vapor bulb is used, the tortoise will still pyramid.
The clay saucer is the best water dish. Easy in and out and there is no way they could drown even if they did flip.

 

[Tim Carlisle]

I was just curious as to the problem with the uvb, I had not heard it caused pyramiding. As for the water dish I only meant to say I have not seen a better one that works for soaking as well as a drinking dish, I am more than open to different options. Is there a particular brand of tube bulbs that work well for heat and uvb?

The halogens and mercury vapor bulbs have been shown to contribute to pyramiding due to the dessicating effect they have on the keratin forming between the scutes. I've been using the products @wellington described for years with excellent results.

 

[Tom]

https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/snake/tanks-and-terrariums/thrive-lightweight-eco-flex-composite-terrarium---46-5312233.html?gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgO2XBhCaARIsANrW2X05dup7JoHhs98_N9ketSYMJd9OXDU9K3XY4kTihPLp75pkpCS3iqcaAtZUEALw_wcB

This is the enclosure. Bulb is a 100W in winter or 80W in summer. I have a 60W ceramic heater bulb for winter nights. Bulb brands are T-Rex Active and Solar GLO or zoo med, really whatever uvb is available. Timothy hay next to food plate with water dish big enough for him to walk around in. Looking for a better hide/basking combo than the current brick and tile set up if anyone has any ideas (he's a Greek, 14-15cm long and maybe 2in tall). Substrate is just regular topsoil with no fertilizer. The little green block in front is a nutrient block he doesn't really touch. He gets a calcium and nutrients supplement sprinkled on his food twice a week (I rotate kale and escarole one week and water cress or arugula with Radicchio the next, shredded carrots on top daily).

View attachment 355398View attachment 355399

Wellington offered some good tips. I would add that soil should never be used as substrate, and since you do not have a grass eating species, there is no reason to put hay in there. Hay molds, and they can choke on it. Hay is for larger grass eating species. If you are going to use hay, Timothy is the wrong one.

Tortoises need large enclosures. If you can't meet this animal's needs, then you need to give it to someone who can. A four year old tortoise in an enclosure that small full time is inhumane. Tortoises need large enclosures. Can you make a large outdoor enclosure with a temperature controlled shelter for warmer weather? Your climate is excellent for them most of every year. If you can do that, you will solve this problem. The tortoise can brumate over winter when the weather turns cold there.

Here is more info for you. There is a heating and lighting break down and a temperate species care sheet at the bottom:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Skekmal]

Wellington offered some good tips. I would add that soil should never be used as substrate, and since you do not have a grass eating species, there is no reason to put hay in there. Hay molds, and they can choke on it. Hay is for larger grass eating species. If you are going to use hay, Timothy is the wrong one.

Tortoises need large enclosures. If you can't meet this animal's needs, then you need to give it to someone who can. A four year old tortoise in an enclosure that small full time is inhumane. Tortoises need large enclosures. Can you make a large outdoor enclosure with a temperature controlled shelter for warmer weather? Your climate is excellent for them most of every year. If you can do that, you will solve this problem. The tortoise can brumate over winter when the weather turns cold there.

Here is more info for you. There is a heating and lighting break down and a temperate species care sheet at the bottom:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Thanks for the suggestions and I will look into most of them, however I cannot do a larger enclosure until I have my own place. I know they need more space than I have provided but it is the best I can do at the moment and it will have to work. Giving him up is not an option for reasons I would prefer not to go into.

 

[wellington]

Thanks for the suggestions and I will look into most of them, however I cannot do a larger enclosure until I have my own place. I know they need more space than I have provided but it is the best I can do at the moment and it will have to work. Giving him up is not an option for reasons I would prefer not to go into.

If you can't go larger as far as length, can you try to go up? A lot of people will build a second level when they are limited on length space. This at least can give more room for roaming and exercise. If they can't roam around they can't stay healthy.

 

[Skekmal]

If you can't go larger as far as length, can you try to go up? A lot of people will build a second level when they are limited on length space. This at least can give more room for roaming and exercise. If they can't roam around they can't stay healthy.

I can look into it but I make no promises. I have never been a great builder type and have always preferred buying what I can. I will be attending a reptile convention soon and intend to look for some of the things suggested above while there.

 

[Tom]

I will be attending a reptile convention soon and intend to look for some of the things suggested above while there.

Be sure to read the thread I posted. Almost all of the tortoise advice you get from almost every source is going to be wrong.Reptile conventions are notorious for housing tortoise babies horribly and giving bad advice. This is a major problem in the tortoise keeping community. We are trying to help by sharing the correct info, so I am glad you found us. We will try to help.