Jude curran
Member
Hi im getting a russian tortoise in 2 weeks i am looking for the best ( and cheapest ) uk substrate i can get , any ideas ?
How often do i need to change it
How often do i need to change it
The russian is about 1 year old. The inclosure size is 24in wide, 48in long and 23in high. Also i live in scotland and its very cold this time of year i am worried that it will be cold so should i buy a heat matt aswell as the lamp because it is really cold
What if the basking are is still to cold and the cooler are is still to cold because i have a bulb that is heat and uvb and all that jazz but im not sure if i should add something else because even the rooms in my house are cold
If it’s too cold, then get a higher wattage bulb or raise/lower it until you get the right temp. Be sure it’s a flood bulb, and not a spot bulb of any kind.
(Also, this is my 3,000th post!)
Confrats on the 3000th post and how do i tell if its a flood bulb
Great thanks for the help i am very excited to get him and just want to make everything nice for him lolIf it doesn’t say the words “spot” or “basking spot bulb”, or you can just use a normal 65 watt flood bulb from the hardware store.
Hi im using an open top tabke my russian is one year old and will be kept in a conservatoryWelcome Jude
I also have a one year old tort, and also from England, not as cold as Scotland but still cold! How are you housing your tort - open top table or a closed table/vivarium? I struggled with an open topped table due to not being able to maintain the heat and humidity (baby’s need higher humidity, i aim around 70-100%).
This forum has really helped me because there’s a lot of outdated information on the internet so it’s quite confusing at first but there are very experienced people on here who are happy to help to make sure your tort has the best possible environment
Hi im using an open top tabke my russian is one year old and will be kept in a conservatory
I will move it into my house , why do they need a closed house , if it was in a warm house with the correct lampsI have commented on this in your other thread. An open table is only suitable for older tortoises.
A tortoise table cannot be used in your conservatory in Scotland. You cannot possibly get the heat and humidity high enough fir a baby.
You need a closed chamber for a baby and, ideally, you need it in the house.
In summer it will be far too hot in the conservatory. In winter your tort will be too cold and is likely to get very sick.
Tortoises cannot regulate their body temperatures like you can. They are wholly reliant on external heat. Too much is as dangerous as too little.
I will move it into my house , why do they need a closed house , if it was in a warm house with the correct lamps
I had not heard that before about no heat receptors on the plastron. Do you have more details at all? Was this topic covered previously?For a 1 year old I would still probably go with coco coir.
Heat mats should not be used with tortoises because they don’t have heat receptors in their plastrons. Instead, a ceramic heat emitter should be used.
I had not heard that before about no heat receptors on the plastron. Do you have more details at all? Was this topic covered previously?