Sulcata's Digs

Booker's Sue

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My 20ish year old Sulcata winters in a tack room of my barn in the SF East Bay. He's a healthy guy, and the room has a window for some natural light, but I'm wondering if I should be setting up some specialized light bulb? If so, what do you recommend?
Also, I want to build a drainable soaking pond in his warm weather pasture. I envision a slight ramp up with guardrails up to an above-ground shallow pond so he can soak and exit as he pleases. Has anyone tried building something like this?
 

NorCal tortoise guy

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As long as he can go outside then all you need to have is heat . A shallow pond is a grate idea your plan sounds like it will work. Keep in mind he will poop in there so you want a big drain for clean outs or you will be clearing the drain all the time. I didn’t build a pond in my sulcata yard. Decided it would be better for me to make a low spot in there yard and just run the hose in there to make a mad bath. They love it! Good luck building!
 

Yvonne G

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Even though S.F.'s weather is mild, it can't compare with the weather this tortoise has evolved to live in, so YES!! you definitely need to set up a basking light. Because he's a big guy be sure to hang the light no closer than about 15" from the top of his shell so it doesn't burn the new growth, but like Norcal said, he doesn't need a UVB light.
 

Booker's Sue

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SF East Bay
Thank you both for your responses.
I should have mentioned that Booker has a pig blanket for heat. I've thought that heat from below was best because he can get on and off the pig blanket at will. With just window light over the cold months and a full browsing yard for the rest of the time, I'm unclear whether I also need the basking lite for winter. ?
 

NorCal tortoise guy

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Can he go in and out in winter? What is the room temp with the pig blanket?
Mine go in and out on there own all year. It works out very well. I heat there shed to 80f.
If he doesn’t get to go out I would use a basking bulb as well
 

Booker's Sue

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SF East Bay
I'm afraid he can't go out in winter, and the temp is definitely below 80. I purchased a 10.0 UVB bulb a while back. Sounds like I'd best figure out how to set it up! I better read up on the differences between bulbs and how to mount them too.
 

Booker's Sue

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Joined
Oct 4, 2017
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
SF East Bay
Can he go in and out in winter? What is the room temp with the pig blanket?
Mine go in and out on there own all year. It works out very well. I heat there shed to 80f.
If he doesn’t get to go out I would use a basking bulb as well

Well, I've mounted a fixture that holds 2 - 48" tubular bulbs. If I buy 2- UVB 100's, is that too much? The fixture is suspended from the ceiling at about 7' high. With only one small window in his winter room, how long should I have the basking bulbs on each day? (He has a heat mat for heat.).

Booker now has a great shallow, self-draining wading pool with a nice safe ramp from ground level in. I'm playing with how deep to make the deep end. Right now, the water only covers a few inches of the bottom of his shell, but I may change the stones in the bottom so it's a little deeper. Thoughts?
 
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