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LupusCantus

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I was wondering if I was to put a russian tortoise (indoor) enclosure in the sunroom, would I need to use the UVB light still or could I use natural sunlight (unless it is raining/cloudy)?

By the way I don't have a enclosure or a tortoise yet, I'm making some plans and trying to figure out stuff.
 

theelectraco

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do you have a pic of the sunroom? Is it enclosed with screen or windows? UVB does not penetrate glass and screen filters most UVB out.
 

LupusCantus

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Yeah, it does have windows and screen filters. Would it be a bad idea to have the UVB light on in the sunroom? Will it over heat a russian tortoise? I think it would be nice for a tortoise to be able to in a nice sunny place since I can't put it outside. My parents have people coming in to spray stuff in the grass sometimes and we have people mowing the lawn like every week.
 

Rogue

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How warm does it get in the sun room? A tube UVB won't add much heat, and provide some UVB your tortoise would otherwise not be receiving. I still think a small incadescent basking light would be needed to provide a basking spot around 100 deg F and provide a nice tmep gradient across the enclosure. This is assuming the sun room doesn't get super hot, in which case it would be a bad idea to keep a tortoise in there all day.
 

theelectraco

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You will need UVB for the sunroom then. Unless it is a Mercury Vapor Bulb, the other tube style UVB bulbs do not emit any heat. I would get a thermometer to measure the temps in the sunroom before adding a tortoise. See what it usually stays at. Pics will help us help you. It will still need an enclosure in the sunroom unless you can tort proof it and provide basking areas.
 

theelectraco

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I believe being in the high 80s constantly is going to be too hot.
 

jaizei

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I wouldn't go through the trouble of setting up a UVB light. I'd make something portable and take him outside a few times a week.
 

LupusCantus

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jaizei said:
I wouldn't go through the trouble of setting up a UVB light. I'd make something portable and take him outside a few times a week.

Would that be better for the for the russian tortoise than having a UVB light on every day?
 

jaizei

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LupusCantus said:
jaizei said:
I wouldn't go through the trouble of setting up a UVB light. I'd make something portable and take him outside a few times a week.

Would that be better for the for the russian tortoise than having a UVB light on every day?

Sun is always better than a lamp. Keep in mind he will still need a temp gradient and basking spot even without a UVB lamp.

Look at this thread for ideas
 

theelectraco

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jaizei said:
I wouldn't go through the trouble of setting up a UVB light. I'd make something portable and take him outside a few times a week.

This is a great suggestion. I don't have a UVB light in my indoor enclosure for the summer. My tort gets out pretty much daily so he gets natural sunshine regularly. In the winter when temps do not allow outside time on a consistent basis, then I will supplement with a UVB bulb.
 

LupusCantus

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So my tortoise does not need to be exposed to UVB everyday? I mean I was planning to take him/her outside as often as I can (during the summer). I just thought that russian tortoise or just tortoise in general needed to be in UVB constantly.

Sorry, I have done my research but I get mixed messages a lot from looking a different websites.
 

theelectraco

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The more the merrier, but not daily. I would recommend 4x week for at least 30 mins. It just needs to be consistent.
 

LupusCantus

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Okay, I did not know that. One more question, during the night time should the basking light and any other light source be off? Also to answer a question from a couple of post earlier, I will have an enclosure but I don't have one yet. I'm getting it sometime during the summer before I get a tortoise. Right now, I'm trying to figure out what I need in the enclosure and figuring out where I can put it.


And thanks for your help. I have friends that has reptiles but none of them have tortoises or turtles. It's nice to be able to find people to ask. :)
 

lynnedit

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if your sunroom stays above 50f, you don't need any night heat.

Here is what your Russian tortoise would need:
*UV (outside 4x per week as mentioned is fine).
*A 'cool' side during the day of 60-75. A basking area of 95F (can be under an MVB like a power sun 100w or 160w, or under a regular halogen or incandescent bulb same wattage).
Ambient temps (the rest of the enclosure); 75-85.
These temps are needed so your tort can self regulate his own temps for digestion, etc.
*substrate for burrowing in, like topsoil with no additives, coir, or untreated garden soil, or some combination.
*water dish that he can get into.
*weeds and greens, of course, lol
*cuttlebone perhaps a supplement like TNT (made from ground up weeds) from Carolina Pet Supply.

What about cutting a 'tortoise door' from your sun room enclosure to an outdoor area? Hang vinyl door strips.
Set up an indoor and outdoor enclosure, connected by the door, and your tortoise could have access to the outside when it is nice. They are pretty good at judging this!
If no go with the door, then create an enclosure in both areas and you take him back and forth.
And I would advise an actual enclosure in the sunroom; if on the ground, then on some rigid insulation. Floors get colder than we think.
 
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