Thinking about getting Russian tortiose

[Noah101]

I’d thinking about getting an adult Russian tortoise on morph market that’s around 5 inches the seller said and I am confused about the uvb fixture I’m thinking of getting the Arcadia t5 10% if the enclosure is 37 inches long and 27 inches wide how long does the fixture need to be and how high above the tortoises shell dose the uvb fixture need to be.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello and welcome!
You can get the smallest 24" fixture. UVB should be provided over basking area, no need to cover with UVB the whole enclosure. Typical distance is around 20" (aim for UVI 3-4). UVB lamp should be put on timer, 4 hours around midday (but watch your tortoise basking behaviour and adjust time).

37x27 inches is too small enclosure for 5" tortoise. Unlike many other reptiles, tortoises need much more room space.

I would recommend to hold off getting a tortoise for a while, read this basic care sheet first and make adjustments: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/
Any questions are welcome!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Hello and welcome!🥰
For the uv you’ll need the Arcadia proT5 kit 12%, mounted roughly 18-20 inches from the top of the tortoises shell, hung more over the backing area, the uv doesn’t need to run the whole length.

The size you are talking is far too small for any species of adult tortoise. An adult Russian needs a minimum 8x4 foot enclosure, don’t think they can get away with smaller if allowed to free roam, I’d highly discourage indoor free roams, being away from their heat source means they’re being exposed to temperatures that are too low quite often, smooth surfaces like laminate flooring will wreak absolute havoc on their hip joints over time.

There’s just numerous reasons it isn’t a good idea unfortunately, harmful floor cleaners, foreign objects being swallowed, getting stuck under things they shouldn’t like shelving or sofas, low temperatures, no uv, getting hit by doors, one member has mentioned they knew someone who’s tort got their head crushed in a door jam😣, flipping hazards, smooth services, the list goes on and is endless. Our homes don’t mimic outdoors, they don’t have the reasoning to understand why they’re uncomfortable, they just want to explore, hence an appropriate size is vital.

They feel most comfortable and safe in a space that best mimics their natural environment, so an appropriate sized enclosure is always the ultimate goal, hopefully we can help🥰

I’m going to include some information below on an example of an appropriate indoor set up, it includes the correct levels and equipment etc, including the appropriate indoor uv

Basking light should be an incandescent floodlight(example attached) on a 12 hour timer.

Basking temperature directly under the floodlight should be 95-100f. The rest of the enclosure should be ranging 75-80 during the day.

You may also wish to add ambient lighting on the same timer, providing shady areas with hides and safe plants.

Then CHE/CHE’s(ceramic heat emitters) always on a thermostat, for night heat if your house drops below 60’s at night. Set the thermostat for a night temperature place the probe in their cooler end, plug the che into it and the thermostat into the mains, it’ll be plugged in 24/7 but will only turn on when the temperature drops. You can check your night temps to see if you need them.

Indoor Uv should be a t5 fluorescent tube like the Arcadia, avoid the compact and coil uv bulbs, they don’t give out enough uv and can hurt the tortoises eyes. The uv can be on a 4 hour timer from noon.

With lighting always avoid anything labelled halogen or mercury vapour.

For substrates, either coco coir, dampened and packed down by hand as a base, with a layer of orchid(fir not pine) bark or forest floor on top, or just the orchid bark/forest floor. Never use anything with sand mixed in, no top soils and no kinds of moss. The problem with top soil is unless you’ve composted it yourself, you don’t know what kind of plants have gone into it, it could be something toxic. Sand can irritate the eyes and be an impaction risk, moss is an impaction risk too.

You want to aim to have the bottom layer of substrate damp, to do this pour lukewarm water into the corners, not loads but enough to dampen the entire bottom layer. To stop that top layer getting too dry/dusty, mix the substrate now n then. Check your monitors and substrate to do the pours as and when needed.

I’d personally recommend you make your own base to go as big as you possibly can for the space you have, roaming room is vital for tortoise health, it aids in digestion and builds muscle strength. The closer you can get to an 8x4 size the better.

When making your base, just make sure the material is safe, some use flower beds, or take a large bookcase, take out the shelves and lie flat, or just make their own, for all these options I’d line with cheap pond liner to protect the base, making sure the liner goes up the sides too and make sure those sides are deep enough! They can be professional escape artists😂

I’ve also included examples of stands people make/buy to hang their lighting, use a temperature gun to determine how high the basking bulb needs to be, the uv I suggested needs to be mounted 18-20 inches from the top of tortoises shell.

For a water dish a shallow terracotta saucer is considered safest, they have grip in the event your tortoise flips themselves, most pet store options are a known hazard.

I’d also always recommend getting your hands on a temp gun, they’re SO handy when setting up a new environment or for checking your monitors are correct🙂

Hope this helps! Any further questions please ask! And take your time going over the information😊

 

[Noah101]

Hello and welcome!
You can get the smallest 24" fixture. UVB should be provided over basking area, no need to cover with UVB the whole enclosure. Typical distance is around 20" (aim for UVI 3-4). UVB lamp should be put on timer, 4 hours around midday (but watch your tortoise basking behaviour and adjust time).

37x27 inches is too small enclosure for 5" tortoise. Unlike many other reptiles, tortoises need much more room space.

I would recommend to hold off getting a tortoise for a while, read this basic care sheet first and make adjustments: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/
Any questions are welcome!t

Hello and welcome!
You can get the smallest 24" fixture. UVB should be provided over basking area, no need to cover with UVB the whole enclosure. Typical distance is around 20" (aim for UVI 3-4). UVB lamp should be put on timer, 4 hours around midday (but watch your tortoise basking behaviour and adjust time).

37x27 inches is too small enclosure for 5" tortoise. Unlike many other reptiles, tortoises need much more room space.

I would recommend to hold off getting a tortoise for a while, read this basic care sheet first and make adjustments: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/
Any questions are welcome!

thank you so much I was going to get 2 of those enclosures and put them together I know that just 1 would be to small

 

[Noah101]

Hello and welcome!🥰
For the uv you’ll need the Arcadia proT5 kit 12%, mounted roughly 18-20 inches from the top of the tortoises shell, hung more over the backing area, the uv doesn’t need to run the whole length.

The size you are talking is far too small for any species of adult tortoise. An adult Russian needs a minimum 8x4 foot enclosure, don’t think they can get away with smaller if allowed to free roam, I’d highly discourage indoor free roams, being away from their heat source means they’re being exposed to temperatures that are too low quite often, smooth surfaces like laminate flooring will wreak absolute havoc on their hip joints over time.

There’s just numerous reasons it isn’t a good idea unfortunately, harmful floor cleaners, foreign objects being swallowed, getting stuck under things they shouldn’t like shelving or sofas, low temperatures, no uv, getting hit by doors, one member has mentioned they knew someone who’s tort got their head crushed in a door jam😣, flipping hazards, smooth services, the list goes on and is endless. Our homes don’t mimic outdoors, they don’t have the reasoning to understand why they’re uncomfortable, they just want to explore, hence an appropriate size is vital.

They feel most comfortable and safe in a space that best mimics their natural environment, so an appropriate sized enclosure is always the ultimate goal, hopefully we can help🥰

I’m going to include some information below on an example of an appropriate indoor set up, it includes the correct levels and equipment etc, including the appropriate indoor uv

Basking light should be an incandescent floodlight(example attached) on a 12 hour timer.

Basking temperature directly under the floodlight should be 95-100f. The rest of the enclosure should be ranging 75-80 during the day.

You may also wish to add ambient lighting on the same timer, providing shady areas with hides and safe plants.

Then CHE/CHE’s(ceramic heat emitters) always on a thermostat, for night heat if your house drops below 60’s at night. Set the thermostat for a night temperature place the probe in their cooler end, plug the che into it and the thermostat into the mains, it’ll be plugged in 24/7 but will only turn on when the temperature drops. You can check your night temps to see if you need them.

Indoor Uv should be a t5 fluorescent tube like the Arcadia, avoid the compact and coil uv bulbs, they don’t give out enough uv and can hurt the tortoises eyes. The uv can be on a 4 hour timer from noon.

With lighting always avoid anything labelled halogen or mercury vapour.

For substrates, either coco coir, dampened and packed down by hand as a base, with a layer of orchid(fir not pine) bark or forest floor on top, or just the orchid bark/forest floor. Never use anything with sand mixed in, no top soils and no kinds of moss. The problem with top soil is unless you’ve composted it yourself, you don’t know what kind of plants have gone into it, it could be something toxic. Sand can irritate the eyes and be an impaction risk, moss is an impaction risk too.

You want to aim to have the bottom layer of substrate damp, to do this pour lukewarm water into the corners, not loads but enough to dampen the entire bottom layer. To stop that top layer getting too dry/dusty, mix the substrate now n then. Check your monitors and substrate to do the pours as and when needed.

I’d personally recommend you make your own base to go as big as you possibly can for the space you have, roaming room is vital for tortoise health, it aids in digestion and builds muscle strength. The closer you can get to an 8x4 size the better.

When making your base, just make sure the material is safe, some use flower beds, or take a large bookcase, take out the shelves and lie flat, or just make their own, for all these options I’d line with cheap pond liner to protect the base, making sure the liner goes up the sides too and make sure those sides are deep enough! They can be professional escape artists😂

I’ve also included examples of stands people make/buy to hang their lighting, use a temperature gun to determine how high the basking bulb needs to be, the uv I suggested needs to be mounted 18-20 inches from the top of tortoises shell.

For a water dish a shallow terracotta saucer is considered safest, they have grip in the event your tortoise flips themselves, most pet store options are a known hazard.

I’d also always recommend getting your hands on a temp gun, they’re SO handy when setting up a new environment or for checking your monitors are correct🙂

Hope this helps! Any further questions please ask! And take your time going over the information😊

thank you so much I was going to get 2 of those enclosures and put them together I know that just 1 would be to small

 

[Noah101]

I’d thinking about getting an adult Russian tortoise on morph market that’s around 5 inches the seller said and I am confused about the uvb fixture I’m thinking of getting the Arcadia t5 10% if the enclosure is 37 inches long and 27 inches wide how long does the fixture need to be and how high above the tortoises shell dose the uvb fixture need to be.

thank you so much I was going to get 2 of those enclosures and put them together I know that just 1 would be to small

Update I found a gardening bed that’s 8 feet by 4 feet that u found on Amazon that I’m probably gonna use if I get a tortoise

 

[Noah101]

thank you so much I was going to get 2 of those enclosures and put them together I know that just 1 would be to small

Update I found a gardening bed that’s 8 feet by 4 feet that u found on Amazon that I’m probably gonna use if I get a tortoise

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Update I found a gardening bed that’s 8 feet by 4 feet that u found on Amazon that I’m probably gonna use if I get a tortoise

That will work much better!😁

 

[Noah101]

That will work much better!😁

Thank you so much for you help!😁

 

[Noah101]

thank you so much I was going to get 2 of those enclosures and put them together I know that just 1 would be to small

Thank you so much for you help!😁

Also I was just wondering, why dose the bottom of the substrate need to be damp?