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Old 27-05-2015, 12:17 AM   #1
EmmaBee
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Default Outdoor heat/light question

Hiya,

My set up is coming together at last!

We will have a 4 x 3metre area with an old (now insulated and covered) rabbit hutch leading onto a cold frame and a landscaped area comprising a rocky hill, pebbles, weeds and a water tray.

I'm hoping to have the tortoise outside most of the year, so I know I will need a heater on a timer/thermostat in the hutch. Please, please help me with this. I'm finding this a minefield! What exactly should I put in the hutch? Tubular heater? Basking lamp? UVB lamp? I'm getting really confused!

Thank you!
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Old 27-05-2015, 08:16 PM   #2
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Hi yes its all a mind field lol. I have a 2 foot tube heater in my tortoise den and use a LUCKY REPTILE THERMO CONTROL I set the temps for 5c at night all year round, its never going to get below that this time of year http://www.luckyreptile.com/products/145/en/pid1,2$pid2,3336$pid3,7773190/products.html

I use a security lamp as well set on a timer when its really cold.

I am going to change this and stop using the lamp as much as possible, never liked them but its what I was told to do when I first started.

I am now going to have a warming area (small coldframe) in full sun with the tube heater set for 5c at night and 30c through the day, this way if its a sunny day the warming area will heat up to that anyway and the tube heater wont switch on, the torte will be able to leave this area and go outside, or if you prefer have one of these in a green house or large coldframe as a separate unit.

Hope this helps a little
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Old 28-05-2015, 12:29 AM   #3
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Why 5' at night, I hibernate mine at 4.5'.

Personally mine at are around 15' on a night tied in to a stat, the house is fully insulated to minimise costs.
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Old 28-05-2015, 08:37 AM   #4
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I must admit I'd not let the temps go below 10c and thats way below what mine used to go.
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Old 28-05-2015, 10:50 AM   #5
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5c at night is the very lowest I would let it go down to but its not going to get that low this time of year anyway.

Ive done this from the start and my tortes or nice and healthy digging down if they need.

I checked Spanish weather at different times of the year, when tortes are awake the temps can be as low as this as long as they rise to at least ambient temperature through the day and have a good basking spot they will be more than fine.
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Old 28-05-2015, 01:27 PM   #6
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Very familiar with Spanish temps as my family live in the Almeria province. Temperature will and do drop that low, photos of snow on the palm trees etc, however it's not for such a extended period as the northern UK where there is also increased humidity.

For someone starting out and learning about their animals, a more conservative approach, would help eliminate any health risks by having a warmer ambient overnight temp.

Not a Critisicm on your husbandry far from it
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Old 28-05-2015, 09:17 PM   #7
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No problem 4chester Im always adapting and reading, Im happy with anyones comments and never take it to heart. Im also not saying Im correct its just the way Ive learnt, talking to others and reading, watching weather forcasts from Spain etc. Please if you ever see a comment I make and dont agree then let me know Im always interested. Im far from being an expert Im still learning, infact with your family being out there you have an advantage over what I know.
I will change things after more data from others but replicating the wild is what I prefer as much as possible.

The temperature at night......................

I think what Im trying to say is I set the temperature at 5c at night but I dont aim for that temperature its just a safety net incase of a really cold snap but at this time of year its not gong to get that low. A few of us tried to find ways of looking after our tortoise but saving energy at the same time, we asked and were told anything down to 5c at night would be safe as long as its dry which mine is water tight nothing gets in.

Ive just checked temps right at this minute and I have 15c in the coldframe so it wont drop that much tonight.

I probably should have explained in more detail.

Ill explain my set up in more detail now ...........

Large coldframe with an insulated tortoise den inside. The den has a 2 foot 120 watt tube heater set at 5c incase of a cold snap. It has soil sand and gravel mix inside

The coldframe is split in two halfs for two tortes male and female. it has sand top soil and gravel mix like in the wild. It has openings for tortes to come outside in the garden area.

I have two separate heat lamps (never liked this side of torte keeping) one for each side which is set on a timer, these two lamps warm the whole area up to about 20c, the basking area is around 30c at tortoises. It works very well.

This set up is only used when its very cold, icey conditions.

This time of year its hardly used as the small warming areas dotted around get the tortes to the basking temperature they need although the tortes are locked in the coldframe at night and the tube heater temperature is never changed.

....................................

Hibernating is also done in this tortoise den as the tube heater is set to the correct temperature, the only difference is I seal up the den to retain the temperature and place old carpets etc over the top, the den is in the shaded area of the coldframe.

....................................

This years change...........

I plan on making slightly larger warming/ basking areas in sun spots against the fence around the garden heated by the sun but with a 1ft tube heater inside setting thermostat to 30c rather than lamps blasting down on top of the tortoises. This way they get light they get heat from the sun (free heat) but if it cant make the temperature then the tube heater will take over but at least we wont be using energy all the time as the thermostat will kick in and switch of at the set temperature.

I will be doing lots of tests on these this year to see how it goes.

At the end of the day our tortoises just need to be nice and warm around 30c as we know. I think these lamps are a horrible way to do it.

I hope this explains a bit more about my reasons for the temp set up.
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Old 29-05-2015, 12:06 AM   #8
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Daryn- now that's a cracking response showing the thought and detail behind why you do what you do. Top marks and thanks for sharing. I think you should come back to this thread and update as the year progresses and share your findings

Mark
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Old 29-05-2015, 01:16 AM   #9
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Thanks Mark means alot.

I would like hear others thoughts and comments as well. I might start a new thread soon on this sorry i seem to have hijacked the post a bit
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Old 29-05-2015, 09:03 AM   #10
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have you thought about using ceramic heat bulbs instead of heat mats?
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