Indoor enclosure

[Bex]

I have just finished building my sulcata his new home, it took 3 days, 2 broken fingernails, backache and my eldest to shout at me several times...but it was worth it! It measures 5ftx3ft and it's in the cupboard under the stairs. It has a door that I leave open all day so he can roam but he does spend his nights in there.
Can anyone see how I can make any improvements? He seems pretty happy in there but I just want to be sure.

Ty

[lin]

Its looking wonderful for him Bex.
This is just a suggestion but if he were mine I would add some dried grass in a corner so that he can eat as and when he likes. Grass is the best thing a sulcata can eat and if its constantly available 24/7 he will get used to it making it easier to feed him during the winters.

Lin

[Elaine]

Hi Bex,
If you fitted a reflector on your UV strip it would at least double the amount of UV towards your tort and protect your eyes from harm.

What are the other two lights?

I'd pop some cuttlefish in there because they grow at such a rate this would allow him to top up on calcium as and when required.

Have you ever thought of planting up some cat litter trays with grass and weeds? If you did say four trays the he could have a fresh one to graze on each day and they wouldn't dry out with the heat.

I do hope this helps as it really does look good.
Elaine

[Bex]

Its looking wonderful for him Bex.
This is just a suggestion but if he were mine I would add some dried grass in a corner so that he can eat as and when he likes. Grass is the best thing a sulcata can eat and if its constantly available 24/7 he will get used to it making it easier to feed him during the winters.

Lin

Thank you, will do that asap, there is fibre and dried rose petals etc he does eat them, occasionally lol.

[Bex]

Hi Bex,
If you fitted a reflector on your UV strip it would at least double the amount of UV towards your tort and protect your eyes from harm.

What are the other two lights?

I'd pop some cuttlefish in there because they grow at such a rate this would allow him to top up on calcium as and when required.

Have you ever thought of planting up some cat litter trays with grass and weeds? If you did say four trays the he could have a fresh one to graze on each day and they wouldn't dry out with the heat.

I do hope this helps as it really does look good.
Elaine

Brill, Ty for the advice... I couldn't get the enclosure warm enough so had 1 100w heat bulb and a 50w, but Lin has been helping me and I've taken the 50w away. Under the 100w bask it gets to 32 so it should be enough. I have already done trays, got violets, sow thistle, normal grass, Carex grass and campanula growing, just waiting for them to grow

[Elaine]

That's a good assortment you've got going Bex, I'm sure it will be much appreciated!!
If under the stairs is like mine, doors either end, you could always make a double door I can't think of the name of the ones that are made of slats to ensure that there is still air circulating or just a wooden door with lots of holes drilled in it. You could drill out his name. It would keep the heat where it's meant to be, even a half door. Or some log roll would help.
Elaine

[Bex]

No unfortunately it's just wall, 1 door on the side at the other end but it's always open. He has run of the house all day and garden (weather permitting) so he's not in there all the time.
Big Ty for all your advice, so glad I found you guys

[Bex]

I just been out and got the uv reflectors but I cannot figure out how to angle them...because the tortoise is down low, how do I protect his eyes?

[Nina]

Hi Bex,

You've put the reflectors on perfectly, and no need to angle them. There are two things though:

1. How far away from the top of the tortoise's shell is that strip light? If it is new, I think they shouldn't be less than 12" above the shell -- but the instructions on the box should tell you how high you can hang it.
2. As long as the strip light is above the tortoise (so the light is shining down and not shining into his eyes from the side), it is fine. Tortoises have eyelids that protect their eyes, but this only works if the light is shining from above. If the light were hanging down in front of the tortoise so that it shone directly into his eyes, then it could do damage.

Hope that helps, but let us know if you think there is still a problem.

Nina

[Bex]

On Tiny's table I have no way of hanging it up that high! Would a duo heat/light bulb be better hanging down in a ceramic holder? If so what bulb is best...or they do a duo lamp holder for 2 separate bulbs, would that be better?

[lin]

IMO no. If part of a combi bulb goes then you loose it all but with the strip it only needs replacing every so often. To solve your dilema though Bex...you could have a small structure made out of wood that looks like an upside sown 'U' or a goalpost frame and fit it over your table and hang a striplight on chain or wire from it. That way you can get the right height and it will cover more area too.

Lin

[Bex]

Ok I will get my eldest on the case tomorrow, Ty Lin

[Nina]

Hi Bex,
Here is the sort of thing Lin was talking about (this is one of Helen's enclosures and I'm sure she won't mind me posting the photo.

Nina

lamps hanging by chains.JPG (146.04 KiB) Viewed 189443 times

[Bex]

Perfect Ty Nina Look at all the babies!

[Nina]

Helen breeds only the best!

Nina

[Bex]

Yay sorted...found the double stand on swell reptiles...Ty Lin & Nina

[lin]

Wow! Thats perfect Bex. You dont do anything by half, do you

Lin

[Bex]

No, it drives my family mad I do believe in doing a proper job lol!

[lin]

Lin

No, it drives my family mad I do believe in doing a proper job lol!

[Lauragood]

Hi there Bex, I kno ur post about the enclosure strip light was a very long time ago but I have the same problem. I just about to buy the Arcadia T5 pro uv strip light but I have nothing to attach it to. I’ve tried searing for your double light holder/stand online and at swell reptile specifically but I can’t find the same one. Do u know if it has been discontinued or am I just not seeing it? I would really appreciate your help x

[Nina]

Hi Laura,

Hopefully someone will come in with a link to the sort of holder/stand that you want, but I was thinking that if you have a wooden tortoise table you could just nail an upright 1" x 2" (or similar) to the side of table and then another strip of wood forming an upside-down 'L' shape to that, and then attach your light by chains, which enable you to adjust the height of the light. There is a photo further up in this thread of a table with two light fixtures -- one in a bulb in a dome shade and one with a UV strip light with a reflector on it (you must have a reflector for UVB strip lights -- they just clip onto the bulb). That photo shows the wooden structures in an upeside 'U' shape, but an upside down 'L' shape also works. The reflectors for these UVB strip lights already have holes in them so they are easy to attach.

I can see that they currently have several different types of double lamp stands on Swell Reptiles, and I'm wondering if one of them is like Bex's stand but she has just adjusted hers a bit to accommodate a strip light. You could ring Swell Reptiles and ask them -- or maybe even copy Bex's photo in this thread and send it to them to see if they have something similar.

Nina

[lin]

Hi Laura.
I know this one is out from Swells but you could give them a ring and ask how long it will be before they come in again.
https://www.reptiles.swelluk.com/swell- ... nd-support

There’s this one on Amazon but it’s quite expensive compared to swells non sale price.
https://amzn.eu/d/0VnVwF7

Lin