Sulcata hatchling enclosure build-Check specs please

[JoshSloane]

Hey Everyone,

Well it is happening, we will have a hatchling sulcata by this time next week.I have spent the last couple years speaking with tort breeders, and doing my own research. I always like to build my own enclosures, so I have begun my tortoise table. My hatchling is being held by the breeder until I complete it. I have noticed that there are a few discrepancies and disagreements among many sulcata keepers, so I wanted to run my enclosure by you all and see what you think.

My initial plans allowed for a 5'x3' tortoise table, with 8" high side walls. I am however thinking about bumping this up to 6'x3'. On the cool side I will add a 3'x10" over hang, with a doorway, simulating a burrow. I will have a hinge on the overhang so that I can open to mist the substrate, and check on the hatchling. I plan on this functioning as the humid burrow.

On the hot side I am planning on a 100w powersun MVB to act as both my heat and UVB. I will have this positioned no less than 12" from the ground of the enclosure, and play with the height to achieve a 100 degree basking spot, on a piece of slate.

I am going to use wide terra cotta saucers as water bowls, and have a few placed throughout the enclosure. Also planning on having a couple log hides interspersed throughout so the hatchling can find shelter at various temperatures. As a sealant, I am going to cover the entire inside with Drylok.

For substrate I will mix cypress mulch and organic top soil. For feed I am going to do spring mix lettuce, dandelion leaves, kale, turnip greens, hay, and some mazuri tortoise food.

Here are my direct questions:
1. I personally like using MVBs, and have had success in the past with them. I have also seen that many threads on this forum, and other care sheets recommend them. Will a 100w powersun mvb, in my 5'x3' or 6'x3' enclosure be able to provide sufficient uvb without creating excessive heat? My herp room sits in the high 70s, usually 77-81 ambient temps most of the year.

2. Do I absolutely need to have added heat during the night? Even at night, with all the lights off, my herp room stays in the mid 70s at least. If I did need night heat I was thinking of a CHE or a infrared bulb on a dimmer/rheostat just to bump temps a bit.

Please evaluate my setup, and let me know what you all think.

[jclaiborne]

I don't have a lot of input because I have never kept a Sulcata, I had box turtles as a kid but they roamed free in our yard. The only comment I really has is about the 100W Bulb. I know that when I was messing with bulbs the high wattages created dangerously high ambients. In my Tegu cage the 50W bulbs were too much so now I am at 35W (now I do use 3 of them for a large basking area), but that being said I have a 35W in my beardies 4x2 cage and it creates a hot spot of 110 from 12 inches away and on warm days the ambients were getting too high, so unless you are set on using MVBs you could probably get away with a lot lower wattage basking bulb then use a T5HO tube for UVB, just a thought.

You may want to scroll through this page too. This group is at the SD Super Shows and every time I have talked to them have overwhelmed me with info: http://www.tortoise.org/index.html

[JoshSloane]

Hey jclaiborne, thanks for the input. That is what I am thinking might play an issue, is getting the correct uvb and the 100 deg basking temps needed. I can play with the height, as I believe that MVBs can be placed more than a foot away from substrate and still have significant uvb output. The other thing that I think would be different is that your lizard cages are fully enclosed, while the tortoise table is completely open on top. I am hoping that this will allow some of the heat to dissipate and not build up to dangerous ambient temps. What do you think?

[jclaiborne]

Hey jclaiborne, thanks for the input. That is what I am thinking might play an issue, is getting the correct uvb and the 100 deg basking temps needed. I can play with the height, as I believe that MVBs can be placed more than a foot away from substrate and still have significant uvb output. The other thing that I think would be different is that your lizard cages are fully enclosed, while the tortoise table is completely open on top. I am hoping that this will allow some of the heat to dissipate and not build up to dangerous ambient temps. What do you think?

No problem. I'd say its worth a shot, if the top is completely open it probably will hold an ambient close to the room its in to be honest, the bulb may heat it a bit. I know that when I open both doors on the front of my cage it drops a couple degrees, but still stays higher then the ambient of the room. I know opening the front isn't the same as opening the top per say since the heat will still get trapped in the on the ceiling. The other reason I stayed away from MVBs is because I would go broke buying them haha. My T5HOs say that the bulb can be more than 2ft away and still deliver UV, that being said I don't currently have a meter so I can't give you any hard data, just going off what I have read about the fixture and bulbs. The only other thing I would check is do the MVBs have a "replace by date"? I know on regular UV bulbs they say replace every 6 months because the UV output drops drastically, even if the bulb is still turning on. Not sure if that is the same with MVBs or not to be honest but may be worth researching, down here they are pretty pricey.