Perfect tortoise table. THANK YOU!! So fed up of seeing all these bad RU-vid tortoise videos with all the wrong substrates. Wrong bulbs and to smaller tables. To many people thinking they can just throw a tortoise in a over priced tiny table when if you spend a little time on the correct groups you can learn how to actually look after your tortoises. It's also cheaper to buy a 6ft second hand bookshelf and turn it into a lovely table for them. Sorry I am ranting I just couldn't believe how many bad videos there are on RU-vid that encourage others to follow. So thank you again for this wonderful table!
Faye Green we breed them ourselves. If looking to buy - make sure a breeder has some feedback, make sure they aren’t selling them at a very young age ie just hatched. You can tell this from their weight. We never let any go until they are 50g. Make sure you see plenty of pictures and videos before you buy -check the eyes are bright, the shell looks like it’s grown in a even way and that there is no discharge from the nose ❤️
Cool Dolphin hi , I got my lamp holder from swell reptiles here in the Uk . The brand is zoo med and they come in mini for a lamp of up to 100 watt or deep dome for the 160 watt . The uvb bulbs I use are by mega ray and the lamp holder which is adjustable is from swell reptiles and it is there own brand x
Did you mean for the table itself ? I believe it’s pine but a good quality one . I bought my table from eBay and if you live in the uk the seller is on Facebook as taylor made wood x
Hello, is it a table? I left the lid off but kept the substrate low enough so that they couldn’t climb out. I moved all houses and rocks away from the edge too Tortoises are very good climbers so it can be safer to keep a lid on - especially if you have other pets in the household too! Cats love to climb in and be near the heat lamp!
Ezrii I use bromeliad, spider plants , aloe Vera . If you download the tortoise table app from the App Store for free, it tells you all the safe plants for your tortoise. Make sure that any plants used are grown organically as pesticides are not good for them. I don’t know where you live but here in the uk I use Bioactive Herps to buy my plants x
Hi it depends on the size of your tortoise, if it’s a baby it will be fine for a little while but ideally you want a 5ft table for a Horsfield as it gets older . Make sure the sides are fairly high as they can climb and if you put a lip on the sides it means they can’t get up and over x
HI Tomasz, we leave it on for 12 hours. If you can get a timer for the plug - this makes it really easy and you dont have to worry...we set ours 7am to 7pm to be on. Temperature wise it should be around mid to high 80s under the light, and at the edges cooler around 74 ish..... at night the room they are in should not be lower than 18 degrees
Tomasz Golebiowski the lights and heating .. don’t know if you have separate heat and light or a combi bulb but they need to be 12 hours on and 12 hours off . The heat source needs to be no lower than 30 cm from the tortoises shell x
Hi sorry for late reply I just got a tortoise it’s a baby should it’s she’ll be damp in the morning do you leave the bulb on 24/7 and can you use a heat mat as well as the uv bulb
Hi Sophie The light should be on for 12 hours a day. Ideally you either need a combi bulb that does heat and light or a light and a basking lamp …. A heat mat isn’t really as it doesn’t encourage basking behaviour. Also it only heats the one section - a tortoise needs to be kept in a constant warm temperature - if they get cold they can go into premature hibernation. The substrate shouldn’t be overly damp - just enough that it holds together when squeezed in your hand … too wet and it can affect the shell.
Pet Luxury hello, did you mean table or house? For an adult horsfield you need a table that is 6 ft x 3 ft , if you were meaning a house then an adults shell can be up to about 8 inches in length so they need to be able to turn and move around . I bought an exo terra tortoise cave and this is perfect for my adults . I don’t know if you are in the uk but pets at home is where I got mine from x
It’s the opening on most houses that’s the issue.. they seem to make them too small - or they can be jagged If your tortoise isn’t a climber you can create a great little hide with the coco fibre inserts you get for hanging baskets - you can simply cut the entrance to suit - obviously it would collapse if they tried to climb it - so I have to go for a more structured option for mine x
This is a late comment however I just got my Russian tortoise (not sure of age) and I was looking at plants I could use inside the enclosure I know that there are different aloe plant species would I be able to use any of the subspecies of aloe? Or is there certain kinds that are and certain kinds I should avoid
Hi Gabriel I would advise downloading a free app called the Tortoise Table It’s brilliant and it lists all the safe plants and cactus you can give your tortoise. I use it all the time to just double check . I’ve found my Russians have ignored most of the cactus I’ve planted in the tables! They sometimes just suddenly decide to have a bite! Plants really do make the table look nice, but I would maybe also advise getting just a few to start as older male tortoises particularly like to trample them 😂
Charlie Currie no they can’t live in wood clippings . Some people use orchid bark in an area of the table but sterilised top soil or coco coir is better as it enables the tortoise to dig down , they often dig down when the go to sleep They like to bury themselves quite deeply when sleeping - with babies sometimes you can’t even see them!!! Orchid bark I found was quite dusty - so I only use it in smaller areas for a different texture more than anything.
sabas tovar They’ve changed it to : Swell UK Pond Liner with 25 year guarantee - 2.5 x 2.5m Swell UK Pond Liner with 25 year guarantee - 2.5 x 2.5m www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B075C9C2WM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_n.lnEb1X8V7DA
Hi i have a horsefiedl tortoise around 6 7 month and wondering do they require a uv light ive been looking and noticing some people dont and i cant see one here too do they get to a certain age and not need one anymore? I have tje heat lamp
Jon Murphey hello, yes they all need uvb light and heat so they can bask. I use the megaray combo bulb . In the summer , if they are outside , as long as they have a good ten hours of light/ warmth a day that is enough . In winter they need to be inside with the bulb on for about ten hours x
Yes the combi bulbs give out light and heat , you can buy seperate light strips and bulbs but cost works out about the same . I make sure to use the self ballasted ones x
Thankyou for the help i was thinking of a setup like yours i was just confused as to were i would put the heat and uv lamp i didnt realise you could get two in one bulbs😊
Yes I buy mine direct from mega ray here in the UK , they also sell on eBay . They do 100 watt and 160 watt bulbs . The holder I use is a deep dome from zoo- med , you can get these from swell reptiles , Amazon and eBay . There is a mini dome for up to 100 watt and deep dome for up to 160 watt. I also use segment timers that turn on and off the bulbs which makes it so much easier x
