Why are vivariums and glass tanks bad?

[saucysqueezy]

Technically when a fan is pushing the air, and it is moving, it is circulating, but it's still warm and humidity remains the same, that's why I said the best option is to leave the doors open.

[owen-morris]

BEST OPTION IS TO TAKE OFF DOORS AND FIT A PIECE OF PERSPEX OR SOMETHING MINE IS 7" HIGH AND NOTHING FOR THEM TO CLIMB AT FRONT.

[saucysqueezy]

Originally Posted by owen-morris

BEST OPTION IS TO TAKE OFF DOORS AND FIT A PIECE OF PERSPEX OR SOMETHING MINE IS 7" HIGH AND NOTHING FOR THEM TO CLIMB AT FRONT.

you can get some custom made vivariums which have a higher bottom bit, you know the bit that covers the runners....do you get what I mean? lol

[imported_Lowe]

Originally Posted by owen-morris

BEST OPTION IS TO TAKE OFF DOORS AND FIT A PIECE OF PERSPEX OR SOMETHING MINE IS 7" HIGH AND NOTHING FOR THEM TO CLIMB AT FRONT.

Do you have any pics of this amazing vivarium?

[saucysqueezy]

Originally Posted by Lowe

Do you have any pics of this amazing vivarium?

if there are no doors at the front surely then it's an overturned box...?! lol

For what it's worth - apart from humidity, glass stress etc - think how you would like to live in a small glass case for the rest of your days
Free range torts are much happier and healthier - I can't remember when any of mine last went to see the vet or had to have their lamps checked for correct temps etc. They have loads of space and choose their own temps, so thermoregulate properly which they could not do in a viv or small habitat. OK - I may miss the odd clutch of eggs out there but it's a small price to pay for healthy tortoises

[terrypin]

Originally Posted by wizzasmum

For what it's worth - apart from humidity, glass stress etc - think how you would like to live in a small glass case for the rest of your days
Free range torts are much happier and healthier - I can't remember when any of mine last went to see the vet or had to have their lamps checked for correct temps etc. They have loads of space and choose their own temps, so thermoregulate properly which they could not do in a viv or small habitat. OK - I may miss the odd clutch of eggs out there but it's a small price to pay for healthy tortoises

i have to agree with you there sue and i have lost more than the odd clutch of eggs since i moved but the tortoises seem happy when i see them.
terry

[ceiron]

i have read some funny things on here

temp gradients firstly, i use vivs and my correctly setup orn vivs range from 85 - 75, collareds 130 - 80, my leo viv is 90 - 70 etc ...

air flow, if you put on the vents right, so big vent at cold end near floor and big vent at top near heat source then you get a very good air flow.

so good it can actually affect the temperature of a viv by up to 10 degrees.

all my vivs have lintels too, so at least first 3 inches is wood, pref 6 inches if i self build. thus the animal cant see straight out, although my collareds like to sit on the lip and watch me. hehe

i dont keep torts in vivs myself but there si a counter argument to all of the arguments put forward imo

all my vived animals get time out and i dont see how a tort with time out can be any different to a tort kept in an enclosed tort table imo

also shop bought hygrometers are actually fairly accurate and you can calibrate them also

i will write an article on how to check its calibration if anyone is interested.

[nina]

Hi Ceiron,

I think there are vivs and there are vivs <g>. The definition of 'vivarium' is (Concise Oxford Dictionary) "a place artificially prepared for keeping animals in (nearly) their natural state." So that would apply to tort tables as well, but what tortoise keepers mean when they say 'viv' is the all glass (or wood and glass) enclosed containers that are sold for keeping reptiles in, and which are unsuitable for tortoises. If you can ensure adequate airflow throughout the enclosure, a material that the tort can't see through, and a temperature variation of 90 - 70 (like you have for your leos), then I would think that would be a fine environment. The other thing about vivs of course is that they don't tend to have a lot of floor space (even 4' vivs that you see in shops are not that wide), plus they are higher than you need for a tort. It just seems easier and cheaper to make a tort table or adapt a bookcase or something similar.

[KayMarie]

This has been a very ineresting read everyone

I am a new tortoise owner and have Oscar in a viv but since researching have decided to put him on tort like table But i struggle with this argument because i have all my temps right, i have a humidity reader which is reading the correct humidity temps for him and i have his doors open constantly and he's doing VERY well For very "against" i have heard, i have heard something that couneracts it...

Anyway, I am going to adapt an indoor guinea pig cage like this but alot bigger for him -



I personally think Oscar will be ok in his Viv until then but his new cage should be ready soon