It's very easy to construct this mediterranean tortoise setup. The table and cabinet come with instructions and should take around 20 minutes per unit to construct. They mostly use locking screws so don't worry if you make a mistake, they can be taken apart and re-built. Once the table is constructed you will want to seal the joints inside with aquarium sealant. This will extend the life of your table and keep the joints water resistant. Make sure the panels are all clean and dry as possible before applying. Once applied you will want to leave the enclosure for at least 6 hours so the silicone can set and the fumes can disperse. Creating the Basking Area This enclosure is designed to get to 90 Fahrenheit on the hot end but still leave the other side cool. To do this you will want to choose one end of the enclosure to be your hot end and one end to be the cool end. All of your heating equipment needs to be placed in the hot end.We provide our daytime basking temperatures using a single intense mercury vapour spot lamp in a dome fitting. A bracket is used to suspend the bulb over the opposite side to the sheltered area. This bulb provides both heat and UVB so there should be no need for additional lighting but you could add a UVB tube to larger tables as necessary.The bulb should be changed every year to maintain the correct UVB levels. Controlling Temperatures Mercury vapour lamps cannot be controlled by a thermostat so would be raised or lowered to provide the correct basking temperature beneath the light. A thermometer is placed on the hot end and it should be checked as frequently as possible throughout the day. Running the Enclosure This setup is designed to provide an intense basking area and UV throughout the day and switch to complete darkness with some warmth at night. The mercury vapour lamp should be on for 10-12 hours per day and off all night.If you have any concerns or need any further advise please let us know.
