# Best UVB and Heat Lamp for Tortoise



## randy (Feb 24, 2012)

Just wanted to know what you all recommend for UVB and Heat for hatchling/young tortoise. I was informed that using the ceramic fixture was the best way to go, but which bulbs to get. When I had a bearded dragon a few years ago I bought a White Under Cabinet light and fixture at Walmart for around 10.00 which was 18", this seemed to work great, would this work? Also does using a long bulb or regular bulb make any difference, I was thinking that a long fixture would be easier to lay across the 30 gallon tank on one end instead of using a screen top and then placing the round light fixture on top. Also any suggestions on the cheapest places to buy equipment, pet stores are so much more expensive for equipment than going out to other stores and buying either the same thing or something close to it. Thanks.


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## StudentoftheReptile (Feb 24, 2012)

A lot can depend on the species and where you're from, how you intend to keep it: i.e. do you plan to take it outdoors a lot during the day and just bring it in at night, etc?

Personally, my schedule doesn't permit me to do that much with my baby tortoises, so I currently use a ZooMed PowerSun Mercury Vapor Bulbs. These bulbs are popular among lizard and tortoise keepers because they provide both heat and adequate amounts of UVA/UVB radiation. Individual experience varies, but with the proper fixture, the ZooMed brand is thought to be better than most (Exo-Terra or T-Rex). You can usually find them on Amazon for around $30-35. (petstores have them for $50+)

For your size tank, I would get the lowest wattage available (100 watts) and somehow mount the lamp high enough where the basking temps would not get too high. One could argue that such a powerful bulb is overkill for a relatively-small enclosure, but you raise/lower the lamp as needed, and in the likely event of upgrading to a larger enclosure, you could still use that bulb (if the UV output is still good).

I use the 12" ceramic dome shop light fixture from Lowe's and have had no issues.


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## wellington (Feb 24, 2012)

I agree with Studentofthereptile. Mercury vapor bulb. You could also get a ceramic heat emitter for night time heat with no light if needed. The MVB needs to not have anything between it and the tort. So, cut the screen the size of the light fixture, so all the UVB it gives out will go to your tort. Of cours, like already said. All this depends on where you live and if there is outdoor, natural sunlight time.


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## GBtortoises (Feb 24, 2012)

I do not recommend using MVB lamps for hatchling and very young tortoises. When mounted correctly (pointing straight down) at the correct distance for the UVB to be effective, they produced too much heat in a very localzied spot. Baby tortoises, like any age, need to bask to warm their bodies for normal activity and to aid in digestion. Baby and small tortoises can dehydrate rapidly under direct heat due to their small body mass. Using a MVB bulb for them gives one choice and one choice only. MVB lamps also only produce localized UV and light directly under them, leaving most of the area around them in the dark. 
A better choice for babies is a combination of a standard incandescent bulb that produces white light (not a "soft" light bulb) or a GE Reflecta. Depending upon the ambient room temperature and enclosure temperature you can adjust the amount of heat produced by the basking light by using an appropriate wattage, 40, 50, 60 or whatever is needed. It can be moved in closer or farther away to "fine tune" the basking temperature. Along with that a tube type fluorescent UV light that will not only provide UV to the entire enclosure but as additional light.


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