Please. . . EXACTLY what bulb should I buy?

Tom said:

They don't work for our purposes. They don't measure the specific wavelengths of UV that our tortoises need.

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Hey Tom & forum! We’re in Houston, TX. I have a 4-1/2 month old Sulcata (an impulse buy from a questionable breeder who told me all I had to do was to keep him warm & dry. I’m praying damage has not already been done). I’ve learned so much from your posts and we’re trying to follow your guidelines (humidity & heat &UV, diet) as closely as possible. Can you please tell me EXACTLY & SPECIFICALLY what UV bulb to buy? I have a 120v MV bulb on a screened top (currently in a 20 gallon terrarium with ASAP plans to build a large box and eventually out into a big yard). Your input is greatly appreciated. We knew nothing about tortoises when we bought him, (I’m ashamed to say & recognize how irresponsible it was) but we are committed & love this little guy and will do everything to give him the best life. Thanks

Number one - the screen top filters out most of the UVB, so having the light on top of the screen es no bueno!

I prefer the tube type fluorescent UVB bulb with a radiant heat panel for heat. But when I used a Mercury Vapor Bulb for UVB I never needed anything bigger than 100 watts no matter how big the enclosure was.

Markw84 has written some good stuff about lighting. Have you perused the lighting section?

Yvonne G said:

Number one - the screen top filters out most of the UVB, so having the light on top of the screen es no bueno!

I prefer the tube type fluorescent UVB bulb with a radiant heat panel for heat. But when I used a Mercury Vapor Bulb for UVB I never needed anything bigger than 100 watts no matter how big the enclosure was.

Markw84 has written some good stuff about lighting. Have you perused the lighting section?

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Thanks so much Yvonne. I want to scrap the terrarium & screen top asap. Thanks for directing me. I will look at the lighting threads.

Jennijoi said:

Hey Tom & forum! We’re in Houston, TX. I have a 4-1/2 month old Sulcata (an impulse buy from a questionable breeder who told me all I had to do was to keep him warm & dry. I’m praying damage has not already been done). I’ve learned so much from your posts and we’re trying to follow your guidelines (humidity & heat &UV, diet) as closely as possible. Can you please tell me EXACTLY & SPECIFICALLY what UV bulb to buy? I have a 120v MV bulb on a screened top (currently in a 20 gallon terrarium with ASAP plans to build a large box and eventually out into a big yard). Your input is greatly appreciated. We knew nothing about tortoises when we bought him, (I’m ashamed to say & recognize how irresponsible it was) but we are committed & love this little guy and will do everything to give him the best life. Thanks

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There are four elements to heating and lighting:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt floods from the hardware store. I run them on a timer and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. You can mount a fixture on the ceiling, or hang a dome lamp from the ceiling. Go lower or higher wattage if this makes the enclosure too hot or not warm enough. Do not use "spot" bulbs, mercury vapor bulbs or halogen bulbs.
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species like sulcatas or leopards. I like this thermostat: https://www.lllreptile.com/products/13883-zilla-1000-watt-temperature-controller. Put the probe in the coolest corner away from all heating elements. You may need more than one heating element to spread the heat out for a given enclosure.
3. Light. I use florescent tubes for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most tubes at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. I've been using LEDs lately and they are great, and run cooler than a florescent. This can be set on the same timer as the basking bulb.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. I like the ZooMed 10.0 HO, and the Arcadia 12% HO. Which type will depend on mounting height. It helps to have a UV meter to test and see what your bulb is actually putting out at your mounting height. Plexi-glass or screen tops will filter out some or all of the UV produced by your bulb.

Tom said:

There are four elements to heating and lighting:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt floods from the hardware store. I run them on a timer and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. You can mount a fixture on the ceiling, or hang a dome lamp from the ceiling. Go lower or higher wattage if this makes the enclosure too hot or not warm enough. Do not use "spot" bulbs, mercury vapor bulbs or halogen bulbs.
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species like sulcatas or leopards. I like this thermostat: https://www.lllreptile.com/products/13883-zilla-1000-watt-temperature-controller. Put the probe in the coolest corner away from all heating elements. You may need more than one heating element to spread the heat out for a given enclosure.
3. Light. I use florescent tubes for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most tubes at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. I've been using LEDs lately and they are great, and run cooler than a florescent. This can be set on the same timer as the basking bulb.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. I like the ZooMed 10.0 HO, and the Arcadia 12% HO. Which type will depend on mounting height. It helps to have a UV meter to test and see what your bulb is actually putting out at your mounting height. Plexi-glass or screen tops will filter out some or all of the UV produced by your bulb.

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Thanks so much Tom. I truly appreciate your help & time (and the expertise of this forum)

Hi. I wanted to post a few pics of my little guy to see if he looks ok to you veterans. I’m obsessed & so paranoid about not knowing “normal “ tortoise anything.
I weighed him today for the 1st time. He weighed in at 55g which seems low to me when comparing to other’s posts (I don’t have a firm age - about 5-6 months). He’s eating ok (mix of yard clippings & spring mix). He will usually finish a good handful chopped up. He’s still in terrarium (working on table) at 85-90* and trying hard to maintain at least 70% humidity. I have CHE and uva/uvb MV bulb until new table. I put him in an outside enclosure on warm days for natural sun (although he usually b-lines to his hide). He’s getting nightly warm soaks. His shell is firm. His belly still has signs of an umbilical site. He seems to urinating & deficating normally. I’ve come home a few times to find him on his back and he’s been unable to right himself. I’ve covered the bottom few inches of tank so that he’s not “climbing the walls” but he KNOWS. He sleeps a lot. I worry because I know he had a dry start (the guy told me to keep him hot & dry).
Can you see anything from my pics that I should be aware of?
BTW. I name him SULLY (I know, original!) before knowing that’s what Sulcatas are called. (I thought it was clever anyway. Lol!)