Are these good LIGHTS?

[mia.leopard.tort]

I'm about to get a tortoise and I want to make sure these lights are good because I know it's important.
UVB: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0D8TDWXH8?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
And the heat lamp
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0DR25N1W1?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
Please let me know if these are suitable for my well started leopard tortoise I'm getting on Friday!

 

[mia.leopard.tort]

If these are good, how long should they be left on for?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Because members are from different locations, the links to the specific products don’t always work, so we can’t see exactly which ones you’re looking at.

For the t5 uvb you want to stick to either the Arcadia prot5 kit, or the zoo med reptisun t5 10.0, cheaper Chinese brands have unreliable outputs.

For a basking light, you want a reptile floodlight.

With the uv timing, every other source of information will tell you 12hours of uv. This is essentially an old fashioned rule that has stuck with a lot of keepers, it stems from the presumption that once the basking light or ambient lighting is on, ie the ‘sun’, that uv must coexist the same amount of hours. Fact is, uv rays only peak for a few hours a day, anyone with a uv meter will confirm this. No tortoise is blasted with 12 hours of uv in the wild, therefore it’s not necessary in captivity. Whilst not necessarily dangerous, it’s potentially annoying to the tortoise to have 12hours on uv in the enclosure.
The right uv bulbs are much more expensive to replace once their uv strength diminishes, so it’s definitely best having it on a 4 hour timer that provides them with all the uv they need, saving your bulb life.
Then some cheaper led lighting for your ambient 12 hour light cycle as well as the basking light on the same 12hrs, your ceramic(s) will run 24/7 on a thermostat, hope that all makes sense

Hopefully you’ll find these links useful to go over, they include some product suggestions.

This thread covers correct equipment(uvb, heating bulbs, lighting etc, definitely double check your bulbs), correct levels, importance of a closed chamber for younger tortoises(only way to maintain the humidity you need), appropriately maintaining the humidity, safe substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything, and a really handy diet link to check out! If going with a greenhouse, the lower the ceiling height, whilst still allowing for recommended bulb height, the better! But I’ll add some more ideas below for closed chambers

Leopard/sulcata starter

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information below on how I’d personally tackle an indoor starter set up for a leopard/sulcata until they’re bigger. Hopefully it helps give people some ideas!” I know it looks like a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered...

tortoiseforum.org

This includes different closed chamber options, some definitely work better than others

Visual inspiration

Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...

tortoiseforum.org

Lastly, this one here is probably most important to go over and keep on hand, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

Hope they help! Welcome to the forum

 

[mia.leopard.tort]

So even with these two lights I still need a dome basking light? I thought that's what the ceramic one was. Sorry to ask again, I'm just a little confused lol.

Because members are from different locations, the links to the specific products don’t always work, so we can’t see exactly which ones you’re looking at.

For the t5 uvb you want to stick to either the Arcadia prot5 kit, or the zoo med reptisun t5 10.0, cheaper Chinese brands have unreliable outputs.

For a basking light, you want a reptile floodlight.

With the uv timing, every other source of information will tell you 12hours of uv. This is essentially an old fashioned rule that has stuck with a lot of keepers, it stems from the presumption that once the basking light or ambient lighting is on, ie the ‘sun’, that uv must coexist the same amount of hours. Fact is, uv rays only peak for a few hours a day, anyone with a uv meter will confirm this. No tortoise is blasted with 12 hours of uv in the wild, therefore it’s not necessary in captivity. Whilst not necessarily dangerous, it’s potentially annoying to the tortoise to have 12hours on uv in the enclosure.
The right uv bulbs are much more expensive to replace once their uv strength diminishes, so it’s definitely best having it on a 4 hour timer that provides them with all the uv they need, saving your bulb life.
Then some cheaper led lighting for your ambient 12 hour light cycle as well as the basking light on the same 12hrs, your ceramic(s) will run 24/7 on a thermostat, hope that all makes sense

Hopefully you’ll find these links useful to go over, they include some product suggestions.

This thread covers correct equipment(uvb, heating bulbs, lighting etc, definitely double check your bulbs), correct levels, importance of a closed chamber for younger tortoises(only way to maintain the humidity you need), appropriately maintaining the humidity, safe substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything, and a really handy diet link to check out! If going with a greenhouse, the lower the ceiling height, whilst still allowing for recommended bulb height, the better! But I’ll add some more ideas below for closed chambers

Leopard/sulcata starter

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information below on how I’d personally tackle an indoor starter set up for a leopard/sulcata until they’re bigger. Hopefully it helps give people some ideas!” I know it looks like a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered...

tortoiseforum.org

This includes different closed chamber options, some definitely work better than others

Visual inspiration

Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...

tortoiseforum.org

Lastly, this one here is probably most important to go over and keep on hand, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

Hope they help! Welcome to the forum

So even with these two lights, I still need another basking light? I thought that's what the ceramic one is for. Sorry to ask again I'm just still confused but want to get it right.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

So even with these two lights I still need a dome basking light? I thought that's what the ceramic one was. Sorry to ask again, I'm just a little confused lol.

So even with these two lights, I still need another basking light? I thought that's what the ceramic one is for. Sorry to ask again I'm just still confused but want to get it right. View attachment 392047View attachment 392048

No need to apologise! Ask as many questions as you need! Yeah a basking floodlight will be needed for during the day, you mount that further one end of the enclosure and the t5 uv next to it. Some ambient LED lighting in the middle, this can be a regular screw in led colour range 5500-6500k, or some strip lighting. The basking light and ambient light run on the same 12hour timer.

Your CHE is to provide extra ambient heat and night heat, if using just the one, mount it in the middle, if using two, mount either end of the enclosure equal distant apart for a more even heat distribution, and remember they’ll need running on a thermostat 24/7. They’re to make sure no where in your enclosure is dropping below 80f at night.

The CHE looks ok(though I’d probably look for a brand name to last longer) but the dome is too small and deep set for a ceramic. You ideally want 10-12inch.

I wouldnt personally buy that cheaper brand uv, the cheaper brands tend to have very unreliable output.

The right uvb light will only need to be one around 4hours a day. check out those links for product suggestions

 

[mia.leopard.tort]

Thank you! Also another question not about lighting - I saw on a YouTube video that sphagnum moss is really good to put in a hide for a very humid spot but now that I've found this page I see you guys are not in favor of moss. I will return it. But how do you recommend me keeping the enclosure moist? The substrate I have right now (unopened, but definitely wish I found this page a week ago) is one bag of ExoTerra Coco Husk and one bag of ExoTerra plantation soil. I was going to mix these together everywhere but the hide where I was going to put the moss.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Thank you! Also another question not about lighting - I saw on a YouTube video that sphagnum moss is really good to put in a hide for a very humid spot but now that I've found this page I see you guys are not in favor of moss. I will return it. But how do you recommend me keeping the enclosure moist? The substrate I have right now (unopened, but definitely wish I found this page a week ago) is one bag of ExoTerra Coco Husk and one bag of ExoTerra plantation soil. I was going to mix these together everywhere but the hide where I was going to put the moss.

Sphagnum moss does unfortunately carry an impaction risk, so we do recommend avoiding it, if you have trouble returning it, you can always place it somewhere in the enclosure that you’re assured the tortoise can’t reach.

In terms of keeping the enclosure moist enough, this is where a closed chamber set up is important, depending on what substrate you use will depend how to maintain it. The trouble with coco husk is the long fibrous pieces also carry an impaction risk, the soil mixes tend to be mixed with sand which comes with its own issues

If wanting a soil like substrate, your safest option is damp coco coir, it comes in dry bricks you place in water(quantities on packing) and it expands into a damp soil, you then want to firmly pack this down in your enclosure by hand, if left loose and fluffy it will dry out quicker, many people aren’t a fan of using just coir on its own, it’s very messy. Personally I favour orchid bark, you could have a damp coir base or just use the bark alone. To maintain moisture and humidity, gently pour lukewarm water into the corners of your enclosure to get a nice damp under layer of substrate(definitely make sure your set up is sealed/lined), mix it all up once a week or so to make sure there’s no standing water at the bottom, you don’t want things soaked in there, damp is the goal. A closed chamber helps keep everything humid by reducing air exchange, the heat from the bulbs creates humidity from the damp substrate, the condensate builds on the sides, slowly dripping back down, continuing the cycle. In a good closed chamber with a thick layer of substrate, you shouldn’t have to do the water pours often, keep an eye on your substrate and monitors. We only have to do them every 10 days or so with ours

 

[mia.leopard.tort]

Sphagnum moss does unfortunately carry an impaction risk, so we do recommend avoiding it, if you have trouble returning it, you can always place it somewhere in the enclosure that you’re assured the tortoise can’t reach.

In terms of keeping the enclosure moist enough, this is where a closed chamber set up is important, depending on what substrate you use will depend how to maintain it. The trouble with coco husk is the long fibrous pieces also carry an impaction risk, the soil mixes tend to be mixed with sand which comes with its own issues

If wanting a soil like substrate, your safest option is damp coco coir, it comes in dry bricks you place in water(quantities on packing) and it expands into a damp soil, you then want to firmly pack this down in your enclosure by hand, if left loose and fluffy it will dry out quicker, many people aren’t a fan of using just coir on its own, it’s very messy. Personally I favour orchid bark, you could have a damp coir base or just use the bark alone. To maintain moisture and humidity, gently pour lukewarm water into the corners of your enclosure to get a nice damp under layer of substrate(definitely make sure your set up is sealed/lined), mix it all up once a week or so to make sure there’s no standing water at the bottom, you don’t want things soaked in there, damp is the goal. A closed chamber helps keep everything humid by reducing air exchange, the heat from the bulbs creates humidity from the damp substrate, the condensate builds on the sides, slowly dripping back down, continuing the cycle. In a good closed chamber with a thick layer of substrate, you shouldn’t have to do the water pours often, keep an eye on your substrate and monitors. We only have to do them every 10 days or so with ours

Whoops definitely messed up with some of these purchases . I think I'll do the layer of coco coir and orchid bark, thank you! Do you think I can use the soil mix to grow some plants for the tortoise? It says it's heat treated and has no fertilizers. The tortoise won't have access to the soil in which the plants are growing. I'm just nervous to use soil from a garden store because of the fertilizers and such.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Whoops definitely messed up with some of these purchases . I think I'll do the layer of coco coir and orchid bark, thank you! Do you think I can use the soil mix to grow some plants for the tortoise? It says it's heat treated and has no fertilizers. The tortoise won't have access to the soil in which the plants are growing. I'm just nervous to use soil from a garden store because of the fertilizers and such.

No worries, many have done the same before joining, I’m sure you can yes, @Alex and the Redfoot has a greener hand than me when it comes to plants in a indoor set up, all the ones I tried failedI can only get them to thrive outdoors lol, I’m sure you could use it to grow outdoor plants too. With store bought soils, look for organic topsoil without additives like perlite or fertilizers to grow plants with, and keep the tortoise from getting to it

 

[mia.leopard.tort]

No worries, many have done the same before joining, I’m sure you can yes, @Alex and the Redfoot has a greener hand than me when it comes to plants in a indoor set up, all the ones I tried failedI can only get them to thrive outdoors lol, I’m sure you could use it to grow outdoor plants too. With store bought soils, look for organic topsoil without additives like perlite or fertilizers to grow plants with, and keep the tortoise from getting to it

Thanks so much. You've been so helpful and I'm so excited for my leopard tortoise!!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Thanks so much. You've been so helpful and I'm so excited for my leopard tortoise!!

You’re very welcome, wonderful to have you aboard, can’t wait for you to enjoy your new baby, would love to see pictures when you get he/her

 

[mia.leopard.tort]

Of course!!!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Whoops definitely messed up with some of these purchases . I think I'll do the layer of coco coir and orchid bark, thank you! Do you think I can use the soil mix to grow some plants for the tortoise? It says it's heat treated and has no fertilizers. The tortoise won't have access to the soil in which the plants are growing. I'm just nervous to use soil from a garden store because of the fertilizers and such.

Hello!

ExoTerra Plantation Soil is coco coir (coco peat). Not suitable for plants on its own, but can be fine for tortoise - depending on grain size and amount of fibers (the less the better).

When growing plants for tortoise enclosure/food fertilizers are okay when tortoise don't have direct access to fertilizer (granules, powder, residue on leaves etc). For enclosure plants I would, perhaps, stay away from perlite and fertilizer granules - sometimes they are washed out from soil to surface and tortoise can find and eat them.

 

[mia.leopard.tort]

Oh okay thank you. I think I'll just stick to coco coir and orchid bark and for enclosure plants I'll use organic topsoil without perlite and fertilizers.