Baby sulcata tortoise lighting/heating

[Brittanyp1113]

Hi I'm new & I just got a 1 month old sulcata tortoise. Currently I have him in a 20 gallon long tank with the sides darkened out so he's not constantly trying to get through the glass. I have a question about lighting & heating for my little man. I have a power sun 80 watt bulb ive attached the pic. I also have a heat emitting bulb 60 watt. Is that all i need for him?

 

[wellington]

No, wrong kind of bulb.
You want an incandescent FLOOD bulb for basking, a tube fluorescent for uvb and ceramic heat emitter or radiant heat panel for night heat and any needed extra day heat.

 

[wellington]

A 20 gallon is way too small. You need at least a 2x4 foot for now.

 

[Brittanyp1113]

A 20 gallon is way too small. You need at least a 2x4 foot for now.

Ok I'll go get him it.

 

[Brittanyp1113]

No, wrong kind of bulb.
You want an incandescent FLOOD bulb for basking, a tube fluorescent for uvb and ceramic heat emitter or radiant heat panel for night heat and any needed extra day heat.

I have a flood bulb for basking as well I forgot to post that. So it has to be a tube fluorescent uvb? Where can I pick on up for reasonable?

 

[Tom]

Hi I'm new & I just got a 1 month old sulcata tortoise. Currently I have him in a 20 gallon long tank with the sides darkened out so he's not constantly trying to get through the glass. I have a question about lighting & heating for my little man. I have a power sun 80 watt bulb ive attached the pic. I also have a heat emitting bulb 60 watt. Is that all i need for him?View attachment 377708

Hello and welcome! I'm glad you found us, and you will be too. It appears that you have received the usual incorrect care advice that almost everyone get. We will help you get everything set up right.

Those mercury vapor bulbs are not reliable and should not be used. They will also cause pyramiding in a young growing tortoise because of the way they make heat. Your 60 watt ceramic heat emitter should be fine, but you need a thermostat to control it and maintain the correct temperatures.

Here is all the correct care info:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

Here is a bunch more info and an explanation of all the conflicting advice out in the world:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Read through each of these at least twice, and you will gain a much better understanding of what you need to do. Questions are welcome!

 

[wellington]

I have a flood bulb for basking as well I forgot to post that. So it has to be a tube fluorescent uvb? Where can I pick on up for reasonable?

Look on Amazon or Google it. Also check out lightyourreltiles.com

 

[Brittanyp1113]

I have a flood bulb for basking as well I forgot to post that. So it has to be a tube fluorescent uvb? Where can I pick on up for reasonable?

On the tube fluorescent uvb bulb what strength do I need?

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

You want the one that emits 12% UVB light.

 

[Brittanyp1113]

You want the one that emits 12% UVB light.

 

[Brittanyp1113]

This is what I got

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

This is what I got

Be careful with this lamp - according to some tests they emit UVB close to spectrum dangerous for animal health. Also, if this lamp has High-output and standard reflector position - choose the right one, according to lamp mounting height. And remove protective transparent plastic film from reflector.

 

[Brittanyp1113]

I'm confused now lol.

 

[Brittanyp1113]

What about this will this one work to provide the uvb?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I'm confused now lol.

Don't be confused. UVB lamps are very precise pieces of tech and there are not many makers who do things right: Arcadia, ZooMed and Reptile Systems, for example. There are cheaper brands, like ReptiZoo, Gianharden and others, they are less strict about quality control and change manufacturing factories from time to time hence have some issues.

You have chosen the lamp with correct properties, T5 HO, 10.0 (Desert species) and not too long to cover just the basking zone. It's just the minor details you won't see in reviews.

 

[Brittanyp1113]

Will this one work better?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Will this one work better?

With less known chinese brands, it's unfortunately a lottery. Arcadia Desert 12%, ZooMed Reptisun 10.0 are the recommended lamps. They have predictable UVB output and last longer than less known brands.

 

[Brittanyp1113]

With less known chinese brands, it's unfortunately a lottery. Arcadia Desert 12%, ZooMed Reptisun 10.0 are the recommended lamps. They have predictable UVB output and last longer than less known brands.

Ok I'll order one of those then.

 

[Tom]

Ok I'll order one of those then.

Don't worry too much about the UV bulb. There are other much more pressing concerns. If the little guy gets access to sunshine a couple of time a week for an hour or so, you don't need an artificial indoor UV bulb. You should be fine until late fall where you are, when the weather turns cold.

Much more important is enclosure size, humidity, correct substrate, correct food and water bowls, daily soaks, and proper temperature regulation. These things are a matter of life and death. The UV is a long term issue that can wait.

 

[Brittanyp1113]

Don't worry too much about the UV bulb. There are other much more pressing concerns. If the little guy gets access to sunshine a couple of time a week for an hour or so, you don't need an artificial indoor UV bulb. You should be fine until late fall where you are, when the weather turns cold.

Much more important is enclosure size, humidity, correct substrate, correct food and water bowls, daily soaks, and proper temperature regulation. These things are a matter of life and death. The UV is a long term issue that can wait.

I'm in process of building him outdoor enclosure.