Basking light temperature and distance

[gata]

Hi all,

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season!

I am wondering if I have set my lights up correctly for Terry (a rescue, I think he is a Hermann's tortoise). My 100 Watt basking bulb is about 12 cm away from his shell when he is directly underneath it. The temperature reaches over 38°C when he has been under it for a while. Is this too hot? I think he prefers it closer but I don't want to cause any pyramiding.

My uvb & uva bulb is 10% and is about 14 cm away from his shell.

Also, humidity in his enclosure reaches about 87%. Is this bad for him?

Any advice and opinions welcome

Thank you,
Agata

 

[wellington]

The basking temp should be 95-100F and shouldn't be too close, between 12-16 inches usually. If you have to go closer to get the right temp, use a bigger watt bulb
The uvb bulb can cause eye problems but isn't good for uvb either, barely gives any. Get a tube florescent instead.

 

[Tom]

Hi all,

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season!

I am wondering if I have set my lights up correctly for Terry (a rescue, I think he is a Hermann's tortoise). My 100 Watt basking bulb is about 12 cm away from his shell when he is directly underneath it. The temperature reaches over 38°C when he has been under it for a while. Is this too hot? I think he prefers it closer but I don't want to cause any pyramiding.

My uvb & uva bulb is 10% and is about 14 cm away from his shell.

Also, humidity in his enclosure reaches about 87%. Is this bad for him?

Any advice and opinions welcome

Thank you,
Agata

1. Only your thermometer can tell you if the wattage and mounting height of your basking bulb is correct. Set something like a brick or a flat rock that is about the height of your tortoise directly under the basking bulb. Then rest your digital thermometer on its back directly under the lamp and let it bake for an hour or more. Adjust the height or wattage as needed to get it around 36C. Be sure you are using a flood bulb and not a spot bulb.
2. The clamps always fail. Don't use the clamp for mounting your heat lamp or CHEs. Mount them securely from overhead. This makes them easier to adjust up or down as needed, and it is best of they come from straight over head instead of from the side at an angle.
3. That is not good substrate. Read this for substrate info:

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4. Those UV bulbs sometimes burn their eyes and should not be used. They are also ineffective as a UV source. In your climate, it is important to have a good UV source since the tortoise is indoors for so many months over winter.
5. Unless this enclosure is 12 feet long, it is much too small for a tortoise this size. 4x8 feet is the recommended minimum size.
6. 87% humidity is fine for them, but that seems very unlikely with an open topped enclosure.

 

[gata]

1. Only your thermometer can tell you if the wattage and mounting height of your basking bulb is correct. Set something like a brick or a flat rock that is about the height of your tortoise directly under the basking bulb. Then rest your digital thermometer on its back directly under the lamp and let it bake for an hour or more. Adjust the height or wattage as needed to get it around 36C. Be sure you are using a flood bulb and not a spot bulb.
2. The clamps always fail. Don't use the clamp for mounting your heat lamp or CHEs. Mount them securely from overhead. This makes them easier to adjust up or down as needed, and it is best of they come from straight over head instead of from the side at an angle.
3. That is not good substrate. Read this for substrate info:

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

4. Those UV bulbs sometimes burn their eyes and should not be used. They are also ineffective as a UV source. In your climate, it is important to have a good UV source since the tortoise is indoors for so many months over winter.
5. Unless this enclosure is 12 feet long, it is much too small for a tortoise this size. 4x8 feet is the recommended minimum size.
6. 87% humidity is fine for them, but that seems very unlikely with an open topped enclosure.

Thank you for your reply, vey useful! I read the first timers articles, thanks. Soon changing this to orchid bark, I know hay and soil eith any sand arent good. No more hay. His enclosure is bigger and he spends most time outside of it. He is secure. Thanks!

 

[Tom]

Thank you for your reply, vey useful!

...and he spends most time outside of it. He is secure. Thanks!

You are welcome.

The tortoise should never be loose on the floor. Everyone who does it thinks it is safe until it is too late. It can't be made safe. There are many hazards on the floor and we see several disasters a year here on the forum from this practice.