Beginner, unsure of correct lighting

Amanda81

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2014
Messages
710
Location (City and/or State)
Northeast Tennessee
No, you can have either dimmable or non dimmable things. The controller will do all the work. I prefer the Herpstat, as it can also manage the humidity, instead of just misting at a set time.
Ok I will check that out
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
First off, would a 5 ft long 3ft wide 30in tall closed chamber enclosure b ok for a sulcata hatchling? I know bigger the better but that's as big as my space will allow for the moment. In about 3-4 months I will have another space I can use and it's way bigger. The enclosure will b mainly wood with a 22" glass front, there will b wood trim 4" high around bottom so it's not see thru. It will also have a 4", I guess you could call it a canopy. Here are my thoughts on lighting system: mounting a 48" Reptisun 10.0 UV florescent to back wall of canopy (that would have it around 20" from bottom once u add your substrate). Then a 100watt basking bulb on opposite site of the hide. Then for my heat use a CHE, perhaps mounted more toward the center of enclosure.? I want the UVB bulb and basking bulb to slowly go off over time just like the sun going down. And I would like the day temp to slowly drop for nite temps slow as well. And of course I want it to come back on the next day just the same as well. I know I will need a thermostat to control the heat and a gun to check temps and humidity levels. My questions...
1. What items will I need to make my lights fade off and on?
2. What will I need to make my heat drop slowly to nite temps?
3. Is the distance from the bottom to where I propose to mount the lights and CHE ok?
4. What should the humidity level in the enclosure be? And does that need to change from daytime to nighttime?


You will get almost no UV at 20" from a regular bulb. If you want it that high you'll need the HO bulbs I spoke of earlier.

1. No need for the lights to fade. I'm not saying its bad. I'm just saying it is an unnecessary. Florescent lights cannot function that way, but your incandescent ones would do it. I sometimes set my lights on different timers. So the heat bulbs kick on first and then a little later the florescents kick on with the UV. Then the UV kicks off first. This simulates reality pretty well too and is much easier.
2. The heat will drop slowly on its own in a closed chamber once the lights kick off.
3. Your thermometer will dictate this. Not us.
4. I find that 80%, or close to it, works well for sulcatas. It does not need to change.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
When u say 65 watt flood bulb, this is a normal pick it up at walmart flood light?

Exactly right. Your UV needs will be met by the florescent bulb or the sun, so you can just use a regular incandescent flood bulb inside for some warmth.
 

Amanda81

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2014
Messages
710
Location (City and/or State)
Northeast Tennessee
Exactly right. Your UV needs will be met by the florescent bulb or the sun, so you can just use a regular incandescent flood bulb inside for some warmth.
Ok so a 65 watt flood light for basking, a 10.0 t5 high output fluorescent (mounting 20" about substrate) a timer, and equipment to measure temp/humidity/UVB. That should cover that part of it. Oh ya, with my enclosure being that size, what wattage of CHE should I get?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Again, your thermometer will dictate this, but in most houses a 100 watt will do. If your house gets really cold in winter, you might need to insulate your enclosure or add another 100 watt CHE. My 4x8 closed chambers are in my garage. It gets down to 50 in there in the winter and I run two 60 watt CHEs to keep them at 80 all the time. Insulation is amazing stuff.
 

Amanda81

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2014
Messages
710
Location (City and/or State)
Northeast Tennessee
Ok so a 65 watt flood light for basking, a 10.0 t5 high output fluorescent (mounting 20" about substrate) a timer, and equipment to measure temp/humidity/UVB. That should cover that part of it. Oh ya, with my enclosure being that size, what wattage of CHE should I get?
Again, your thermometer will dictate this, but in most houses a 100 watt will do. If your house gets really cold in winter, you might need to insulate your enclosure or add another 100 watt CHE. My 4x8 closed chambers are in my garage. It gets down to 50 in there in the winter and I run two 60 watt CHEs to keep them at 80 all the time. Insulation is amazing stuff.
ok. I was at lowes today and I looked at lights. I found this one that said "indoor flood light" 65 watt, color enhanced, full spectrum. I think I attached a pic. Would this work for a basking light? And does it have UVB?
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    717.8 KB · Views: 33

Amanda81

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2014
Messages
710
Location (City and/or State)
Northeast Tennessee
They also had some, same wattage but it was a "grow light" I guess for plants and such. Would this type have the UVB? I'm still going to mount the tube type but was just wondering about this.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
That bulb should work fine, but no need for "color enhanced" gimmicks and all that. Just a regular flood bulb works fine. Plant bulbs are not the right color for live animals.

Neither of those give off any UVB.
 

Amanda81

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2014
Messages
710
Location (City and/or State)
Northeast Tennessee
Ok, that's what I was thinking. I wasn't really looking for color enhancing but those two are the only ones I came across, well besides on that was labeled "heat lamp" I guess that would work to.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
The "heat lamp" one might have a reddish tint to it and therefore not be so good for a reptile heat lamp. I buy six or 12 packs of the Sylvania 65 watt flood bulbs. Like these from Lowes:
28gqj6a.jpg
 

Amanda81

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2014
Messages
710
Location (City and/or State)
Northeast Tennessee
Ok great. I found a 2-pack 65w, soft white pack on clearance for $3. I figured even if soft white ain't right for that price I can use them else where. Lol.
 

MPappagallo

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2019
Messages
368
Location (City and/or State)
Myrtle Beach, SC
Hello, and welcome to the forum! I hope I can answer a few of your questions:

For a basking light, you have a few options. You can either get a spot light, a ceramic heat emitter, or an MVB.

Spot lights are just the regular reptile lights you see most commonly in stores, like this one:

pPETNA-5136712_main_t300x300.jpg


Ceramic Heat Emitters, or CHEs, only emit heat, and DO NOT emit light. These kinds of bulbs are perfect for owners who's climate forces them to heat the enclosure at night. CHEs are superior to the Red or Black coloured spotlights, since CHEs give off no light at all. Most CHEs look something like this...

201172515405790252.jpg


MVBs, or Mercury Vapor Bulbs, give off both visible light, heat, and UV. Most people (as far as I know) prefer to use these, but if your enclosure gets cold at night, its probably not a good idea to have the light on as well. MVBs look something like this:

pPETNA-5210549_main_enh.jpg


The lights that can damage a tortoises eyes are the "coil" type UV bulbs, like these:

article-1075613-02F361FB00000578-154_468x471.jpg


For a UV bulb, your best choice is to use a "tube" type bulb, like this:

p-27554-60869-reptile.jpg



As for the soft daylight cycle, I am purchasing a Herpstat thermostat. Most of these can slowly increase the voltage to your lights at sunrise, and then decrease them at sunset, as to not be a simple on/off switch.

I hope I helped you!

Daniel
I am a newbie, and your post was so helpful. Although I had read a million other posts about lighting, I had no idea what a CHE was, or what the other light types look like either. Thanks so much for taking the time to put together this helpful info. It will make it a lot easier to get the proper equipment!
 

myk

Active Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2023
Messages
119
Location (City and/or State)
London ontario
No problem. I find it much easier to have one detailed reply rather than many not so detailed replies ;)

If any other members want to chime in and make sure that what i said was correct, please do!
Hello,also new to tortoise world,,as far as slowly dimming the lights, if the room you have them in has a dimmer switch on the overhead room light,, you could plug your daylights in that and every so often just dim them, I know,pain to remember, but it gives you another chance to spend time with your babies, I have a pair of almost 1 year old pancake tortoises and a year old pair of Eastern Box turtles, a few others coming soon, lol, 6 yr old leopard,,5 year old Herman's tortoise,,both looking for wives, lol, thank u for my rant,
 
Top