Budget Friendly Heating/Light Ideas?

[timetravellingtortoise]

So my boyfriend and I will be getting a new baby Hermann's in a couple weeks and we've got the enclosure set up so we can get the heating and humidity figured out before we get it. We have a UVA/UVB light, but we need a way to heat the enclosure.

I was wondering if any of you have any ideas for budget friendly heat/ light ideas. I have a desk lamp that is the right height and I think, from what I've read, I can just put a plain old light bulb in it and that should heat it well? Will this work? Or would something else be better?

Thanks!
TTT

 

[Yvonne G]

The good UVB lights ARE expensive. You just can't get around that. However, some folks use the fluorescent tubes that provide UVB. I don't know if those are expensive or not. But DON'T buy the spiral compact fluorescent bulbs. They can be harmful on the tortoise's eyes.

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

I suggest investing in a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) bulb if you already have a UV light. The CHEs are expensive, but they last a while (3+ years).

 

[Tom]

Your desk lamp might not be rated for a big enough bulb. You can buy a fixture with a ceramic base at any hardware store for about $12. Just hang it over the enclosure and adjust the height to get the right basking temp. Don't use the clamp that comes with it. Those always fail. If your tortoise gets regular sunshine (several times a week), then you don't need any fancy bulbs and a 50-65 watt flood bulb from the hardware store will work well for you. If your tortoise will not be getting much sunshine over the winter, then I would get a mercury vapor bulb instead of the regular incandescent flood. If you can one online they are cheaper than at the chain pet stores. Alternatively, you can run a florescent fixture with a long tube bulb for light and UV along with a regular incandescent. I agree with Yvonne about NOT using the coil type cfl UV bulbs.

---

I suggest investing in a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) bulb if you already have a UV light. The CHEs are expensive, but they last a while (3+ years).

I have one that has been in near continuous use, indoors and out, since 1991. Still working just fine today. Pearlco.

 

[Rover15]

Do the uvb coil bulbs harm the torts? I'm getting mine in a out a month and that is the bulb I bought as well dome size does it make a difference? And is a red heat bulb work as well for day and night or is the CHE best?

 

[Tom]

There have been many cases of those coil type bulbs damaging reptile eyes. I would never use them. I don't like the red bulbs either. Tortoises need it dark at night. They can see a greater spectrum of light than we can, so if you can see it, they can see it. CHEs are much better in my opinion and more efficient too.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

You can buy a fixture with a ceramic base at any hardware store for about $12. Just hang it over the enclosure and adjust the height to get the right basking temp.

If your tortoise gets regular sunshine (several times a week), then you don't need any fancy bulbs

this is exactly what i did. the ceramic socket brooder lamp at Lowe's cost me $11. I bought a 100watt house light bulb and set it on top of the enclosure screen. it points straight down and gives me temps 100+. that is a cheap price if you ask me!

i also have the plastic socket clamp lamp from walmart for $5. it has a 65watt flood lamp bulb from the 99cent store. that hangs above his smaller to-go tank and also gets 100+ temps.

my tortoise gets regular time outside so i do not use any UVB bulbs. i gotta tell you in my search for "should i or shouldn't i" use uvb bulbs i drove my husband crazy. i finally decided not to use one. although, i have one on back up just in case as long as you can give your tort an hour or so a day he'll be fine. if he has to go a few days or weeks staying inside based on weather- because it isn't the norm- it's still fine. a tort isn't in full sun all day long. the uvb they get from the real sun is ALOT more than what our uvb bulbs can output. that's why they need the uvb on 12+hrs a day..its to compensate for the lower levels they receive.
if you can create a safe outdoor enclosure and give him an hour or a few a day, multiple days a week you too can choose to not purchase uvb lighting. there is also less $$$ to spend.

 

[stasisdc5]

i read this last night and i think you can benefit from reading it as well.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-20621.html#axzz28kMymdtE

 

[Levi the Leopard]

wow that was a long, but great read!!

i keep fake plants in my indoor enclosure and my tort has never tried to eat them. i always knew he could see the difference between the fake and real, that he didn't see them the way we see them..i had a feeling it had to do with seeing something specific but now after that read i definitely understand it better. thanks for sharing

 

[Rover15]

i read this last night and i think you can benefit from reading it as well.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-20621.html#axzz28kMymdtE

Great read lots of information and deffinitly a different way of looing at things my head is still hurting from all the stuff I read.

Would a tort not get a great deal of vu infront of a huge window the size of the indoor set up a long with a good sence of day - night time?

 

[stasisdc5]

i read this last night and i think you can benefit from reading it as well.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-20621.html#axzz28kMymdtE

Great read lots of information and deffinitly a different way of looing at things my head is still hurting from all the stuff I read.

Would a tort not get a great deal of vu infront of a huge window the size of the indoor set up a long with a good sence of day - night time?

i've read that windows and window screens filter out uv rays to a percentage that is not beneficial for the tortoise.

but for the purpose of having a good sense of day/night hours sounds probable.

 

[lynnedit]

They won't get UVB through glass. But the light from a window will help with day/night cycles.

Being out several months in the sun during the warm months is an excellent source of UV.
Some tort owners still provide UV over winter (if they don't hibernate, most don't in the US), some just use regular house or basking lights.

Your head will hurt trying to sort out the different opinions. Be sure to stick with information regarding your species of tort, and your area of the world!

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Be sure to stick with information regarding your species of tort, and your area of the world!

KEY point!!!

 

[Masin]

Be careful if using a tank near a window, if that's what you were going for.

 

[Biff Malibu]

There's the cheap way, and there's the right way.

 

[Rover15]

Be sure to stick with information regarding your species of tort, and your area of the world!

KEY point!!!

Ill be getting a yellow footed hatchling late november ill be housing it in a tortoise table right now it'll be housed in a 3'x3' with 8"h walls prob 2 inch substance I'll be using plexi glass over roughly 2/3's to keep humidity I'm concern is the lighting and temps I'm hoping with the plexi glass lid it will keep a good ambiant temp and ill have room for my lights.

Orignally I was going to use a read heat bulb but since reading ill be using a CHE also I was going to be using a coil uvb light in a dome but I've read that it'll hurt/damage my torts eyes come warm spring till cool fall it will be out side for min 1 hour a day but on the weekends prob longer. I live in ontario canada (just so you have an idea of temps) I have read that some people (unsure of their location) allow their torts a lot of nautural sun light during the summer and no uvb/uva lights in the winter (I'm not sure if this is good or bad) I do have a tube uvb hood light I might use instead if its the best way


Sorry for the long post but thank you to everyone that is helping I just didn't know how to muliti quote

 

[Levi the Leopard]

did we scare timetravellingtortoise away?