Distance

[alex_ornelas]

Im building a little roof type thing ontop of my torts tank im using a ceramic heating unit and a mercury vapor bulb. How far do they need to be from the bottom of the enclosure. The tank itself is 16 and 7/8ths of an inch tall. From his substrate its 14and 7/8th inch tall.

 

[ascott]

Ceramic heat emitter ; you will have to find what the appropriate height should be in order to reach the temps you are wanting to achieve....the MVB should not be closer than 10 inches from the top of the tort to the light itself and even that is kinda close....I believe 12 inches is a safe distance for the MVB....the bulb you have will have a scale for you to follow for the closest it should be...

 

[Tom]

You need to start with what each manufacturer recommends and then check it with you thermometer. Adjust the height of your fixtures if needed.

Your CHE should be controlled by a thermostat. That should keep it from getting too hot as long as you put the probe in the right place.

Your MVB is going to be too close. If you allow for the fixture and length of the bulb, plus the height of the tortoise shell, it will only be around 8" away with a ceiling of that height. You need to figure something else out.