Does T5 give heat

Suey

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Hi I’ve just ordered a T5 kit for my tortoise shed to give more light and uv. Just wondering if they give heat off as well. What basking bulb do you suggest . My insulated shed is 4’ by 4’ I had to separate them as they are Male and female Russians so at the moment have an Arcadia MVP bulb each with access to outside.
 

Blackdog1714

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They give off some heat but it may only be a few degrees, sadly I have not measured mine (New weekend project) I would add a couple of CHE (Cermaic Heat Emitters) or a 12o watt RHP (Radiant Heat Panel). In my indoor enclosure which is 11 feet (3.3 M) by 3.5 feet (1.09 M) I have a 120 RHP and the huid HIde end and maintain 87 degrees (30.5 C) and 84 degrees (28.89 C) on the other end with one 120 watt CHE. My electrical usage is minimal due to the extra insulation in the walls. Also I would not recommend the Mercury Vapor Bulb- they can over heat there are old threads on them going bad. You can also add an LED GRow light for plants just make sure to stay in the white light range (5000K) it adds overall light and helps plant grow
 

Suey

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Thanks, I have a thermostatic oil filled radiator already in there , forgot to mention that, so what wattage of ceramic heater bulbs would you say ?
 

Blackdog1714

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Thanks, I have a thermostatic oil filled radiator already in there , forgot to mention that, so what wattage of ceramic heater bulbs would you say ?
120 with a thermostat to ensure the proper temp at tortoise back height
 

Tom

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Thanks, I have a thermostatic oil filled radiator already in there , forgot to mention that, so what wattage of ceramic heater bulbs would you say ?
If you have a radiant oil heater maintaining ambient, you should not need CHEs. Your basking bulbs should bring the heat up during the day, but all of this depends on the volume of air inside the shed, level of insulation, how well sealed it is, what ambient temps are outside, etc...

T5s do give off some heat. Enough to drive the temperature up in a closed chamber in a warm room, but I doubt you would notice the heat from them in a 4x4 shed outdoors.
 

Suey

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Hi Tom thanks for reply, I’m wondering, what would you do if you were me? As I have to have two separate mvb bulbs ( one each ) it does get a bit too hot on warmer days. So when I have the T5 would having CHEs instead work better? Or just lower wattage basking lights ( any suggestions on which brand )
 

Blackdog1714

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Hi Tom thanks for reply, I’m wondering, what would you do if you were me? As I have to have two separate mvb bulbs ( one each ) it does get a bit too hot on warmer days. So when I have the T5 would having CHEs instead work better? Or just lower wattage basking lights ( any suggestions on which brand )
Any heat source should be on a thermometer so if a rise in ambient from outside sources it shuts off the heat source after going past your desired temp
 

Tom

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Hi Tom thanks for reply, I’m wondering, what would you do if you were me? As I have to have two separate mvb bulbs ( one each ) it does get a bit too hot on warmer days. So when I have the T5 would having CHEs instead work better? Or just lower wattage basking lights ( any suggestions on which brand )
"Too hot" is such a relative term... For the last few days it has been 43C here during the day. My friend Karen lives out in the CA desert and it was 51C. Too hot here is a nice cool day for her. Well... cool-er.

You said 4x4, but how tall is the shed?
What is the ambient temp outside getting up to?
What is the temp inside the shed getting up to with all the lights?
Are you running a thermostat on your oil heater?

If its less than 36C, and the temp drops at night when the lights are off, and they have access to go outside and get out of the heat, you might be okay leaving it all as is.

If its getting over or close to 36C, then you can always swap out the MVBs. MVBs do run very hot. I use regular 65 watt incandescent flood bulbs form the hardware store for basking. Usually Phillips or Sylvania brand, but any should be fine. These do not overheat my 4x4 boxes on a cool day. Compared to here, I think every day is a "cool" day in Jolly Olde England. What is the temp on your hottest summer day there?

Also, what is the overnight low? Outside and inside the box? One way I manage our hot summer temps here is to let the night boxes get cooler overnight when its going to be 37C+ here the next day. Then it takes longer for them to heat up during the day, and they don't get as hot inside. If your box is getting hot each day, your Russians can take it pretty cold at night. Even as low as 10C. Do you have cold nights in summer there? Some areas of the US barely see a drop in temp at night. Maybe only a few degrees in some parts of the year. Here where I am, we see temp normally dropping 30-40F each night and sometimes a drop as low as 50 degrees F. It was 108F here yesterday and dropped to 58F overnight. That is a daytime high of 43C down to a 14C low over night, all in one 24 hour period.
 

Suey

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Hi Tom thanks for your very detailed answer, yes my oil radiator has got a thermostat built in. Our temps a very hit and miss here. One day last week it got to low 30s that is really hot for UK and night time can be from 9 degrees to in the teens. It’s given up in the middle, high 20s next week. My two Russians, Male 5yr old and female 6yr old don’t come outside much at all even on nice days which is disappointing after I made them outside run. I thought it might be because thy were too hot. I’ve tried switching MVB bulbs off to see if they’ll come in search of the sun but no they just hide away, Charlie my Male more than Alice. They always eat and are healthy. That’s why I thought I’d send for the T5 to give more light and more uv as I’ve read other say they become more active.
 

Suey

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Oh sorry Tom forgot , the shed height is 5ft like me ?
 
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