Elongated tortoise heating bulb type

Gokhlaye

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Hey all, so I am about to make a new enclosure for my Elongated tortoises. There isn't many guides, especially new ones on the web and a lot of people say the care is similar to RF, something I kinda agree to a certain degree. Now I remember reading one of the care guides for RFs here mentioned not using a classic heating bulb, but a CHE, because RF to like bright lights so much as they live in forrest (similar to a Elongata). This finally brings me to the question: Do you think it's best to use a CHE for a Elongata too? For now I am using classic 80-100w bulbs, the tortoises lay below them for a while to heat up and then go away to their humid hides or shadier places of the enclosure, so my plan is to at least test a CHE. I just wanna know if some other people use them, or what the general opinions are. Thanks
 
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Hey all, so I am about to make a new enclosure for my Elongated tortoises. There isn't many guides, especially new ones on the web and a lot of people say the care is similar to RF, something I kinda agree to a certain degree. Now I remember reading one of the care guides for RFs here mentioned not using a classic heating bulb, but a CHE, because RF to like bright lights so much as they live in forrest (similar to a Elongata). This finally brings me to the question: Do you think it's best to use a CHE for a Elongata too? For now I am using classic 80-100w bulbs, the tortoises lay below them for a while to heat up and then go away to their humid hides or shadier places of the enclosure, so my plan is to at least test a CHE. I just wanna know if some other people use them, or what the general opinions are. Thanks
I have used both with one of my elongated and he basks under both no problem. However I think that in an indoor setup having lit up basking areas is better than a CHE because they seem to be easier for the tortoises to recognize.
Either way if you provide them a warm enough basking area that they are able to recognize it shouldn't matter if it is a CHE or a traditional bulb. Do your elongated spend any time outdoors?
 

Tom

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Most forest tortoise keepers don't offer a basking area, and instead maintain a warm over all ambient temperature.

In your case, since your tortoise does seem to like to bask, I would do both. Offer a low wattage incandescent flood bulb set on a timer over on one side of the enclosure so your tortoise has a warmer area and can bask, and then use the CHE or a radiant heat panel set on a thermostat to maintain a warm background ambient temperature 24/7.
 

Gokhlaye

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Czech Republic
I have used both with one of my elongated and he basks under both no problem. However I think that in an indoor setup having lit up basking areas is better than a CHE because they seem to be easier for the tortoises to recognize.
Either way if you provide them a warm enough basking area that they are able to recognize it shouldn't matter if it is a CHE or a traditional bulb. Do your elongated spend any time outdoors?
I live in Europe in the Czech republic. So far they weren't out, the summer last year was terrible. So depending on how the weather this year will be, they may or may not get a few months or at least weeks outside.
 

Gokhlaye

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Most forest tortoise keepers don't offer a basking area, and instead maintain a warm over all ambient temperature.

In your case, since your tortoise does seem to like to bask, I would do both. Offer a low wattage incandescent flood bulb set on a timer over on one side of the enclosure so your tortoise has a warmer area and can bask, and then use the CHE or a radiant heat panel set on a thermostat to maintain a warm background ambient temperature 24/7.
That's a great idea, I will probably try this. I should probably set up the CHE on the hot side of the enclosure right? Somewhere around where the basking light will be.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
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That's a great idea, I will probably try this. I should probably set up the CHE on the hot side of the enclosure right? Somewhere around where the basking light will be.
The CHE is meant to maintain ambient above your set point all over the enclosure. Its best to mount it near the middle of the enclosure so that it can evenly warm everything. The basking bulb, if used, should definitely be over on one side or the other to create a thermal gradient.
 

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