Habitat Lighting and heating!

[DobbyRed]

Hi everybody and Merry Christmas. I'm looking some suggestions regarding what type of UVB lamp I can use for the habitat of my RF Dobby. Thanks to all I got informed that the spiral UVB bulb is not so good, I have a CHE in one side for the nightime, a 30-50-100 daylight all natural light bulb for heating in the center and Im going to put a UVB tube lamp on the other side, "BUT" when I went to get the new UVB lamp, I have a lot of differents UVB tube bulbs in which I have no idea what it means. (I'm new with all this).
I see that there are: 2.0, 5.0, 10.0, all with differents watts.
The habittat where Dobby lives is 24WX60LX12H.

What would be the best lamp for her in this habitat???
Need all the help and suggestion I can get. Thanks!!!!

 

[Redstrike]

I see you're in Puerto Rico, so your humidity levels should be excellent as long as you don't run air conditioning in the room they are in.

I like to use the Zoo Med Reptisun 10.0 bulbs (long tube florescent) because my enclosure just shy of a meter tall (see the second link in my signature below). If I used a weaker bulb not much UVB would contact the tortoises. Height from the bulb is the main criteria to consider when making this decision.

Lastly, the best way to obtain UVB rays is to take the tortoises outside (if possible). You're in an excellent climate for keeping redfoots!

 

[Yvonne G]

This is coming from a person who has very little experience with RF tortoises, so you can take it or leave it...however, I do have YF tortoises and Manouria tortoises and box turtles, and I think the care for the RF might be similar.

First of all, I would put up a small shelf across the back of the habitat. Then I would stock the shelf with plants. Plants all along the whole back side of the habitat...plants that go straight up, plants that hang down, plants that spread out.

Then I'd get a tube-type UVB light and position it over the habitat so that it mainly shines on the plants, causing mottled light to shine down into the habitat.

I have a tort table for a young Manouria tortoise and all she had in there was a big hiding place and then wide open space, similar to yours. I changed out the MVB for a tube-type fluorescent UVB, and positioned the light so it was about 10" from the substrate. First thing I noticed was that I never saw that little tortoise anymore. Being a rain forest tortoise, she didn't like being in the bright light and wide open space. So I raised up the light and put some plants in the habitat. Now the little tortoise is always out, but she's in among the plants, moving about and exploring. I wouldn't get too big a light for your RF tortoise. They do better in a sort of low light situation.

For heat I have a seedling heat mat under the substrate under the hiding place. The heat works its way up through the moist substrate and keeps the ambient temp warm, especially in the hiding place. The rest of the habitat gets heat from the 100 watt incandescent bulb placed over the opposite end from the heat mat.

This might be a good UVB light for you:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=25695

 

[DobbyRed]

Thanks a lot!!! Im trying to get the correct uvb lamp because we work from
Mon to fri and by the time we leave the house the sun havent come up yet and by the time we arrive is al ready sundown. So were looking for a good lamp for the weekdays cause on weekends she is a lots of hours outside taking sunlight on her ways.

 

[DobbyRed]

Just a simple question!!!!!!

What is the best size of the habitat for a 3yo 5" (shell) Red Foot??
Cause My little Dobby only like to hide like if she is always scared of being there. Im going to change some of the walls from wood to acrilic glass so she can look to outside and the sunlight can reach her.
The table is a 24"wx60"lx12"h, whe she was in the plastic container she was doing fine but when we change her to the table everything change.

 

[Redstrike]

The larger the enclosure the better. A good practice is to maintain a mindset of "what is the largest possible enclosure I can provide my redfoot(s)".

I'll add that outside trumps inside too, especially in your climate. So big and outside is best.

 

[DobbyRed]

The bigger the better! Got it!!!

These are some changes we are making to the table. Next step is to change the wall that look to the window from wood to a clear acrilic glass so the sun light can reach more time and better the table. And the substrate where the plants are now to change it to a natural top soil and put the plants on the soil not on the pot!!! Lets see how it goes

---

Started to look at the new menu!!