Heat lamp wattage?

[mayaclark638]

I am planning on getting my first hermann's tortoise soon and was wondering about the wattage of the heat lamp.
The lamp will be about 1 foot above his habitat and the bulb will be a mercury vapor bulb. So how many watts should it be?

 

[josh shultis]

100watt should be good if your getting mvb! you may have to play with the distance( within a few inches) to get temps right though

 

[mayaclark638]

Great! Thank you!

 

[josh shultis]

You don't have to go mvb though you could just get a regular 65w bulb for heat and then a repti sun 10.0 tube, more light/ flexibility that way, but mvb is nice an easy all In one bulb