Heating change

[musiclover18]

I am planning on changing my tortoise heating for a new enclosure. Right now I'm using a heat bulb and I want to switch the a ceramic heat emitter. I can't figure out what fixture can be used with a heat emitter? Can my deep domes work? How can I tell if the figures I have would work?
I have a small uvb light will cover half of the enclosure. Will it be to dark in the new enclosure as the lid will be closed? How can I add light for the little guy. I have attached what will be used as an enclosure for him

 

[Yvonne G]

No. The deep dome contains too much heat. The ceramic heat emitter does better in a wide dome fixture with a porcelain or ceramic base. You can also use the wire basket that some of them come with, but the wide dome (10"or 12") is best.

I like to use the tube type fluorescent UVB, and I'm starting to also add LED lighting because it's very bright.

 

[Tom]

I am planning on changing my tortoise heating for a new enclosure. Right now I'm using a heat bulb and I want to switch the a ceramic heat emitter. I can't figure out what fixture can be used with a heat emitter? Can my deep domes work? How can I tell if the figures I have would work?
I have a small uvb light will cover half of the enclosure. Will it be to dark in the new enclosure as the lid will be closed? How can I add light for the little guy. I have attached what will be used as an enclosure for him

You still need a heat lamp for daytime basking, but the CHE set on a thermostat will be great for night time, if needed.

What species are we talking about? What size? How will you see your tortoise in that deck box?

There are four elements to heating and lighting:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.

 

[musiclover18]

You still need a heat lamp for daytime basking, but the CHE set on a thermostat will be great for night time, if needed.

What species are we talking about? What size? How will you see your tortoise in that deck box?

There are four elements to heating and lighting:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.

I will have 1/4 to 1/2 of the lid cut so it can be open. I want to be able to have steady heat right now at night I have to run a night bulb and I don't find its good. If you think I should keep the day heay buld and have a ceramic as a back up that would be a good idea. I do have uvb but I leave it on all day. I will look into ambient light

 

[musiclover18]

I will have 1/4 to 1/2 of the lid cut so it can be open. I want to be able to have steady heat right now at night I have to run a night bulb and I don't find its good. If you think I should keep the day heay buld and have a ceramic as a back up that would be a good idea. I do have uvb but I leave it on all day. I will look into ambient light

The box is roughly 4 feet by 17inches wide

 

[PollyAda]

What species of tortoise do you have? Will your tortoise be kept indoors all of the time? Photos of your tortoise and current enclosure would be great.

 

[Tom]

The box is roughly 4 feet by 17inches wide

What species of tortoise are we talking about, and how big is it?

 

[musiclover18]

I have a cherry headed red foot tortoise 3 years old Always kept inside as it's colder here. He's currently in a zoomed enclosure

 

[Tom]

I have a cherry headed red foot tortoise 3 years old Always kept inside as it's colder here. He's currently in a zoomed enclosure

Age doesn't tell me size. At three years he could be 2 inches or 12 inches.

48x17 inches is okay for a tiny baby, but wayyy to small for any normal three year old. The ZooMed enclosure is not good for any tortoises of any size or type. That is entirely the wrong way to house a RF.

You need a large closed chamber for your tortoise. Something impervious to water, closed to hold in heat and humidity, and at least 8x4 feet of floor space.

 

[musiclover18]

Age doesn't tell me size. At three years he could be 2 inches or 12 inches.

48x17 inches is okay for a tiny baby, but wayyy to small for any normal three year old. The ZooMed enclosure is not good for any tortoises of any size or type. That is entirely the wrong way to house a RF.

You need a large closed chamber for your tortoise. Something impervious to water, closed to hold in heat and humidity, and at least 8x4 feet of floor space.

I'm getting away from the zoomed to the bigger area for now till I can get a better set up heated outside. He's 6 inches right now.

 

[musiclover18]

You still need a heat lamp for daytime basking, but the CHE set on a thermostat will be great for night time, if needed.

What species are we talking about? What size? How will you see your tortoise in that deck box?

There are four elements to heating and lighting:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.

How far away do you have your ambient 6000k lighting ?

 

[Tom]

How far away do you have your ambient 6000k lighting ?

18 inches in most enclosures. 24 inches in others.