Heating Questions

[kayannabella]

ok guys im so sorry i keep postein on here... i have some questions about my heating... i have a tort table that was a bookcase that i took the shelves out of.. the pic thats attached was b4 i made some adjustments to it.. there r pebbles that are around his water now so its easier for him to get in and out. I have a UVB light but i dont know what kind or if its strong enough. and i have a 50 watt heat bulb for him to bask under.. it usually gets around 90 to 100 degrees. the table is also set up in front of my window so that real sunlight gets in. Is this ok? do i need different lamps?

ok nevermind i dont know why it wont let me put the pic on here

 

[tortoisenerd]

What type of UVB light? Brand, type, etc. Is it a tube or Mercury Vapor Bulb? Any additional lighting? You really really need to know what type of UVB you have--this is very important! Depending on the type, you'll have to replace it every 6 months (tube), or 12 months (MVB), typical. You need to be aware of where you need to place the bulb in relation to the tort to obtain a useful amount of UVB. This varies based on the type and brand of the bulb. If it's a higher UVB output bulb like the MVB, you can actually place it too close and have too high of a UVB range (although you'd probably notice the temperature is too high), or too far away which is not enough UVB. The tube lights have a useful range as well although they do not output much heat. You need to read the literature that came with the bulb, or determine what type you have to find the literature online.

Is only the basking spot 90-100 deg, or the whole enclosure? I will assume this is the Sulcata based upon your past posts. You want a daytime temperature gradient from the 70s to 90s so the tort can thermoregulate. The temperatures should be approximated at the top of the tort's shell, although you'll probably take them at the substrate level (just add a few degrees to get the temp at the tort level for small torts).

What type of thermometer are you using?

What is your temperature gradient during the day in the enclosure? What temperature is it where your tort typically sleeps at night? Do you use heating at night? What's your ambient room temperature day and night? Some people have different opinions on night temperatures, but in the 60s or higher may be reasonable. This can vary based on time of year. You do want a night temperature drop, so the enclosure should not be as warm as daytime.

If sunlight gets to your table through the window, little or no UVB gets through the window (so don't count on the tort getting any additional UVB from this). The natural light is still good though, as Sulcatas like high light conditions as long as they still have some darker hiding spots. As long as temperatures are ok even at the sunniest time, that's ok. Just be careful that you aren't taking the temperatures at only the cloudiest times, but both the cloudy times and very sunny times to ensure the temperatures are in a good range. Some variation day to day is ok, but you still want it within a safe range at all times. Adjust heating and lighting accordingly if needed. Ideally you should have stands or fixtures that allow you to adjust the height of light and heat bulbs to adjust the temperature. Also, ideally you should be taking the temperatures in there a couple times a day until you are very sure that the temps are correct. You will have to adjust when the temperature in your house changes, such as in summer.

All these answers will be helpful for us. Thanks!

As far as posting pictures, see this post: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-1408.html

I like to use tinypic.com to upload a picture, and then just paste the image code (labeled for message boards). Then, the photo shows up directly in the thread. Tinypic doesn't require an account like Photobucket.

 

[Yvonne G]

I like to use tinypic.com to upload a picture, and then just paste the image code (labeled for message boards). Then, the photo shows up directly in the thread. Tinypic doesn't require an account like Photobucket.

Thought I'd give it a try. Photobucket requires that you keep the picture up in your account in order for it to stay in your post on the forum. Here's a picture from tinypic.com:

Its pretty easy to do, and you're correct, I didn't have to open an account.

Yvonne

 

[tortoisenerd]

Anyone know if there is a time limit where it will eventually get erased (a year or something?). Never been able to figure that out...

I actually do have a Photobucket account but I hate using it.

 

[desertsss]

I love photobucket. On photobucket my images don't get erased or deleted unless I erase or delete them from photobucket.

I would love to see your pic about your lighting. 90-100 def seems a bit warm. During the warm days in my house I even turn off their heat bulb but leave the UVB on.