Lamps for russian tortoise

[ameliastortoise]

Hi guys, so i‘m getting a russian tortoise and i’m thinking about lighting. So I know that u have to have a Uvb lighting and heating lighting but im not sure how many watts? and also are two of them enough for enclosure?(it’s 120cmx80cm)

 

[wellington]

Get a floursecent tube for uvb and a flood bulb for basking. You may need a ceramic heat emitter for added heat and for heat at night.
Check out the Russian caresheet for all the info.
A hatchling can do well in a 3x4 foot or a 4x4 foot for some time. Then as an adult it needs a minimum of a 4x8 foot.

 

[Tom]

Hi guys, so i‘m getting a russian tortoise and i’m thinking about lighting. So I know that u have to have a Uvb lighting and heating lighting but im not sure how many watts? and also are two of them enough for enclosure?(it’s 120cmx80cm)

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.
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.

 

[ameliastortoise]

Get a floursecent tube for uvb and a flood bulb for basking. You may need a ceramic heat emitter for added heat and for heat at night.
Check out the Russian caresheet for all the info.
A hatchling can do well in a 3x4 foot or a 4x4 foot for some time. Then as an adult it needs a minimum of a 4x8 foot.

thanks, when my tortoise is gonna be an adult i’m going to change its enclosure

 

[ameliastortoise]

Get a floursecent tube for uvb and a flood bulb for basking. You may need a ceramic heat emitter for added heat and for heat at night.
Check out the Russian caresheet for all the info.
A hatchling can do well in a 3x4 foot or a 4x4 foot for some time. Then as an adult it needs a minimum of a 4x8 foot.

and also do you know how long floursecent tube i should get?

 

[wellington]

Get one that covers at least half or all of the open space. Not so long that it goes over the hide or has to be too close to the basking light.