Lighting for Greek tortoise?

[theboardwalkbody]

I'm getting a baby Greek soon and just wanted to double check the lighting for him BEFORE I got him so that I know I've got all the right things. He's going to be indoors most of the time since winter is coming and then when he gets big enough I will be able to take him outside for a bit on days when school/work allow me the time.

Currently I have an EXO-TERRA 100W Intense Basking Spot and an EXO-TERRA 13W Reptile UVB 150. Both are in domes (a Zoo-Med dual dome) and about 13-14" above the substrate. I read somewhere, however, that the UVBs that are sprial bulbs are bad for torts? If that's the case I'm just wondering what the cheapest alternative option is. I've seen bulbs that aren't spiral but they're all 50+ dollars?! Is that as cheap as they get?

Also, night bulbs? I was told that so long as temps don't get below the 60's indoors (which they wont) then a night red(?) bulb isn't necessary.

Should both the heat and UVB be kept together in the dual dome on one end of the enclosure so that the other end stays cooler? And should the hide be on the warmer side or the cooler side? Or perhaps one on both ends? I've got the water dish on the warmer side currently because I figure he's gonna get thirstier where it's warmer and all. Is that right?

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Please ditch the UVB. Tom wrote the link in my signature, please read it! You can get an MVB (heat+UVB) or a tube UVB. With a tube light you'd also need something 'house' it in. Or, for a bit, your tort can go outside for a few hours a day. Tortoises only need a few hours of UVB a week to 'survive'.
The water will heat up under the basking area, and that'll make for a toasty tort!
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/greek-tortoise-testudo-graeca-care-sheet-overview.87146/ Nice care sheet for you

 

[theboardwalkbody]

Thanks! And of course I don't mean to keep the water under the light! lol I'll move it over to the cooler side of the enclosure then.
So getting this: "Exo Terra Solar-Glo High Intensity Self-Ballasted Uv/Heat Mercury Vapor Lamp" from Amazon would be good for both heat AND UV, no other bulbs needed? I have a 'mini combo deep dome dual lamp fixture' - it says its a 2 x 5.5 inch. Also not to use ceramic heating bulbs. Am I able to use a MVB with this?

 

[theboardwalkbody]

Actually I just looked, my current dome can only handle 100w in each socket. So I suppose a 125/160w MVB won't work. Problem is I've been looking for domes that can fit the size of the lamp (5.6 inches) AND handle the wattage and apparently no such dome exists as they all max at about 100w. So do you know which domes are compatible with this bulb?

Also - what can I do with the bulbs and dome I already have? I bought them months ago but never used them (financial problems held me back from getting the tort then) so it's too late to return them. Problem is they're brand new and I'd hate to just throw them out. D:

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Well, you could use the heat and just get a tube UVB... I always like having extra bulbs laying around in case something blows up or goes out
They make light fixtures for 200w+... you can buy them at hardware stores

 

[theboardwalkbody]

How about this? It's a compact/mini UVB. The box my dome fixture came in says that this is compatible with the lamp. I just want to be sure since it also says "fluorescent" and I'm not sure if that's good or bad. I'm sorry for asking so many questions, but I do want to make sure I have the right types of lighting for my baby so that he's healthy and safe.

 

[leigti]

How about this? It's a compact/mini UVB. The box my dome fixture came in says that this is compatible with the lamp. I just want to be sure since it also says "fluorescent" and I'm not sure if that's good or bad. I'm sorry for asking so many questions, but I do want to make sure I have the right types of lighting for my baby so that he's healthy and safe.

That is still considered a coil bulb so I would not use it, especially with a baby. you can use the mercury vapor bulb with a 10 inch dome from the hardware store. Look in the Greek tortoise section of the forum for what they say the night temps should be for a baby, I am not familiar with caring for a tiny one.I have heard you can do several things for night heat, possibly a blue bulb and I know some people use a red bulb but there are varying opinions on the colored bulbs so do a little more research. Sorry I can't be of more help. Good luck with your new little baby

 

[THBfriend]

You should carefully read this thread and this thread about this topic and draw your own conclusions / do your own research.

I don't see an immediate reason why you should "ditch" your Exo Terra Reptile UVB150. I wouldn't use it in a reflector dome, though, because that can have a focusing effect and multiply the intensity. The ZooMed lamp you showed above is not a "coil", but it is a CFL as well.

Exo Terra provides some information about the lamps on their website. The graphics are tiny, but at least there's a PDF infosheet where you can zoom in. For your convenience.
The UVB150 is their medium strength lamp. Exo Terra has this star rating system which I wouldn't trust too much. They have four stars for mediterranean tortoises there, which would mean a distance of only 4 inches / 10 cm to the UVB lamp!?
According to the chart, that would yield a UVB radiation intensity of 115 µW/cm². Sunlight might very well be above 300 µW/cm² UVB at noon in the habitat of Greek tortoises (got this value from Turkey). However, young tortoises in particular are often hidden in shade, below plants etc. and generally receive a much lower dose, well below 100 µW/cm². I know a guy who measured UVB intensities at resting Greek tortoises in the wild, with a Solarmeter 6.2 (pricey, but a good thing to have) and got values around 25 µW/cm². Which would mean a distance of 12" / 30 cm for that lamp - more reasonable, also probably enough to dissipate any UVC that might leak.

Lighting is complicated, unfortunately. There is no perfect solution. Fluorescent tubes aren't superior to compact fluorescents. All of them have drawbacks, as do MVBs.

And yes, night bulbs are unnecessary if temperature doesn't drop below 60°F at night.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

There is never such a thing as too many questions!