Lighting for herman's

[Bow]

It getting down in days (only 11) till I get my hermann's tortoise. The one thing I haven't found an answer for is what wattage of ceramic coil heater would be best to heat my 2' by 3' table, it's also 12" in height. I thought a Repti Glo 10.0 for UVB would be okay. I was planning on doing both lights together in a double domed light fixture. But now I'm worried I'll be doing something wrong :/ I just want to do right by my tortoise. Any help/opinions are welcome! Even criticism, I'm not picky lol.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Hmmm...2' X 3' X '1 is a bit tiny, but it'll depend on the room your enclosure is in and it's overall ambient temperature...I'd start with 75 watts. Place a hide close and another at the other end of the enclosure, as this way he/she'll be able to choose where it feels best to nap...he/she may pick the same spot very time, or he/she may choose different hides during the course of the day.

Get a thermometer and measure how hot it gets under the heater, on the ground and a few inches above the substrata.

You'll also want to get a flat rock for your new buddy's basking spot, w/ the light/heater set to get to about 95F, on one end of the enclosure, so that the other end can be about 75F...thus he/she can figure out for him/herself where he/she wants to be, and he/she'll likely tend to wander around the enclosure throughout the awake periods of the day.

Hope this is of some help.

 

[Bow]

Thanks, that's very helpful. The tortoise table has one corner of solid wood that's a shelter and I'm planning on getting a good number of hidey holes for him. I'm getting a bigger one once I have more space.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Thanks, that's very helpful. The tortoise table has one corner of solid wood that's a shelter and I'm planning on getting a good number of hidey holes for him. I'm getting a bigger one once I have more space.

OK, but I'd start w/ testing the temprature in your enclosure...you want to make sure that your new little buddy is warm enough to be healthy, but not too warm...once that is taken care of, the hidey holes can be made of a number of things.

Also, start thinking of an outdoor enclosure, once it gets warm enough outside, so he/she can get the healthier rays of the sun...no artificial light can ever be as beneficial!

Plus, you can give him/her more room, which'll, together, be condusive to growing healthily.

 

[Bow]

The temperature is the first thing I'm doing. I'm getting hidey holes for him when I go pick him up because I'm driving through Vancouver, and there's a pet store I really like that does a lot of tortoise stuff. (I just talk about them first because their more interesting then lighting systems) As for outside time... It's mighty cold here in Canada for a long while yet. I have a few big pens that I'm going to modify once it's warm enough. What do I do if the 75 watt ceramic heater is too warm? Is there a specific temperature range that is best?

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

The temperature is the first thing I'm doing. I'm getting hidey holes for him when I go pick him up because I'm driving through Vancouver, and there's a pet store I really like that does a lot of tortoise stuff. (I just talk about them first because their more interesting then lighting systems) As for outside time... It's mighty cold here in Canada for a long while yet. I have a few big pens that I'm going to modify once it's warm enough. What do I do if the 75 watt ceramic heater is too warm? Is there a specific temperature range that is best?

If 75w is too warm, raise it up a few inches at a time, until you can get one end around 90-95F and the other around 75F (if you do Centigrade, you're on your own in translating those numbers... )

 

[Bow]

Okydoke. I'll try it out. Thanks!

 

[Tom]

It getting down in days (only 11) till I get my hermann's tortoise. The one thing I haven't found an answer for is what wattage of ceramic coil heater would be best to heat my 2' by 3' table, it's also 12" in height. I thought a Repti Glo 10.0 for UVB would be okay. I was planning on doing both lights together in a double domed light fixture. But now I'm worried I'll be doing something wrong :/ I just want to do right by my tortoise. Any help/opinions are welcome! Even criticism, I'm not picky lol.

The wattage you'll need on your CHE depends on several factors. I would just use the 100 and set it up on a thermostat to get your temps where you want them. I like a CHE kind of over the middle of the enclosure, but a little toward the warm side. Then I set up my basking light on a 12 hour timer on one end. I don't like the double domes because you may need to raise or lower your fixtures to get your temps right. Your CHE and your basking bulb will most likely need to be at different heights.

If the 10.0 bulb is the coil type, I recommend against them. They can damage tortoise eyes. If its the long tube type, they are safe, but I find them insufficient for UV purposes. Great for lighting up the cage though.

 

[Bow]

The wattage you'll need on your CHE depends on several factors. I would just use the 100 and set it up on a thermostat to get your temps where you want them. I like a CHE kind of over the middle of the enclosure, but a little toward the warm side. Then I set up my basking light on a 12 hour timer on one end. I don't like the double domes because you may need to raise or lower your fixtures to get your temps right. Your CHE and your basking bulb will most likely need to be at different heights.

If the 10.0 bulb is the coil type, I recommend against them. They can damage tortoise eyes. If its the long tube type, they are safe, but I find them insufficient for UV purposes. Great for lighting up the cage though.

What UVB would you recommend? I'm thinking I'll just be mean to my pet store and keep returning bulbs until I get the right ceramic heat emitter, I'm a good enough customer that they can't complain THAT much...

 

[Tom]

Nothing but the real sun beats a mercury vapor bulb. It also gives you heat, light and UV all in one bulb. ZooMed's Powersun is a good one.

 

[Bow]

Can I use it Instead of a CHE? Do hermann's need heat at night if the house stays above 60 degrees celcius?