Lighting reccomendation?

[Juliesabin]

I have a large 55gal tank for my baby Sulcata I’m working on now. I plan to hang 2 18” UVB fluorescent tubes along the insides low enough to reach the tortie. I am also planning on using a CHE bulb for heat. But I’m unsure what I should get for a basking bulb? It is bad to get one with UVB also since I already have that covered? Should I get a certain watt due to the size or heat I should be needing? I see a lot of people using the Power Sun or Solar Sun (maybe that’s what they’re called?) but it seemed like a lot with all the other lights and heat sources I would be using.

 

[Tom]

I have a large 55gal tank for my baby Sulcata I’m working on now. I plan to hang 2 18” UVB fluorescent tubes along the insides low enough to reach the tortie. I am also planning on using a CHE bulb for heat. But I’m unsure what I should get for a basking bulb? It is bad to get one with UVB also since I already have that covered? Should I get a certain watt due to the size or heat I should be needing? I see a lot of people using the Power Sun or Solar Sun (maybe that’s what they’re called?) but it seemed like a lot with all the other lights and heat sources I would be using.

I use low wattage flood bulbs form the hardware store for basking.

Run your CHE on a thermostat. I like this one: https://www.lllreptile.com/products/13883-zilla-1000-watt-temperature-controller

It will be difficult to maintain heat and humidity in a small open topped enclosure like this. A 55 will only last a couple of months, so I would get a large closed chamber ASAP. It will make your life easier and your tortoises life much better.

 

[Juliesabin]

I use low wattage flood bulbs form the hardware store for basking.

Run your CHE on a thermostat. I like this one: https://www.lllreptile.com/products/13883-zilla-1000-watt-temperature-controller

It will be difficult to maintain heat and humidity in a small open topped enclosure like this. A 55 will only last a couple of months, so I would get a large closed chamber ASAP. It will make your life easier and your tortoises life much better.

I got plexi glass cut to the top to keep it closed Chambers. One side I plan on hanging the CHE and basking bulb inside to make sure they can be close enough to maintain heat and also not overheat the entire tank. And the other side will be my lid, do you know if I need to make any sort of extra holes? Or would I be fine with the small ones that will be made for all the cords?

 

[Tom]

I got plexi glass cut to the top to keep it closed Chambers. One side I plan on hanging the CHE and basking bulb inside to make sure they can be close enough to maintain heat. And the other side will be my lid, do you know if I need to make any sort of extra holes? Or would I be fine with the small ones that will be made for all the cords?

The small holes will be plenty. The lid will not seal perfectly, so there will be air exchange there too.

In something so small, you will need a really low wattage basking bulb. Try a 35 watt flood, or I found some 43 watt round bulbs that work too. You may have to use an in-line rheostat to tone it down. Its good if the whole enclosure heats up into the low 90s from the heat of the basking bulb each day.

 

[Juliesabin]

The small holes will be plenty. The lid will not seal perfectly, so there will be air exchange there too.

In something so small, you will need a really low wattage basking bulb. Try a 35 watt flood, or I found some 43 watt round bulbs that work too. You may have to use an in-line rheostat to tone it down. Its good if the whole enclosure heats up into the low 90s from the heat of the basking bulb each day.

I shouldn’t have a problem with heat, now that it’s getting warmer and I live in FL. I keep his tank in the FL room so, as hot and humid as I can keep it.
The tank is 12” x 48” and 24” high. I figure this would be good for a baby for a good while or until I can build something a bit nicer. What Dimensions would you reccomend to have? I would like to build something outside for him too, but I know it’s not good for babies to be outside all the time due to predators. When or how large do you think it is okay to move him outdoors?

 

[Tom]

I shouldn’t have a problem with heat, now that it’s getting warmer and I live in FL. I keep his tank in the FL room so, as hot and humid as I can keep it.
The tank is 12” x 48” and 24” high. I figure this would be good for a baby for a good while or until I can build something a bit nicer. What Dimensions would you reccomend to have? I would like to build something outside for him too, but I know it’s not good for babies to be outside all the time due to predators. When or how large do you think it is okay to move him outdoors?

Here is a reply I typed up yesterday for a similar question about how much space they need:
I don't think there is a firm right or wrong answer to this. If you put a 100 pound male in a 8x8' enclosure, it wouldn't drop dead, but I think most of us would agree that is much too small. Likewise, I sometimes see people recommending one acre for each adult. While that would certainly do no harm, I also think it is unrealistic and unnecessary.

Given the above, here are my personal guidelines:
I think something around 100 gallon size, or the equivalent, is good to start a hatchling. If it is a well started baby and housed in the right conditions, it will outgrow this in a few months tops. When they are this size, say under 4", I use a large kiddie pool or make a 4x8' outdoor enclosure for sunning. I like to offer about an hour of outside time in a safe enclosure with partial shade for about 1 hour per inch of tortoise about 3-4 times a week.

Once they outgrow their starter enclosure, I find it most sensible and practical to just move them into a 4x8' closed chamber for indoors and I make their outdoor enclosure ever larger. A 4x8' indoor enclosure should last them until they are about 8-10 inches and its time for them to live outside full time. No sense in building 4 or 5 enclosures. Just build or buy a 4x8' and be done with it. And there is no reason a little one can't be moved into a large 4x8 closed chamber earlier.

At 8-10" I move them outside full time and I like them to have at least 30x30' of enclosure space and a heated night box. I add humidity to the night box in my dry climate, but someone in Louisiana or FL might not need to.

By the time they reach 14-16 inches, its time to house them like a full adult and give them room to exercise. I think 50x50 is a good baseline minimum for an adult, but larger would be better. Mine have 8000 sq. ft. and they use every inch of it. Is my enclosure too small? Sometimes I think so, but I think most sulcata keepers would think its adequate. Right now I'm housing a lone 18" male in a 60x50 enclosure and he seems content with it.

What I don't have an answer for is what to do with a 10"+ growing sulcata when you live in the frozen north and they can't go live outside. This is controversial, but I have yet to see someone housing a large sulcata in a climate like this in a way that I would be comfortable with or find acceptable. They can survive a lot, but keeping a large one in a shed or basement for months at a time, is not acceptable to me and I wouldn't do it that way. You won't have that problem to consider in your climate though.