Lighting

[Celiagg]

Hi everyone!
How long should my light in my sulcata enclosure last? I have the zoo med Powersun uv bulb 100 watts in a double dome with a heat lamp . During the day I use the uv only and at night I turn it off and turn his heat lamp on. The dome is set up for 100 watts so alternating them I know isn’t overloading the lamp dome. I’ve noticed my light getting dimer but it hasn’t even been six months. He’s currently inside my home in a turtle box since he’s only 6 months. Any recommendations on any other brands to try or suggestions. Thanks

 

[wellington]

For basking use a regular flood bulb. The powersun I believe is a mercury vapor bulb and they will cause pyramiding. Add a florescent uvb bulb for added day light and uvb.
Post pics of the enclosure so we can help tweak it.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

For basking use a regular flood bulb. The powersun I believe is a mercury vapor bulb and they will cause pyramiding. Add a florescent uvb bulb for added day light and uvb.
Post pics of the enclosure so we can help tweak it.

A T5 HO linear florescent tube for UVB. Not a screw in bulb of any sort.

 

[Tom]

Hi everyone!
How long should my light in my sulcata enclosure last? I have the zoo med Powersun uv bulb 100 watts in a double dome with a heat lamp . During the day I use the uv only and at night I turn it off and turn his heat lamp on. The dome is set up for 100 watts so alternating them I know isn’t overloading the lamp dome. I’ve noticed my light getting dimer but it hasn’t even been six months. He’s currently inside my home in a turtle box since he’s only 6 months. Any recommendations on any other brands to try or suggestions. Thanks

I agree with Barb and ZP. MVBs shouldn't be used at all, but if you are going to use one, you have to use it in a regular fixture, not a deep dome. This type of bulb is notoriously unreliable.

A six month old suclata needs to be in a closed chamber. MVBs run too hot for closed chambers.

Here is more info, and there is a sulcata care sheet and also a heating and lighting breakdown at the bottom too:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

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[Celiagg]

For basking use a regular flood bulb. The powersun I believe is a mercury vapor bulb and they will cause pyramiding. Add a florescent uvb bulb for added day light and uvb.
Post pics of the enclosure so we can help tweak it.

Hello! Sorry I have been busy to come back to the thread. Would this work for my sulcata’s indoor enclosure. I would use this along with his power sun uvb light and heat lamp during the night. Or should I go with something from the pet store.

 

[wellington]

You don't want to use the powersun mercury vapor bulb. The mvb causes pyramiding. If you want to use the mvb for added heat and light raise it high enough that the tort doesn't lay under it for basking.
You want a tube florescent that has uvb, arcadia is the best ones. Then a incandescent regular flood bulb from any hardware store for basking. Then a ceramic heat emitter or two for night heat. You don't want any light on at night, should be dark.
Like Tom said, a 6 months old should be in a closed chamber and then do not use the mvb.

 

[Celiagg]

You don't want to use the powersun mercury vapor bulb. The mvb causes pyramiding. If you want to use the mvb for added heat and light raise it high enough that the tort doesn't lay under it for basking.
You want a tube florescent that has uvb, arcadia is the best ones. Then a incandescent regular flood bulb from any hardware store for basking. Then a ceramic heat emitter or two for night heat. You don't want any light on at night, should be dark.
Like Tom said, a 6 months old should be in a closed chamber and then do not use the mvb.

Ok. So I shouldn’t be using these that I currently attached to the thread? These is what I have been using. I do have him in an enclosed chamber inside the house. Stupid question what does the “M” stand for in the mvp? Is it mercury. At night I have no light only heater on.

 

[Tom]

Ok. So I shouldn’t be using these that I currently attached to the thread? These is what I have been using. I do have him in an enclosed chamber inside the house. Stupid question what does the “M” stand for in the mvp? Is it mercury. At night I have no light only heater on.

The CHE is good, but it needs to be on all the time and controlled by a thermostat. This will keep your ambient temp above 80 all the time.

The Powersun should not be used over a growing tortoise. Use an incandescent flood bulb set on a timer for day time basking. This will also raise your ambient temp during the day.

Here is a breakdown of the four heating and lighting essentials:

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. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
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.

 

[wellington]

What Tom said.
Yes the mvb is for mercury vapor bulb

 

[Celiagg]

The CHE is good, but it needs to be on all the time and controlled by a thermostat. This will keep your ambient temp above 80 all the time.

The Powersun should not be used over a growing tortoise. Use an incandescent flood bulb set on a timer for day time basking. This will also raise your ambient temp during the day.

Here is a breakdown of the four heating and lighting essentials:

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. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
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.

So is it safe to use this bulb with my heat lamp together for 12 hours during the day. Right now weather is cloudy so I’d need to also use in addition a uv bulb during the day. And at night I’d use only my heat lamp if anything my house inside and where my sulcata is kept is above 65degrees. Did I get this correct?

 

[Tom]

So is it safe to use this bulb with my heat lamp together for 12 hours during the day. Right now weather is cloudy so I’d need to also use in addition a uv bulb during the day. And at night I’d use only my heat lamp if anything my house inside and where my sulcata is kept is above 65degrees. Did I get this correct?

Those are 65 watt "replacement" bulbs. Those are LEDs. They don't give off basking heat, so they won't work for our purposes. You need an incandescent flood bulb, and those can't be bought in CA anymore. You have to get it from out of state.

Yes, you should be running a UV tube for a few hours mid day.

You also need ambient light. The LEDs you linked here would be good for that.

Your sulcata should never drop below 80 degrees, and the ambient temp should climb into the low 90s or high 80s each day.

Please read these threads:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Celiagg]

Those are 65 watt "replacement" bulbs. Those are LEDs. They don't give off basking heat, so they won't work for our purposes. You need an incandescent flood bulb, and those can't be bought in CA anymore. You have to get it from out of state.

Yes, you should be running a UV tube for a few hours mid day.

You also need ambient light. The LEDs you linked here would be good for that.

Your sulcata should never drop below 80 degrees, and the ambient temp should climb into the low 90s or high 80s each day.

Please read these threads:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Hi Tom! I’m so sorry but I’m feeling really stupid right now. As much as I’m reading your post and the thread over and over my head doesn’t wrap around it. Again I attached pictures of what I’m thinking. On the last two I know you recommend Arcadia and I’ll spend if I need to but would the other work as well. And my tubes would be used for only a few hours as a supplement for the sun is it safe to think of it that way.

 

[Tom]

Hi Tom! I’m so sorry but I’m feeling really stupid right now. As much as I’m reading your post and the thread over and over my head doesn’t wrap around it. Again I attached pictures of what I’m thinking. On the last two I know you recommend Arcadia and I’ll spend if I need to but would the other work as well. And my tubes would be used for only a few hours as a supplement for the sun is it safe to think of it that way.

Don't feel stupid. The manufacturers make this stuff so confusing and there are so many options.

1. Those are the right type of basking flood bulbs. You may need lower or higher wattage depending on what your thermometer says, but 65 watts is a good starting point. In a PVC closed chamber, sometimes the 65 watts are too much and I go to a 45. Try it and see.
2. You have pics of the ZooMed HO tubes AND the Arcadia ProT5 kit. These do the same thing. Pick one or the other. Both are good. I prefer the Arcadia, but either of them will work. These are the bulbs you use for a few hours mid day for UV.
3. Don't use the Powersun. Don't use any mercury vapor bulb.
4. The ZooMed "ceramic infrared" is a good for for maintaining the ambient temperatures. You need a thermostat to control it. I tried to do a link, but it won't work. Do a search on Amazon for "reptile thermostat". There is one from "BN Link" for about $18.
5. You still need more ambient light. Add some LED light in the 5000-6500K color range. This info will be on the package. You can use the screw in type, like what you posted previously on this thread, or you can use "strip" type under cabinet mount ones.

 

[Markw84]

Hi Tom! I’m so sorry but I’m feeling really stupid right now. As much as I’m reading your post and the thread over and over my head doesn’t wrap around it. Again I attached pictures of what I’m thinking. On the last two I know you recommend Arcadia and I’ll spend if I need to but would the other work as well. And my tubes would be used for only a few hours as a supplement for the sun is it safe to think of it that way.

The Arcadia is a much better light and I prefer it. The price you linked on Amazon is about 2x what you should pay.

Get it here:

Arcadia ProT5 UVB Kit 24"

 

[Celiagg]

The Arcadia is a much better light and I prefer it. The price you linked on Amazon is about 2x what you should pay.

Get it here:

Arcadia ProT5 UVB Kit 24"

Thank you

 

[Celiagg]

Thank you

Ok so this is what I have ended up with.

 

[Tom]

Ok so this is what I have ended up with.

That's the good stuff. If the 50 watt works, get two or three extras to have on hand. They tend to burn out at the most inconvenient times.