Lighting

[Happy_Tortoise]

This is the UVB lamp (it's one of the best available and should last for several years without replacement when you use it 4 hours a day): https://m.coupang.com/vm/products/8038193025?itemId=22495177104&q=arcadia t5&sourceType=search&searchId=7bf48a8d11f1408a911623545fb839cd&vendorItemId=89661053906

I can't tell if the price is fair. In EU these lamps are around 90EUR.

I'll be back with a basking lamp suggestion a bit later.

For UVB do you think this one is okay?
60$ vs 250$ 😅

 

[wellington]

For UVB do you think this one is okay?
60$ vs 250$ 😅

Yes that should be fine.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

For UVB do you think this one is okay?
60$ vs 250$ 😅

I'll try to find test reports on this lamp. Some chinese lamps weren't good (too much short wavelength UV, close to dangerous UVC band, and not that much useful UVB). Also - this is only the lamp, you will need a fixture (casing and electronics) to put it in. Arcadia kit I've linked is all-in-one.

 

[Tom]

I'm sorry if I make many new threads but I am following recommendations from other members than new threads are better.

As some of you might know now I am not native English speaker. I am French.
I think my English is quite good as I lived in Ireland for about 5years. But I don't have much vocabulary on tortoise.

So all the vocabularies for Light are difficult for me to understand and I found previous posts confusing.

So on the picture I share the new enclosure I bought.
I have 2 lights (I called them heating lamps because they are lamps that make heat but I don't know how you call them) Also I am in Korea so I don't know also from the package.

Basically the lamp I have is the one bought with the tortoise so I dont have reference for it. But the staff told us to get another one in case that one dies, so I bought another one from a fish store.
Here is the new one I bought. I am not sure if it is the same style as the one I use now. But I think it is.

https://link.coupang.com/a/bDHJM0

So my questions would be can you explain to me the different lights and recommend me the lights I need

And can you give me examples of thermometers I can use (is the one for food okay? )

I thought the height of the lamp was important but it seems it is mostly the temperature that matters so I want to buy a new thermometer specific for measuring the spaces in her enclosure.

The new enclosure I have has a grill on top, so I am not sure how I can insert the lamp 😅

Thank you

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.

More here:

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

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

For UVB do you think this one is okay?
60$ vs 250$ 😅

Unfortunately, I haven't found the tests. But a good UVB lamp is really important if you can't provide natural sunlight to your tortoise (2-3 hours a week in warm weather is usually sufficient).

It's very likely, also, that this cheaper lamp won't last as long as Arcadia. So you pay less at start but pay more eventually because of more frequent lamp changes.

Here is some concerns about cheaper UVB lamps:

What we know about “bad” UVB kits | Tomaskas

tomaskas.co.uk

 

[Happy_Tortoise]

I'll try to find test reports on this lamp. Some chinese lamps weren't good (too much short wavelength UV, close to dangerous UVC band, and not that much useful UVB). Also - this is only the lamp, you will need a fixture (casing and electronics) to put it in. Arcadia kit I've linked is all-in-one.

Oh I see.
Ok I will take this into account before buying the lamp

 

[Happy_Tortoise]

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.

More here:

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

Thank you very much for the detailed answer.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Oh I see.
Ok I will take this into account before buying the lamp

Feel free to check with us before ordering. Maybe you can find Arcadia for the sane amount of money (I've sent the first suitable offer) or ZooMed Reptisun T5 HO 10.0. In some cases, Amazon international shipping can be cheaper than buying in local stores.

 

[Happy_Tortoise]

Hello,
So I watched a YouTube video about UVB lights.
(It looked like the guy knew what he was talking about)

So basically what I gathered was that the most important is the 5.0, 10.0 depending on the height of my enclosure.

I think since it is about 13inches high the 10.0 I think is good.

Secondly it seemed the only difference between bulb or tube was just that tube seems to last about 2 times longer.
(And I guess it would target a larger aera since it is longer)

But I was just wondering why people advised me the tune that strongly.
Can I just get a bulb? Even if I should change it every 6 months?
It seems easier to buy and install

How about the exo-Terra brand?

For wattage how can I decide? Does it also depend on the height?

How about the set up? Can I just buy a random standing lamp and change the bulb to the Uv bulb or does it need a special lamp?

Sorry for all the questions

 

[Happy_Tortoise]

I also found this online when researching about wattage 🤔

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello,
So I watched a YouTube video about UVB lights.
(It looked like the guy knew what he was talking about)

So basically what I gathered was that the most important is the 5.0, 10.0 depending on the height of my enclosure.

I think since it is about 13inches high the 10.0 I think is good.

Secondly it seemed the only difference between bulb or tube was just that tube seems to last about 2 times longer.
(And I guess it would target a larger aera since it is longer)

But I was just wondering why people advised me the tune that strongly.
Can I just get a bulb? Even if I should change it every 6 months?
It seems easier to buy and install

How about the exo-Terra brand?

For wattage how can I decide? Does it also depend on the height?

How about the set up? Can I just buy a random standing lamp and change the bulb to the Uv bulb or does it need a special lamp?

Sorry for all the questions

Questions are fine, don't worry!

The trouble with compact lamps (CFL) is that UV output is less predictable. For a Testudo tortoise you need UVI of 3-4. To achieve that compact lamp should be placed very close to the tortoise and at smaller distances UVI swings a lot with every inch (up to dangerous values). Also, a lamp dome significantly influences UV output (with some domes it can be 8 times higher than with others). Smaller light area makes it impossible to ensure proper UV exposition as well. I've checked two CFL bulbs I have with a metering device and didn't get reliable results from both.

If you don't mind some technical details: https://www.licht-im-terrarium.de/roehre/uvcpl?s[]=compact

5.0, 10.0, 6%, 12%, 14% - are just the proportions of UVB output to the overall lamp lamp output (which consists of UVB, UVA and visible light). 12% of a weak (low wattage) lamp output at 13 inches can give you zero useful UVB and 6% super high wattage lamp can give you dangerous UVB level at the same height. Also, as I mentioned above reflectors and domes play significant role.

The table you have linked is for the specific type of lamps called metal-hallide lamps (or sometimes HID - high-intensity discharge). These lamps have interesting characteristics as they output light spectrum very similar to natural sunlight. However I can't recommend them for a hobby terrarium (it's not very easy to tweak heat/UVB/infrared output balance).

 

[Happy_Tortoise]

Hello,

Ok so I'm thinking buying on Amazon as it seems cheaper.

I think this is the same as the one you recommended.

The thing is I think the size is 22.5inches and my box is around 25.7 inches.

Would that fit if I do some DIY?

I still dont really know how I can set up everything on my box but I will figure it out.



About the enclosure:

I put the lid on the smaller part where she sleeps at night. But I didn't put the lid on the big part because it is a grill and wouldn't stop the humidity to go out anyway. But I am wondering if I can just put the UVB set on the grid



I am sharing the picture of the enclosure I have.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello,

Ok so I'm thinking buying on Amazon as it seems cheaper.

I think this is the same as the one you recommended.

The thing is I think the size is 22.5inches and my box is around 25.7 inches.

Would that fit if I do some DIY?

I still dont really know how I can set up everything on my box but I will figure it out.



About the enclosure:

I put the lid on the smaller part where she sleeps at night. But I didn't put the lid on the big part because it is a grill and wouldn't stop the humidity to go out anyway. But I am wondering if I can just put the UVB set on the grid



I am sharing the picture of the enclosure I have.

Yes, the lamp is the right one.

This enclosure, as I remember is 13 inches high. To get safe UVB level with an Arcadia 12% UVB tube you need to place at 18-20 inches above the substrate. Mesh top will filter some UVB (up to 30%) - how much depends on mesh cell size and wire thickness. So *probably*(!) placing the tube over mesh top will work. To get more accurate result I would use a lamp stand and remove the mesh. If you plan to add a greenhouse top over the enclosure to help with humidity - then you can hang the lamp from a greenhouse frame and adjust height as needed.

 

[Happy_Tortoise]

Yes, the lamp is the right one.

This enclosure, as I remember is 13 inches high. To get safe UVB level with an Arcadia 12% UVB tube you need to place at 18-20 inches above the substrate. Mesh top will filter some UVB (up to 30%) - how much depends on mesh cell size and wire thickness. So *probably*(!) placing the tube over mesh top will work. To get more accurate result I would use a lamp stand and remove the mesh. If you plan to add a greenhouse top over the enclosure to help with humidity - then you can hang the lamp from a greenhouse frame and adjust height as needed.

Sorry but do you have an example of lamp stand for tube light?

I have never seen this before.

I will continue looking

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Sorry but do you have an example of lamp stand for tube light?

I have never seen this before.

I will continue looking

So for the t5 tube lights, the aricadia comes with its own fitting(it acts as a reflector for the uv light so less is lost) for something like a closed vivarium set up, you can get these special screw in metal clips to secure it to the roof.
However am I right in saying you currently have one of those wooden tortoise houses with the mesh wire on top? Sorry I’ve just briefly skimmed this thread.
Obviously that will need updating at some point for the size, as Alex said the mesh can diminish the uv output into the enclosure depending on wire thickness etc.. I’ve seen a few ways people have made make shift stands for these fittings, I’ll see if I can try and find a photo for you! Hang tight and I’ll see if I can find any for sale too!
I do think a greenhouse cover like Alex has mentioned would be good to look into too! Cause you can hang the fitting from the greenhouse frame🙂again I’ll see if I can find pictures to give you a better idea of what we’re talking about!

 

[Happy_Tortoise]

So for the t5 tube lights, the aricadia comes with its own fitting(it acts as a reflector for the uv light so less is lost) for something like a closed vivarium set up, you can get these special screw in metal clips to secure it to the roof.
However am I right in saying you currently have one of those wooden tortoise houses with the mesh wire on top? Sorry I’ve just briefly skimmed this thread.
Obviously that will need updating at some point for the size, as Alex said the mesh can diminish the uv output into the enclosure depending on wire thickness etc.. I’ve seen a few ways people have made make shift stands for these fittings, I’ll see if I can try and find a photo for you! Hang tight and I’ll see if I can find any for sale too!
I do think a greenhouse cover like Alex has mentioned would be good to look into too! Cause you can hang the fitting from the greenhouse frame🙂again I’ll see if I can find pictures to give you a better idea of what we’re talking about!

Thank you very much. I tried to have a look at greenhouse but couldn't find something matching the size of my enclosure (38 in x 24in x 13in)

For the light I found this on Etsy,
And not sure if it would be good.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Ok so hopefully this these can give you an idea of how to secure your uv, this is just how I’d personally do it for you current set up, there’s multiple way, some people hang them a bit different🙂
And with the fitting if I actually remember now, you can screw it straight into the wood, I think I was getting confused with how i installed our led strip with the metal clips.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Thank you very much. I tried to have a look at greenhouse but couldn't find something matching the size of my enclosure (38 in x 24in x 13in)

For the light I found this on Etsy,
And not sure if it would be good.

I did see those too, judging by the measurements you’d need the extra tall option which is a little on the pricey side in my opinion, I reckon with some timber pieces screwed together to make a frame to secure to your tortoise house, you could save yourself some money🙂

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Thank you very much. I tried to have a look at greenhouse but couldn't find something matching the size of my enclosure (38 in x 24in x 13in)

For the light I found this on Etsy,
And not sure if it would be good.

As for the greenhouse cover, maybe go for a 4 foot by 2 foot? It doesn’t matter if it’s a little bigger than the base, you can set it like this🙂

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

As for the greenhouse cover, maybe go for a 4 foot by 2 foot? It doesn’t matter if it’s a little bigger than the base, you can set it like this🙂

Just to add, id maybe pop some sort of lining under the base and cover, to save condensate dripping onto your floor/carpet if you do end up going for this🙂