need help with lighting?

pjj

New Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2015
Messages
6
Location (City and/or State)
Southern Maine
I like the combo of a T5 fluorescent tube along with a lower wattage (65 watts) incandescent for a basking area. The heat from the incandescent needs to be as close as practical to the UVB. That is what will encourage basking. I then like a longer T5 fluorescent for ambient lighting to get a nice bright enclosure. YOu can then limit the UVB to just 5 hrs midday or so with the incandescent and ambient fluorescent on all 14 hrs daily. That really gives a nice midday bright light and as a side benefit really increases the life of your UVB tube.

34" or 46" T5 fluorescent 6000K or full spectrum grow light for ambient light.
18" or 24" T5 UVB 12.0 for midday UVB
65 watt incandescent flood for basking heat and longer wavelength (redder colors) light.

Put the ambient fluorescent and incandescent on a timer for 14 hrs a day.
Put the UVB on another time for 5 hours midday.

I am in their process off modernizing and updating my lighting for my Russian and Redfoot babies.
I like the combo of a T5 fluorescent tube along with a lower wattage (65 watts) incandescent for a basking area. The heat from the incandescent needs to be as close as practical to the UVB. That is what will encourage basking. I then like a longer T5 fluorescent for ambient lighting to get a nice bright enclosure. YOu can then limit the UVB to just 5 hrs midday or so with the incandescent and ambient fluorescent on all 14 hrs daily. That really gives a nice midday bright light and as a side benefit really increases the life of your UVB tube.

34" or 46" T5 fluorescent 6000K or full spectrum grow light for ambient light.
18" or 24" T5 UVB 12.0 for midday UVB
65 watt incandescent flood for basking heat and longer wavelength (redder colors) light.

Put the ambient fluorescent and incandescent on a timer for 14 hrs a day.
Put the UVB on another time for 5 hours midday.

I am in the process of upgrading the lighting for my Russian and Redfoot baby's enclosures. Currently , I'm using merc. vapor bulbs and heat lamps for UVB/ warmth. I want to switch to fluorescent uvb bulbs. Finding proper lighting options in Maine is challenging. Buying online is risky--I've had bad luck with lots off breakage leading to wasted money and challenging returns. The above lighting combo sounds terrific ! Can I substitute any "pet" products (ei, the light hood) for ones found in the hardware store? I have one pet store that carries very few reptile products, but there are many hardware stores and growing supply stores in my area.
 

Markw84

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
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Jan 17, 2012
Messages
5,045
Location (City and/or State)
Sacramento, CA (Central Valley)
I am in their process off modernizing and updating my lighting for my Russian and Redfoot babies.


I am in the process of upgrading the lighting for my Russian and Redfoot baby's enclosures. Currently , I'm using merc. vapor bulbs and heat lamps for UVB/ warmth. I want to switch to fluorescent uvb bulbs. Finding proper lighting options in Maine is challenging. Buying online is risky--I've had bad luck with lots off breakage leading to wasted money and challenging returns. The above lighting combo sounds terrific ! Can I substitute any "pet" products (ei, the light hood) for ones found in the hardware store? I have one pet store that carries very few reptile products, but there are many hardware stores and growing supply stores in my area.
I buy all my UVB supplies from lightyourreptiles.com. I personally do not like to use hardware store fixtures for a UVB tube. The quality of the fixture, its reflector and most importantly its ballast greatly affects the performance of the bulb and the life of the bulb. For ambient lighting, I will use cheaper fixtures, but even then go towards a good grow light fixture and bulb since I am a believer in the value of lots of natural plant cover in an enclosure.
 

pjj

New Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2015
Messages
6
Location (City and/or State)
Southern Maine
I buy all my UVB supplies from lightyourreptiles.com. I personally do not like to use hardware store fixtures for a UVB tube. The quality of the fixture, its reflector and most importantly its ballast greatly affects the performance of the bulb and the life of the bulb. For ambient lighting, I will use cheaper fixtures, but even then go towards a good grow light fixture and bulb since I am a believer in the value of lots of natural plant cover in an enclosure.
I really appreciate your input. Your advice makes great sense. I will continue to pursue reptile quality lights and fixtures. My shell babies deserve the best life I can provide . Goodness knows, they already eat better than I do. Their lighting should be just as good.
 

-ryan-

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2009
Messages
305
I always recommended to people who purchased my hatchlings the zoomed 10.0 fluorescent strip lights, but I haven't used UVB for my Russian breeders or hatchlings in probably about 12 years. The recommendation was always based on the premise that the average person might fail to offer a nutritionally sound diet, or not provide an adequately hot basking area, both of which I found to be key to working with the species, but at the time I didn't want to recommend anything higher potency because it felt like the technology was changing rapidly and some of the products were still very new.

I don't currently use UVB bulbs in my habitats, and going this long raising so many Russian tortoises from the egg to full blown adults (current record holder is a 2008 baby who is a touch north of 4lb's and I suspect could hit 5lb's. Shame I'm not interested in breeding them anymore!), I am tempted not to make any changes, but I am also curious to try UVB again and see if there are any behavioral changes in my torts. A cursory glance tells me that pricing is getting a little more reasonable for many of the available products, and since I've downsized considerably over the years it might not be quite as costly to outfit.

That lightyourreptiles.com seems like a great resource.
 

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