New closed chamber enclosure! Help with fluroescent uvb light

[Autiwara]

My mom asked a good friend of hers if he could help us build the enclosure I drew for my red foot tortoise and he worked on it with a friend of his on their spare time and they REALLY pulled through!! Originally my sister and I would build it... imagine how that would turn out with no experience in woodworking ? Now I’m trying to figure out lighting! I just bought two reflectors and like this light thing that you screw on both sides of the fluorescent light so you don’t need a fixture, but I’m not sure if it’s best to fix them with the wooden beams or across the wooden beams? Does it matter? The enclosure is 90x100x60

 

[DJ Kirk]

Very nice construction
However, I don't know if that's big enough for a RF adult.
It looks really small - kind of like a side table.
Mine is barely big enough IMHO at 25 sq ft at 98"Lx36"Wx22"H (or 250cmLx90cmWx60cmH)
When you say 90x100x60 do you mean inches because your pics don't look it, looks like cm

 

[ZEROPILOT]

The type of UVB bulbs that screw in should be avoided.
Do not buy them.
Use one of these and you wont need any other light or UVB source. Just heat.

 

[Autiwara]

Very nice construction
However, I don't know if that's big enough for a RF adult.
It looks really small - kind of like a side table.
Mine is barely big enough IMHO at 25 sq ft at 98"Lx36"Wx22"H (or 250cmLx90cmWx60cmH)
When you say 90x100x60 do you mean inches because your pics don't look it, looks like cm

Ah it’s in cm! I forgot to mention my red foot is not an adult, he is around 200g at the moment and fits into my palm!

 

[Autiwara]

The type of UVB bulbs that screw in should be avoided.
Do not buy them.
Use one of these and you wont need any other light or UVB source. Just heat.

What’s bad about those bulbs?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

What’s bad about those bulbs?

When you get a chance, do a search of CFL Compact Florescent Coil lights.
We have dozens if not hundreds of cases of those lights harming tortoises eyes. Some became blind.
It's the way that they broadcast UV light in a small area. Too much in one spot. Then hardly any at all elsewhere.
Most Pet shops sell these.
They should be avoided.

 

[Autiwara]

When you get a chance, do a search of CFL Compact Florescent Coil lights.
We have dozens if not hundreds of cases of those lights harming tortoises eyes. Some became blind.
It's the way that they broadcast UV light in a small area. Too much in one spot. Then hardly any at all elsewhere.
Most Pet shops sell these.
They should be avoided.

Oh yeah I’m very aware of those! What I meant is this light unit for two exo terra linear lights in place of a fixture!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I've actually never seen one of those before.
Is it a UVB light?
Its certainly not a CFL

 

[Autiwara]

I've actually never seen one of those before.
Is it a UVB light?
Its certainly not a CFL

It's like a unit you connect to both sides of a linear UVB light and use just like a normal light on/off cord, so I can connect them to the linear UVB light, fasten the lights to my reflectors and treat the reflectors as my fixture. I hadn't heard of it either until the guy at the pet store pulled it out and told me it was cheaper than having to buy two fixtures with reflectors (which they didn't sell anymore either) and that it also looked nicer, I don't usually trust what pet stores tell me but I hope he's right :')

 

[DJ Kirk]

What’s bad about those bulbs?

The UV rays are like laser beams to a tort from those coiled bulbs. The strip style diffuse the UV better.

 

[DJ Kirk]

I have a larger indoor enclosure and use two 18" fluorescent bulbs (5.0UVB)
For me this is perfect for my RF as it really mimics what it would get in the wild. No basking spot! But intermittent UV through the forest canopy.
I saved by purchasing some cheaper GE fixtures that are used undermounting in kitchens and removing the plastic cover and spraying some reflective paint on the inner side to better diffuse the UV.

 

[Yvonne G]

Very nice construction
However, I don't know if that's big enough for a RF adult.
It looks really small - kind of like a side table.
Mine is barely big enough IMHO at 25 sq ft at 98"Lx36"Wx22"H (or 250cmLx90cmWx60cmH)
When you say 90x100x60 do you mean inches because your pics don't look it, looks like cm

I agree. Way too small for a full grown RF tortoise. To put it in inches, 90x100x60 would be 3'x3.25'x2'. It should be more like 4'x8'x2.5' or there-abouts.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I have a larger indoor enclosure and use two 18" fluorescent bulbs (5.0UVB)
For me this is perfect for my RF as it really mimics what it would get in the wild. No basking spot! But intermittent UV through the forest canopy.
I saved by purchasing some cheaper GE fixtures that are used undermounting in kitchens and removing the plastic cover and spraying some reflective paint on the inner side to better diffuse the UV.

I've used those for many years. Those are the T8 type.
They can be effective for Redfoot but must be no more than 8" away from the animal for any real UVB exposure.
Luckily the need for UVB doesn't seem to be as critical with Redfoot fed a decent diet.
In fact, I used T8 for all of my indoors tortoises, turtles and lizards until recently.
Now I recommend the type T5 strip florescent fixtures for most applications.
They transmit UVB further and in a wider, more useable area.

 

[Autiwara]

The UV rays are like laser beams to a tort from those coiled bulbs. The strip style diffuse the UV better.

Yeah I know, I thought they were refering to fluorescent uvb bulbs at first, just misunderstanding!

 

[Autiwara]

I agree. Way too small for a full grown RF tortoise. To put it in inches, 90x100x60 would be 3'x3.25'x2'. It should be more like 4'x8'x2.5' or there-abouts.

He isn’t fullgrown, only 200g, fits in the palm of my hand!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Yeah I know, I thought they were refering to fluorescent uvb bulbs at first, just misunderstanding!

When it comes to UVB:
Bulbs bad.
Tubes good.
These are the no good kind

 

[ZEROPILOT]

These are the good kind

 

[ZEROPILOT]

These are also not so swift.....