New horsefield tortoise

[Chrisjc]

Oh I see thanks for your help I’ve got the uvb light on for 12 hours a day the same as basking lamp.. what hours should I run the uvb light for ? … I’m not sure I need night heating as with everything off the viv is still 19degrees in the morning as my home is quite warm

Thanks for all your help

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Oh I see thanks for your help I’ve got the uvb light on for 12 hours a day the same as basking lamp.. what hours should I run the uvb light for ? … I’m not sure I need night heating as with everything off the viv is still 19degrees in the morning as my home is quite warm

Thanks for all your help

3-4 hours a day (around noon) for a UVB lamp. Basking lamp and ambient light should be on for 14 hours (this way you try trick the tortoise, that there are long summer days outside).

Your target temperature is 23-24C at night. Baby tortoises are less tolerable to cold and low temperatures trigger "pre-brumation" behaviour.

 

[Tom]

Oh I see thanks for your help I’ve got the uvb light on for 12 hours a day the same as basking lamp.. what hours should I run the uvb light for ? … I’m not sure I need night heating as with everything off the viv is still 19degrees in the morning as my home is quite warm

Thanks for all your help

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]

Hello!

There is definitely some confusion )
1. Mercury vapour bulb should *not* be used for tortoise basking spots.

2. Your T5 tube lamp is a fine source of UVB, you don't need another one. It should be on for 3-4 hours a day.

3. You need a basking spot lamp: simple incandescent bulb, preferably flood type. *Not* halogen, MVB, metal hallide, intense, spotlight, red, blue and so. Since incandescent lamp were mostly wiped out from the shops, you have to look in the pet stores. Look for something like Arcadia Solar Basking Floodlight. Basking lamp is on for 14 hours a day.

4. You need a ceramic heat emitter (CHE, looks like a snail with a lamp screw on the side) for night heating. It doesn't emit light and provide ambient heat in the enclosure. It must be put on a thermostat.

5. You need ambient light in the enclosure ("under cabinet LED strip" is a nice fit, look for them on Amazon or hardware stores, you need "cold daylight", 6000-6500K). It should be run 14 hours a day.

You can check your shopping basket with us before buying anything.

Read number 3. For a newbie to read, that's confusing. Not suppose to use a spot lamp, yet you say spot lamp and then you say not to use spot lamp.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Read number 3. For a newbie to read, that's confusing. Not suppose to use a spot lamp, yet you say spot lamp and then you say not to use spot lamp.

Yes, I agree, that's confusing that a lamp for a basking spot should not be a spot light. Perhaps I should stick with just a "basking lamp" in future.

 

[Tom]

Yes, I agree, that's confusing that a lamp for a basking spot should not be a spot light. Perhaps I should stick with just a "basking lamp" in future.

I stoped using the term "spot" entirely. Now I say "basking area", or "flood bulb".

 

[Chrisjc]

All very contradictory and confusing to be honest … think best just to take advice from breeder as they’re are to many opinions from different people on here

 

[wellington]

All very contradictory and confusing to be honest … think best just to take advice from breeder as they’re are to many opinions from different people on here

If you aren't careful, you will be doing everything wrong. Most breeders don't do it right. They do things the old fashioned way which is wrong. Not confusing if you stick to this forum and listen to the long time experienced. Also be sure you are reading and following what actually pertains to your species.

 

[lymcBoris]

All very contradictory and confusing to be honest … think best just to take advice from breeder as they’re are to many opinions from different people on here

Hi there! I see you are from Scotland and have a Russian tortoise. Me too. Just to say that I order my basking "flood " bulbs from Ebay. 60 W incandescent filament bulbs. The link is below.
I joined this forum 5 years ago and it is an absolute godsend for the best and only correct care and advice. Sometimes it feels like people are quite direct and possibly rude in their responses but believe me they are experts.

40w 60w 100w 150w Clear GLS Light Bulbs BC Push In B22 ES Screw In E27 Cheap!! | eBay

BC - Bayonet Cap - B22 - Push In OR ES - Screw In - E27. 40w, 60w, 75w, 100w, 150w or 200w. Select Quantity Of Bulbs Getting Harder To Get Hold Of These Type Of Bulbs.

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