Please advise (Lighting Question)

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Hey, thanks for your message! The previous owner actually gave me the boxes of all current equipment - would you mind if I sent you the pics of exactly what I’m using? Sorry just to be clear, the long light at the top I’ll keep on during the day and turn off at night and I’ve ordered a heat emitter to replace the lamp I currently have but I’ll need to order a digital thermostat to go with it? Finding everything a little overwhelming not going to lie - I think because it’s all new to me I’m trying to make sure I understand everything, lol! Once I’m in the swing of things I’ll be ok. Yes, it’s a 3ft tank at the moment. The previous owner also told me that they don’t hibernate? We have a huge grassy garden that I’m hoping they can use in summer to roam safely but I’m a little confused on mixed messages about hibernation, too! Soo much to take in but soo worth it, haha!

Alex is definitely better at the tech advice than me lol, it would certainly be better to use a separate ceramic fitting(like the one you have holding your bulb) for a CHE, I guess I just meant it could technically work, but switching them night and day would definitely not be ideal. Mount the new ceramic bulb in a separate fitting in the middle.

That tube light you have is your uvb light, the Arcadia prot5 kit is one of the best options there is! So all good therebut you can actually mount that closer to the basking bulb the one end, and put on a 4hour timer, with the uv timing, every other source of information will tell you 12hours of uv. This is essentially an old fashioned rule that has stuck with a lot of keepers, it stems from the presumption that once the basking light or ambient lighting is on, ie the ‘sun’, that uv must coexist the same amount of hours. Fact is, uv rays only peak for a few hours a day, anyone with a uv meter will confirm this. No tortoise is blasted with 12 hours of uv in the wild, therefore it’s not necessary in captivity.
The uv bulbs are much more expensive to replace once their uv strength diminishes, so it’s definitely best having it on a 4 hour timer that provides them with all the uv they need, saving your bulb life.
Then some cheaper led lighting for your ambient(this can be a simple screw in led or strip lighting) 12 hour light cycle as well as the basking light on the same 12hrs, your ceramic(if needed)will run 24/7 on a thermostat, you set the thermostat for your desired temperature and it will turn the bulb on&off as and when needed, it’ll likely stay off during the day with the basking light on, hopefully that all makes sense

I will say a 3ft viv is already too small for the size he is, but doable until you can work out an upgrade.

Russians can actually brumate(correct term for reptile hibernation) some keepers choose not to do it, some do, it’s a debatable topic, but if done correctly I think makes the most sense to do for an animal that would do it in the wild, I’m glad I don’t have a species that does it because my human emotions make me too nervous about it lolif you’d like to read more at some point, this is a good thread:

Tom's Brumation Thread

Every fall we get bombarded here on the forum with all sorts of questions and problems regarding hibernation and tortoises "slowing down" for winter. The purpose of this thread is to talk about all aspects of this subject, to dispel some of the myths and mysteries, and give a "how to" list of...

tortoiseforum.org

Take all the time you need, I know how overwhelming it can feel, we’re here to break down/ simplify any information where needed, so please re ask questions if you need to!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hey, thanks for your message! The previous owner actually gave me the boxes of all current equipment - would you mind if I sent you the pics of exactly what I’m using? Sorry just to be clear, the long light at the top I’ll keep on during the day and turn off at night and I’ve ordered a heat emitter to replace the lamp I currently have but I’ll need to order a digital thermostat to go with it? Finding everything a little overwhelming not going to lie - I think because it’s all new to me I’m trying to make sure I understand everything, lol! Once I’m in the swing of things I’ll be ok. Yes, it’s a 3ft tank at the moment. The previous owner also told me that they don’t hibernate? We have a huge grassy garden that I’m hoping they can use in summer to roam safely but I’m a little confused on mixed messages about hibernation, too! Soo much to take in but soo worth it, haha!

Yes, of course, you can send photos of the boxes (for Arcadia UVB light a photo of the inner box from out the tube is important) or labels on the bulbs/lamps.

I understand how it's hard to grasp everything in the beginning. No worries, we'll help to sort everything out.

During the daytime 4 pieces of equipment should be on (see details on this in Tom's post above):
1. Basking (heat) lamp - creates a heated area where tortoise can warm up at will to 37-38C, should be on for 12-14 hours.
2. UVB lamp - provides necessary UV radiation for vitamin D3 synthesis. 4-6 hours a day is sufficient (usually matches sunlight peak UV hours).
3. Ambient LED lamps - provide bright visible light, as indoors light level is magnitude more dim than sunlight outside. Should be on 12-14 hours a day.
4. Ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat. Maintains temperature above the threshold.

At night only ceramic heat emitter should be on.

And yes, Russian tortoises hibernate in winter and sometimes in summer (brumate and aestivate to be precise). While it's not strictly necessary, it can be beneficial for their health and hormonal cycles.