Tortoise lighting
- Thread starter Gabbie113
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In that case, something's wrong.
What do you mean by night bulb? Are you referring to a ceramic heat emitter? Or a red bulb?
In any case, that's a lot of bulbs! Are they being sprayed while turned on when the substrate is being wetted? Do they just go out, or any singed place or hot smell to them? Are they being screwed solidly into the socket, but not over-tightened?
I'm going to ask for some help for this.
@Markw84
@Tom
First of all, that is not a good bulb to use over a tortoise. What type of tortoise and how old are you using this bulb for? A "spot" bulb focuses too much heat in a small area. Flood bulbs are definitely preferred.
One of the biggest mistakes I see folks making with bulbs burning out early is they are using a deep, small dome for the bulb. Those deep domes trap too much heat and the bulb overheats. This is one of the most common reasons for bulbs burning out too soon/quickly.
A picture of the fixture would be helpful in helping you.
One of the biggest mistakes I see folks making with bulbs burning out early is they are using a deep, small dome for the bulb. Those deep domes trap too much heat and the bulb overheats. This is one of the most common reasons for bulbs burning out too soon/quickly.
A picture of the fixture would be helpful in helping you.
Yes, those are the deep dome fixtures that Mark was warning against.
No, the breaker doesn’t blow. The light bulb just goes out. It doesn’t smell like a burning smell and it doesn’t have any burnt spot on the bulb. I do screw the bulbs in all the way. I have three different thermometers in the enclosure. Two always say around 80-90 degrees F. Then I have the probe thermometer thing that says it’s 100-105 in the basking area. My sulcata tortoise likes to always be under the heat, he rarely goes to the cool areas. He goes for his food and water.
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Do you have pictures of what I should be using? What are they called?
Those are the narrow, deep domes that blow bulbs quickly. That is most likely your problem. But that type of bulb is not best for a young sulcata. I use 65 watt incandescent flood bulbs. I use a fixture that is not as deep or narrow as those deep domes. I like the Arcadia aluminum domes as they seem to dissipate heat well and are not as deep. You can also use a simple Brooder Dome fixture from the feed store or Home depot that is used for heating baby chicks. they are about 11" wide and are not deep at all.
It looks like you have a T8 UVB fluorescent fixture there. IF so, that is mounted too high to give useful UVB at tortoise level.
You will also find an open topped tub like that will be way too dry for your young sulcata and it will start to pyramid quickly if not already.
Have you read the most current, up to date info on correctly raising a sulcata? Please read this through and come back with any questions:
www.tortoiseforum.org
It looks like you have a T8 UVB fluorescent fixture there. IF so, that is mounted too high to give useful UVB at tortoise level.
You will also find an open topped tub like that will be way too dry for your young sulcata and it will start to pyramid quickly if not already.
Have you read the most current, up to date info on correctly raising a sulcata? Please read this through and come back with any questions:
The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise
I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...
www.tortoiseforum.org
Those are the narrow, deep domes that blow bulbs quickly. That is most likely your problem. But that type of bulb is not best for a young sulcata. I use 65 watt incandescent flood bulbs. I use a fixture that is not as deep or narrow as those deep domes. I like the Arcadia aluminum domes as they seem to dissipate heat well and are not as deep. You can also use a simple Brooder Dome fixture from the feed store or Home depot that is used for heating baby chicks. they are about 11" wide and are not deep at all.
It looks like you have a T8 UVB fluorescent fixture there. IF so, that is mounted too high to give useful UVB at tortoise level.
You will also find an open topped tub like that will be way too dry for your young sulcata and it will start to pyramid quickly if not already.
Have you read the most current, up to date info on correctly raising a sulcata? Please read this through and come back with any questions:
The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise
I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...
Thank you so much. And yes I lowered his UVB lower the other day. In that picture it was too high, the picture is a little old. He does have some pyramiding. I mist his enclosure multiple times a day. I soak him every other day for 10-30 minutes. I’m working on finding a way to cover his enclosure more so it will keep in more humidity. His substrate is a mix of the coconut fiber and forest floor. I don’t like the forest floor substrate, he tries to eat it and its really dry. I was only putting in the coconut fiber substrate at first but I had some left over forest floor so I mixed it in there. I’ll be switching back to just coconut fiber soon.
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With all of the other possibilities aside.
Incandescent light bulbs often "go out" if they are bumped or moved when they are hot.
The metal strand that gives off the light is very fragile during this time.
It's only somewhat annoying if it's a $1 household incandescent. But pretty bad when you paid $10 or more because the box had a picture of a reptile on it.
Incandescent light bulbs often "go out" if they are bumped or moved when they are hot.
The metal strand that gives off the light is very fragile during this time.
It's only somewhat annoying if it's a $1 household incandescent. But pretty bad when you paid $10 or more because the box had a picture of a reptile on it.
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When you mist his enclosure, are you hitting the bulbs with water while they are turned on? If the hot bulb gets doused with cold water, it will break the bulb.
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