What is a good wattage for a heat bulb that can reach 92 degrees? Probably 1 foot from ground?
Watts for heat bulb?
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The temperature underneath, to some extent, depends on the ambient surrounding temperature around it. It's not an exact Science. 100 Watt is a good starting point. For basking it only needs to be a standard household spot lamp which is cheaper than the ones the reptile shops sell.
Why 92F? What will be basking under this lamp?
Why 92F? What will be basking under this lamp?
I thought it only could be a reptile bulb. My little redfoot will be under there
I use 65 watt regular flood bulbs. I raise or lower the fixture to get the temp right. You can achieve the temperature you are looking for with a 35 watt bulb or a 300 watt bulb depending upon the height.
Well i got this crappy 55 watt and it is terrible. It doesn't even keep me warm, so i knoe Lily will get cold. The fixture is about a foot from the bottom with a clamp lamp.
Well i got this crappy 55 watt and it is terrible. It doesn't even keep me warm, so i knoe Lily will get cold. The fixture is about a foot from the bottom with a clamp lamp.
Well i got this crappy 55 watt and it is terrible. It doesn't even keep me warm, so i knoe Lily will get cold. The fixture is about a foot from the bottom with a clamp lamp.
tupacliveson16 said:
You need to lower the fixture and possibly cover the top of the enclosure a bit. Personally, I would never trust those clamps. They always eventually fail and we just had a thread here yesterday where a guy burned up his whole apartment because of that.
They sell stands that are adjustable for mounting those, or you can hang them by the cord like I do. Professional electricians have recommended not to hang them by the cord here on this site, but I have been doing it for more than 20 years with no problems. You must choose what works for you. If hanging it by the cord makes you nervous then buy the stand. One way or another, you need to be able to adjust the height of your bulbs.
If you want an MVB it has to be a reptile bulb.tupacliveson16 said:
A basking lamp is just a heat source and any kind of bulb except a low energy (compact/coil) or tube one will do the job
I will have to buy a stand then. I nevet had problems with clamps and i have been using them for about 6 yearsTom said:
JoesMum said:
Whats financially better? Buying a MVB or A heat bulb and a UVB bulb?
There's not much difference in price. The UVB tube must be replaced every six months and an MVB lasts 9-12 months I think, but the MVB is more expensive.
JoesMum said:
Well in that case. Ill be buying a mvb then. How much Watts then?
The common MVB sizes are 100 or 160. One company also sells a 125. Every house and enclosure is different. You will have to use your thermometer and determine what works best for you.
Keep in mind that most RFs don't like bright light. For this reason many keepers use CHEs in combination with long tube style florescent UV lights. There are numerous ways to do it and each person has to try things out and make tweaks based on your tortoises behavior and your thermometer readings.
Keep in mind that most RFs don't like bright light. For this reason many keepers use CHEs in combination with long tube style florescent UV lights. There are numerous ways to do it and each person has to try things out and make tweaks based on your tortoises behavior and your thermometer readings.
Well where can I buy a CHE?
tupacliveson16 said:
Google is your friend. Type in ceramic heating element, reptile thermostat, or mercury vapor bulb.
I like LLLReptile for this sort of stuff. Tyler at tortoisesupply.com might also have these things now too. Both are members and supporters of the forum here and both are run by good guys.
I would suggest a CHE...what size is your enclosure first off?
I purchase my CHE from amazon. But buy name brand ones like zoomed. They are around $25.00....depending on your redfoots, if they like the bright light or not. Do the hide from the light? Or do they sit under the light? Mine hides, thats why i ask. You can try different types of bulbs for that. If you feed them a proper diet. They will already be getting the calcium and vitamins they need. But others will disagree with me on this. Do lots of research. You can use a MVB. The only thing i will say is do not use a coil bulb. They will damage your torts eyes. I suggest you look that up.
I purchase my CHE from amazon. But buy name brand ones like zoomed. They are around $25.00....depending on your redfoots, if they like the bright light or not. Do the hide from the light? Or do they sit under the light? Mine hides, thats why i ask. You can try different types of bulbs for that. If you feed them a proper diet. They will already be getting the calcium and vitamins they need. But others will disagree with me on this. Do lots of research. You can use a MVB. The only thing i will say is do not use a coil bulb. They will damage your torts eyes. I suggest you look that up.
I bought a Ceramic heat bulb. 150 watts! Works nice.
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I have a 150 watt and its one foot above and it gets to 93.4 degrees Fahrenheit
Nice. Mine is one foot above but reaches 106!
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Re: RE: Watts for heat bulb?
Raise it a couple of inches then. The height needed varies according to the ambient temperature around it.
tupacliveson16 said:
Raise it a couple of inches then. The height needed varies according to the ambient temperature around it.
JoesMum said:
I can't really mantel it higher.
tupacliveson16 said:
You're talking about a CHE, right? Put it on a thermostat/rheostat.
Changing the height to achieve the desired temperature is recommended for MVBs because they can not be used with rheostats.
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