What lighting should I have

[hayd3]

I have 4 sulcata torts 2 of them about 2years old and 2 about 1 and a half. I have a large tortoise table in my bed room for them and was just wondering what the best lighting would be for them
Thanks

 

[naturalman91]

a mvb mercury vapor bulb is best source of uvb but it's also unwise to house sulcata's together they are not a friendly species to each other and almost alway's have aggression issues which can be misunderstood for being friendly towards each other the only way it normally works is if there is a higher female ration for example you'd want 3 females and one male even then there's still aggression issues tho, We've have some great info under the sulcata section of this forum

 

[JoesMum]

4 Sulcatas in an indoor enclosure in a bedroom is a recipe for trouble. They will not last long in there. How big is their enclosure and how big are these tortoises? They grow fast and needs LOTS of space... outdoors.

They will soon need a big ourdoor enclosure with lots of sight barriers so that they can get out of each others way to minimise bullying problems. They don't want or need company and the jostling for territory can result in the subordinate tortoises getting sick... or worse.

I agree that you need MVB to provide basking and UVB indoors, but suggest you post a picture of your enclosure as that will give us a better idea of what you need.

 

[Tom]

This depends on where you are and what your routine is. Are you in a warm climate? Do they have a large outdoor enclosure for sunning, exercise and grazing? If yes, then a simple incandescent flood bulb will work. I like to use 65 watt ones and raise or lower the fixture to get the right basking temp. You can then use a 48" florescent tube if you need to brighten up the rest of the enclosure. Use a florescent in the 5000-6500K range to more closely simulate "natural" light. They don't need indoor UV if you can get them out for some sunshine a couple of times a week.