What type of lighting does a tortoise need?

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~Amanda~

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Hi! :tort:

I am new to the reptile world and am currently in the process of researching. I want to make sure I am well prepared before I welcome a new addition to my family. :) After some investigation, I have decided that a Russian Tortoise is definitely the right tortoise for me.

While I feel pretty confident that I understand what kind of habitat and food an RT needs, I just can't seem to grasp the lighting situation. If I am correct, a tortoise needs two lights: A UV light (which provides vitamins in the absence of a sun) and a heat lamp for them to bask in. {Jump in and correct me if I'm wrong}

Seems simple enough, however when I go to the pet store I am so confused by all of the different brands and labels. It seems that every light is a different strength/wattage/voltage and I am just looking for some guidance so I know what to pick out for my future RT :)

Thank you guys so much! :D
 

Edna

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Powersun lamps provide UVB and heat, and come in 100 watt or 160 watt. I'm using the 100s because the 160 put out more heat than I needed. If you need or want night-time heat without light, you can add a ceramic heat emitter (CHE), also in 100 watts.

Lllreptile.com is my source for lamps and fixtures, though I believe tortoisesupply.com has them too.
 

Tom

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If your tortoise will be getting outside for regular sunshine (it really really should), then you can use a regular flood bulb from the hardware store. Get the wattage you need to get the temperature you want. A 65 watt bulb should be sufficient if you raise or lower the fixture to get the right temp. If your tortoise will NOT be getting regular sun, you can use the bulb that Edna suggested (my favorite), or you can use the regular flood and a florescent tube UV bulb. Do not let the pet store talk you into a coil type UV bulb. Those can damage their eyes.
 

~Amanda~

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Tom said:
If your tortoise will be getting outside for regular sunshine (it really really should), then you can use a regular flood bulb from the hardware store.
I live in NJ where it gets quite cold in the winter and late fall months. However, during the spring, summer, and early fall my tortoise can definitely be out there the majority of the time.

Get the wattage you need to get the temperature you want. A 65 watt bulb should be sufficient if you raise or lower the fixture to get the right temp. If your tortoise will NOT be getting regular sun, you can use the bulb that Edna suggested (my favorite), or you can use the regular flood and a florescent tube UV bulb.
If I use two separate lamps does it matter where they are in the enclosure? Like should they be on opposite sides or something? And the bulb that Edna is talking about is a single lamp that does both, correct?

Do not let the pet store talk you into a coil type UV bulb. Those can damage their eyes.
Thanks for the warning! Good to know!


Thank you so much for the help and patience so far! Hope I'm not frustrating to teach. :)
 

Tortus

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I like the zoo med lamp stands so you can raise or lower the light as needed. I doubt you could use that in a closed chamber...mine's half closed during the day with a humidifier and fully closed at night with a heat mat.

Amazon generally has the best deals on lights and fixtures. The reviews are a plus also.
 

tickle

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Hey Amanda I'm from Neptune Nj were are you from.I would get the 100watt mvb and ceramics.what kind of tortoise are you liking for.bill Curtis has a nice Russian hatchling for 100$ and that's a great price and great tort for are seasons.next week will be in the upper 40 degrees sp u can ship him then it would be 158$ all together with shipping and that is asteal for a Russian hatchling mines commingled today.great begginer tort.petsmart sells the small tables and lighting all perfect for a hatchling Russian do youreself a favorite and go smart this is a tort than can handle cold weather stays small has one of the best personalities and the easiest yo keep and feed


Sorry the add is in the sell room from bcurtis Hermann's more is the tittle.I have a phonenumber if you want just pm me.this is a steal for a hatchling from a great breeder if not you will pay over 200$ for hat haling after shipping and don't buy one of the full grown 4 pincher well allmost fullgrown they come withheld bumby pyramided shells and all the fun of growing them up is gone.pluss next week u have nice warm weather to ship a Russian wich is the only kind of tort to ship in winter it will be the upper 40's perfect pluss you will have his brother living in Jersey inky tank.pat
 

argus333

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im in neptune as well. go over to mikes pet center hell have everything u need to set them up.
 

tickle

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Cool to someone else in my area I am in the summit townhouses behind the school off of west bangs.I go to Mike also but sometimes I have to go to petsmart.isn't wegmanns awesome for store bought tortoise food they have everything from dandylion to optuna cactuss and the fruit just great when it snows.give me shout we can hang sometime drink a beer and talk tortoise my name is pat.what kind of torts du have?I have a 20+ year old breeding pair of easterns I have had since hatchlings 1 baby shri lanken star tortoise a 4 inch female Russian and a hatchling Russian that is commin today should be here any time.I got him/her for 100$ that's a steal for a hatchling Russian.pics from breeder in next post


I cant load the pics he sent me if u want Ali I can email the pics of the one he has left to you


tickle said:
Cool to someone else in my area I am in the summit townhouses behind the school off of west bangs.I go to Mike also but sometimes I have to go to petsmart.isn't wegmanns awesome for store bought tortoise food they have everything from dandylion to optuna cactuss and the fruit just great when it snows.give me shout we can hang sometime drink a beer and talk tortoise my name is pat.what kind of torts du have?I have a 20+ year old breeding pair of easterns I have had since hatchlings 1 baby shri lanken star tortoise a 4 inch female Russian and a hatchling Russian that is commin today should be here any time.I got him/her for 100$ that's a steal for a hatchling Russian.pics from breeder in next post


I cant load the pics he sent me if u want Ali I can email the pics of the one he has left to you

 

GBtortoises

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~Amanda~ said:
Hi! :tort:

I am new to the reptile world and am currently in the process of researching. I want to make sure I am well prepared before I welcome a new addition to my family. :) After some investigation, I have decided that a Russian Tortoise is definitely the right tortoise for me.

While I feel pretty confident that I understand what kind of habitat and food an RT needs, I just can't seem to grasp the lighting situation. If I am correct, a tortoise needs two lights: A UV light (which provides vitamins in the absence of a sun) and a heat lamp for them to bask in. {Jump in and correct me if I'm wrong}

Seems simple enough, however when I go to the pet store I am so confused by all of the different brands and labels. It seems that every light is a different strength/wattage/voltage and I am just looking for some guidance so I know what to pick out for my future RT :)

Thank you guys so much! :D
Temperature and lighting gradients can be better selected and controlled with a combination of an incandescent bulb for basking heat and localized lighting and a UV tube light for overall enclosure lighting and UV saturation. Opposed to an MVB bulb which provides only localized heat, light and UV. Many Russian tortoises are not given enough light and localized basking heat in captivity which will often cause them to spend much of their time buried in the substrate.
 

tickle

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Just got my Russian from bill and he is amazingly healthy allready living out and in perfect health he has 1 left here is a pic of Himmler warming up b4 dinner.he is a lttle over 1inch and chubby not a blemmish on him perfect
 

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GotTort

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Tom mentioned that is the tort gets outside a regular bulb would be fine. How much sun per day would tort need to eliminate need for mvb? If indoor enclosure has mvb and tort gets outside sun daily can it get too much uv?
 

~Amanda~

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Thanks for all the answers, guys! I'm going out tomorrow to start buying supplies! So to make sure I get the right thing, let me confirm, I only need two bulbs?

A Heat Lamp for basking spot (90-100ËšF)
A UVA/UVB Bulb for overall tank lighting

Lastly, what is the recommended wattage that will provide enough basking heat in a 40 gallon (starting out size)?

Sorry for asking probably obvious questions. :p
 

Levi the Leopard

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~Amanda~ said:
Thanks for all the answers, guys! I'm going out tomorrow to start buying supplies! So to make sure I get the right thing, let me confirm, I only need two bulbs?

A Heat Lamp for basking spot (90-100ËšF)
A UVA/UVB Bulb for overall tank lighting

Lastly, what is the recommended wattage that will provide enough basking heat in a 40 gallon (starting out size)?

Sorry for asking probably obvious questions. :p

I have a 40 gallon set up also. I use a 100 watt incandescent bulb for the basking light. The bulb is in a clamp lamp fixture sitting directly on top of the screen lid. This gives me 110F for the basking temp. I suggest you try a 65 or 75 watt since you need a lower temp than that. buying regular bulbs from home depot is the way to go!

for the UV light get a long tube, not the coil.

you should be good to go.
 

~Amanda~

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Team Gomberg said:
I have a 40 gallon set up also. I use a 100 watt incandescent bulb for the basking light. The bulb is in a clamp lamp fixture sitting directly on top of the screen lid. This gives me 110F for the basking temp. I suggest you try a 65 or 75 watt since you need a lower temp than that. buying regular bulbs from home depot is the way to go!

for the UV light get a long tube, not the coil.

you should be good to go.

Thanks for putting the wattage in perspective for me. I just needed an idea of how high to go. I think I'm set on what I need to get now. :) You guys rock.
 
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