Which Mega Ray?

[ASP]

Hi,
I don’t actually have a Tortoise. Bearded Dragons are my thing, however my sons girlfriend is getting a Leopard Tortoise and I told her I would purchase a light. I have been using Mega Ray lights for years now and love them. Does anyone know which light would be the correct light for the Tortoise?
~Thanks Alyssa

 

[chadk]

I use 100w SB MegaRays. But really depends on a few things...

How old\big is the tort? I'd be careful with hatchlings...

How big of an enclosure? Will this be the only source of heat? I find that I need a CHE + the MVB to keep the temps I want. I run the CHE all day and night, and the MVB just during the day on a timer. THe mega-ray bulbs are good for providing a basking spot of the desired temp. If the temp is too low or too high, the tort may not back, and thus not get the benefit fo the UVB rays... So measure the temps and check basking spot + ambient temps. As you konw with your bearded dragon(s), you have a little play in how close or far you put the lamp from the basking spot, so you can tweak the basking spot temp that way.

So the answer your question - PROBABLY the exact same setup you have for your bearded dragon...

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Alyssa: Welcome to the forum!!

If at all possible, the tortoise should be outside during the good weather. Even if its a baby, you can set it up in a safe little baby habitat.

The only experience I have with UV lights is the T-Rex Active UV/Heat (100watt). I really like it, but I only use it during the winter time.

 

[spikethebest]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[NEtorts]

I really like the Sun Force bulbs i use from Big Apple Herps in NY.. They are the bulb of choice for my wintering of torts. The oly thing that kills me is they give you a discount the more you buy, if I buy 3 and only use 2 (keep one for back up) the 6 month prorated warranty starts on all of them....they are very good to deal with if you have a bilb that blows prematurely but i have had a bulb in storage for 3-4 months, need it and a week later it blew. it was only in use for a week and the warranty was over half used up.....irritating but they are good bulbs as far as the wave leghts and D3 output

 

[shmily1605]

I use a mega ray 160 watt because the 100 watt is still on back order. I just have to keep it at a further distance.

 

[tortoisenerd]

Welcome to the forum!

Both the 100 Watt internal ballast Mega Ray and the 100 Watt T-Rex Active UV Heat are on back order now (plus a lot of sites have stopped selling the T-Rex Active UV Heat to sell the cheaper but lower UVB output UV Heat). Both the bulbs listed have much higher output than anything on the market per http://www.uvguide.co.uk/mercuryvapourlamps.htm

Just the 100 Watt MVB in a ceramic socket fixture and a lamp stand is adequate for most tort enclosures. To maintain a good gradient for a large enclosure, you might need an additional CHE. In winter I will use a CHE 24/7 on one end and a MVB on the other end 12-14 hours a day (but we keep our house cold--if your house is above 70 F, that can serve as the cooler end of the gradient). Use an accurate thermometer like a temp gun and check the temps every couple days to adjust the bulb up or down as needed.

I couldn't get the temps right with the 160 Watt Mega Ray because I needed to put it so far away that it was at the outer edge of the useful range. Check the bulb packaging to see the max and min height to place these safely.