15.o UVB lighting for redfoots?

[MuddTortoise]

Good Evening,
We have 2 redfoots about 7 inches we just took in. Previous owner did not know age or sex. We are working on getting them settled and healthy and are repurposing some equipment we had on hand.
We have a 4 ft fixture with 2 15.0 UVB bulb that are almost new so we don't want to waste them but I'm worried about overdoing it because redfoots aren't desert tortoises.
How high would you recommend we hang the fixture above the enclosure?
We are using a 4x8 pen with a 4x2 cave and loft area and have the light suspended from the ceiling on adjustable chains, so we can set it at any height we want. The way the light is positioned they don't get much UVB in the loft or any in the cave but the main section of the enclosure is pretty saturated. We also have a smaller UVB bulb next to the heat emitter so they are getting UVB when they are basking as well.

 

[wellington]

Tortoises should not be housed in pairs. It's very stressful and there will be bullying. I know the previous owners did it, but they didn't do it right.
A 4x8 is minimum for a Russian that is much smaller then a RF.
Seperated them and try to go bigger for each.
@ZEROPILOT can help with enclosure size for each and lighting.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

By UVB "bulb", I'm curious exactly what they are. Because anything but a T5 HO LINEAR FLORESCENT STRIP UVB is just wrong.
No MVB bulbs. They're too desicating and distribute light, heat and uvb sporadically at best. And the coiled/compact uvb screw-in type can and do cause serious eye injuries.
When I first got into Redfoot decades ago, I was also given a pair. The original owner had no idea what he was doing and neither did I. I did so much wrong. You don't have to.
Redfoot pairs are dangerous. Especially as they near sexual maturity. Tortoises are solitary creatures. They are territorial. They show aggression in ways that to us humans looks like they're "friends". Following each other around. Sleeping together, etc. It's all bullying and it's very stressful to both tortoises. Stressful enough to make one or both get very ill.
The only way to have more than one (without multiple enclosures)is to have an outdoors area of a few hundred square feet and have 1 male per 3 females. Or a group of 3 or more females, and even then. There could be issues.
They'll need to be separated.
They require day and night temps of between 80 and 88.
82 to 84 is the perfect zone.
You also need a 24/7 humidity of over 70%.
You'll need to do a search for "Closed chamber enclosures". That's the way to go.
You have two tropical Tortoises. They're special. They have special needs.
Redfoot can eat things that would eventually kill a lot of other species. Including meat protein, fruit, flowers, mushrooms, green leafy vegetable matter, almost any fresh and unprocessed food that you eat, they can eat.
That's the good part.
I'm not sure about your particular situation. Do you have a friend that you could re home a tortoise to? You both can do this adventure together.
We're here to help.
Let's get you situated

 

[Tom]

Good Evening,
We have 2 redfoots about 7 inches we just took in. Previous owner did not know age or sex. We are working on getting them settled and healthy and are repurposing some equipment we had on hand.
We have a 4 ft fixture with 2 15.0 UVB bulb that are almost new so we don't want to waste them but I'm worried about overdoing it because redfoots aren't desert tortoises.
How high would you recommend we hang the fixture above the enclosure?
We are using a 4x8 pen with a 4x2 cave and loft area and have the light suspended from the ceiling on adjustable chains, so we can set it at any height we want. The way the light is positioned they don't get much UVB in the loft or any in the cave but the main section of the enclosure is pretty saturated. We also have a smaller UVB bulb next to the heat emitter so they are getting UVB when they are basking as well.

I've never heard of a 15.0 UV bulb. Is that a typo? Did you mean 5.0 or 10.0? What type of bulb is it? CFL or linear tube? T8 or T5?

You need a large closed chamber to maintain heat and humidity, and they need to be separated ASAP.

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