help with light/heat setup for ornate box turtle

[Marjenn]

I'm thinking of making the switch from MVB to separate tube/heat lamp. My enclosure height is 15 inches and the fixture would have sit on top. Taking into account the substrate and the turtle's height, is a T8 10.0a good choice? I'd read for box turtles HO is not as desirable... Should I get the biggest tube (guess at a diagonal) I can or is that overkill? I'm thinking if bigger is truly better, I'll have to rearrange the layout or just accept she won't be getting UVB while sitting in her water bowl With my Russian tortoise, who I'd be wanting to convert too, he just spends time in one specific area other than his log house; my box turtle is can be in a prolonged moods where she is buried, in the log house, soaking, or wandering around.

Also, what is a good UVA bulb in this type of setup? I can put one in a clamped fixture; I'm not sure what the distance should be. Then I would want a ceramic heat emitter in the fixture I currently have the MVB in (it's supposed by the Zoomed light stand) controlled by thermostat. It's a mystery how high up it can be and say raise the heated area 20 degrees higher than room temperature. I have a wide fixture. It will be fun organizing all this. It's a 50 gallon stock tank.

 

[ColleenT]

Don't make it too hot. Remember, most of these turtles live in the USA, not a Tropical climate.

 

[lisa127]

The UVB does not have to expand the entire enclosure. UVB tubes also have UVA so that's already covered. Just add your heat for an ambient in the 70s and basking of 85 to 90.

See photo below.

 

[lisa127]

My 50 gallon stock tank. You can't tell here, but I drape plastic sheeting over this to hold heat and humidity. The UVB is a 36 inch fixture that holds 24 inch 5.0 T8 style bulb. The regular light fixture holds a simple heat bulb. That's it. The only difference since this photo is a larger, deepet pond area now.

 

[lisa127]

Photo of cover. I keep mine covered because it's in a chilly basement. May or may not be something you do.

 

[Marjenn]

Another thing I'm concerned about is if the T8 series is being phased out. Maybe I'm not searching correctly but it seems

 

[Marjenn]

I have no idea why that above posted LOL. I was discarding that post. But I do wonder if the HO will become standard.

Last winter I kept my house steady 69 on the thermostat (Before I'd bumped it up 73 for part of the day and then 75 per the comfort level of humans in the house , thinking she could thermoregulate. But she didn't see to care to sit under the Power Sun MVB or not for very long, unlike her "brother" Russian tortoise who could spend all day, every day in the winter sprawled out under this. Suddenly towards the end of December she stopped eating and didn't really eat until May, though didn't lose much weight either.

i also feel I have to keep her substrate moist or at least in some areas, so her skin doesn't dry out. She can get open cracks at the side of her mouth . I tried sphagnum moss which she loved to bury into but then she developed some weird white stuff on her beak. The dampness makes her feel cold. I have tried covering the enclosure but got mold.

So probably I could get away with just keeping the house temperature up, as that's probably more important than the UVB Still I read that box turtles prefer the less harsh light of a tube UVB so maybe she would prefer that. I didn't know that tubes put out UVA. It seemed people mention having a UVA spotlight.

I think I have that same enclosure, lisa, a Tuff? I like your setup.. I've always wanted a plant but that too seems like a long quest to get one that is "safe" (no pesticides, fertilizers, or potting soil that is otherwise dangerous).

 

[lisa127]

I have no idea why that above posted LOL. I was discarding that post. But I do wonder if the HO will become standard.

Last winter I kept my house steady 69 on the thermostat (Before I'd bumped it up 73 for part of the day and then 75 per the comfort level of humans in the house , thinking she could thermoregulate. But she didn't see to care to sit under the Power Sun MVB or not for very long, unlike her "brother" Russian tortoise who could spend all day, every day in the winter sprawled out under this. Suddenly towards the end of December she stopped eating and didn't really eat until May, though didn't lose much weight either.

i also feel I have to keep her substrate moist or at least in some areas, so her skin doesn't dry out. She can get open cracks at the side of her mouth . I tried sphagnum moss which she loved to bury into but then she developed some weird white stuff on her beak. The dampness makes her feel cold. I have tried covering the enclosure but got mold.

So probably I could get away with just keeping the house temperature up, as that's probably more important than the UVB Still I read that box turtles prefer the less harsh light of a tube UVB so maybe she would prefer that. I didn't know that tubes put out UVA. It seemed people mention having a UVA spotlight.

I think I have that same enclosure, lisa, a Tuff? I like your setup.. I've always wanted a plant but that too seems like a long quest to get one that is "safe" (no pesticides, fertilizers, or potting soil that is otherwise dangerous).

MVB is too strong for box turtles, you are correct. I have never had a problem with mold. I do stir the substrate up with my hands once or twice a week. You are also correct they need damp substrate. Moist substrate and temps ranging from 70 to 85/90. And that is a fake plant in there that I got from a craft store.

If you want to keep her awake over winter keep the UVB on 14 hours a day and provide gentle heat over night.