Lighting

[jimmynm26]

Hi everyone.
Like I have stated before, I have a pet Russian called Fred and I currently live and work in Almaty Kazakhstan. I had him in a nice enclosure on my balcony but last week it started to get cold at night and he started to eat a lot less and was sleeping most the day so I moved him inside and put a UVB tube on his enclose. I had that tube DHLed to me from the states because it is impossible to get it here. My only problem now is that I don't have direct sunlight in my kitchen and so he can't bask at all. I want to purchase a basking lamp but it is impossible to find one here. When i purchases the UVB tube, I had to pay over 200 bucks just for customs!!!! The light was less that 20 bucks! This country will do everything they can to screw over foreigners. What can I do? Is there a good substitute? I can find nice Halogen light bulbs that fit normal sockets. I can also get usual spotlights. Please let me know because I am starting to worry about this. Hope to hear from you soon.

 

[Josh]

your UVB bulb will replicate the sunlight but not the heat from sunlight. to do this, just use a clamp on spotlight with a 60w bulb and place in on one side of the enclosure. gauge the temperature with a thermometer to keep it around 90 degrees F

 

[Bansh88]

Ya. For heat, just use regular bulbs. If you can find red, black or green they make good nightlights.

 

[T-P]

No bansh88, never use red, black or green for night time.
This will keep your tortoise awake.

A friend from repticzone, she used a Red light for her leopard tortoise and he ended up being awake at night cuz of the lighting.

For night time, you use a ceramic heater that fits in light a light bulb, or put the tortoise in a warm room at night.
During day just use a normal bulb

 

[cvalda]

Several of my torts LOVE to sleep under the red light at night... I use that in two of my three enclosures at night... My new boys won't sleep anywhere else but under the red light, I think they get chiilly and love the heat!

 

[wayne.bob]

I have a red light in my tort enclosure and they have been sleeping fine.

 

[Bansh88]

As far as info I've recieved, Reptiles do not see colored light. Red, Blue, green lights are used by zoos and most reptile keepers.
All my boys have no problem sleeping under colored light.