Pyramiding? Unsure?advice most welcome

ColinS

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We live in Manchester ☔️☔️☔️☔️
We are in Manchester and we have a cold frame with a heat lamp in. And they’re still outside now. They can leave the heated cold frame as they please and have been out even in these cooler days. But they always go to the hides inside the cold frame of a night.
 

turtlesteve

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That is a mercury vapor bulb. I used to like those, but now realize they have far too many issues and they also cause pyramiding.

There are four elements to heating and lighting:
  1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt floods from the hardware store. I run them on a timer for 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. You can mount a fixture on the ceiling, or hang a dome lamp from the ceiling. Go lower or higher wattage if this makes the enclosure too hot or not warm enough. Do not use "spot" bulbs, mercury vapor bulbs or halogen bulbs.
  2. Ambient heat maintenance. Unless your house gets unusually cold at night, you can skip this step for a Russian. Night lows above 60 require no night heat for Testudo species.
  3. Light. I use florescent tubes for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most tubes at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. I've been using LEDs lately and they are great, and run cooler than a florescent. This can be set on the same timer as the basking bulb. If your tortoises room is already adequately lit, you don't need this one either.
  4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside in a safe secure enclosure for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. It helps to have a UV meter to test and see what your bulb is actually putting out at your mounting height. Plexi-glass or screen tops will filter out some or all of the UV produced by your bulb.

Interesting to hear you're now avoiding the mercury vapor bulbs. Maybe you've mentioned it before but I hadn't noticed. I'm still using them, but mount them high to spread out the hot spot. Have you used HID bulbs (such as solar raptor) and if so, what is your opinion on them? They are more available in Europe versus the US. Supposedly more UV / less heat compared to mercury vapor. I got one a few years ago for a fully enclosed habitat (where a mercury vapor bulb would be too hot) and it seems to be a nice intermediate solution that still provides some temperature gradient.
 

Tom

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Interesting to hear you're now avoiding the mercury vapor bulbs. Maybe you've mentioned it before but I hadn't noticed. I'm still using them, but mount them high to spread out the hot spot. Have you used HID bulbs (such as solar raptor) and if so, what is your opinion on them? They are more available in Europe versus the US. Supposedly more UV / less heat compared to mercury vapor. I got one a few years ago for a fully enclosed habitat (where a mercury vapor bulb would be too hot) and it seems to be a nice intermediate solution that still provides some temperature gradient.
I don't have any experience with the HID bulbs. I really know nothing about them. If those are available here, I haven't seen or heard of them in use yet.
 

Bigred1974

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We are in Manchester and we have a cold frame with a heat lamp in. And they’re still outside now. They can leave the heated cold frame as they please and have been out even in these cooler days. But they always go to the hides inside the cold frame of a night.
Would love to see your set up - could you post a couple of photos on here please? As she’s only 2 would she cope with the weather being so young?
 

turtlesteve

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I don't have any experience with the HID bulbs. I really know nothing about them. If those are available here, I haven't seen or heard of them in use yet.

The solar raptor HID lights showed up in a US show once a few years ago, I think it was the Pomona, CA show. Never seen them before or since. They are a German manufacturer and were trying to break into the US market. I like them so far and was considering switching to these from mercury vapor, so that's why I asked. I have tried the newer fluorescent bulbs and did not care for them.
 

ColinS

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Location (City and/or State)
Manchester
Would love to see your set up - could you post a couple of photos on here please? As she’s only 2 would she cope with the weather being so young?
I will have a go at uploading some pics later today. And maybe now it’s a little bit cooler she maybe too young. Really I would put her out beginning of summer and let her acclimatise herself as the weather gradually cools
 

Bigred1974

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I will have a go at uploading some pics later today. And maybe now it’s a little bit cooler she maybe too young. Really I would put her out beginning of summer and let her acclimatise herself as the weather gradually cools
Thanks. Yes she’s been out most days since we have had her but we haven’t got a cold frame heat lamp set up just a secure pen. Hey it’s gling to be nice this weekend so she will be back out from this afternoon and bought in about 6 pm
 

Bébert81

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Jul 13, 2018
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Toulouse, France
I'm using Solar Raptor HID bulbs 35W flood type with ballast for my Pelusios sp and for me it's one of the better products.
For some desertic tortoises it's nice to use 70W ones (with ballast) but for a russian a 35W is sufficient.

You can see here the UV concentration with distance indications:
35watt_flood_3273_0.jpg
 

Bigred1974

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Manchester England
I'm using Solar Raptor HID bulbs 35W flood type with ballast for my Pelusios sp and for me it's one of the better products.
For some desertic tortoises it's nice to use 70W ones (with ballast) but for a russian a 35W is sufficient.

You can see here the UV concentration with distance indications:
35watt_flood_3273_0.jpg
Thanks for this. Very helpful
 

Tortoise MasterMan

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Nov 17, 2019
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Location (City and/or State)
Utah
You could also change her UV bulb if you are still worried. But the increased humidity should help the most.
 

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