Hatchling light wattage

Janedoe12287

New Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2020
Messages
3
Location (City and/or State)
Versailles
Im sure it's been asked many times sorry. I just joined this thread trying to find my way around on here. I'm to get my hatchling late July or early August a few weeks after hatching. I am doing a 50 gallon rubbermaid it will have a wire custom grate over the top for the lights to sit on. Arizona sulcata said wattage depends on enclosure type.

So I want to do a long hood light for UVB mercury bulb. What's a good wattage to use? What's a good wattage to use for a ceramic heat bulb? I'm going with mercury and ceramic because that's the products they list to use.
 

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,749
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
Hi, and welcome to the forum!
First, I found a Versailles in KY, MO, IN and OH, along with the one in France! You don't write like you're French, so could you tell us what state you're in? Different suggestions for different places.

Your 50g tub sounds OK for a while, but you said a wire grate. That's not a good thing to use. All baby tortoises need high humidity to prevent pyramiding and metabolic bone disease (MBD). A grate will not hold the humidity or warm temps the baby requires to grow well and not get sick.

Make sure to get the lid that comes with the tub. Cut holes in the lid slightly smaller than the dome light fixture. Line the holes with a few layers of aluminum foil, then sit the lights over the holes.

The seller is correct about the wattages. Only your thermometer can tell you what works for you. Buy several bulbs, one of each wattage. Find which one works, and take the rest back.

The ceramic heat emitter (CHE) is the way to go for nighttime heat. You will need to put it on a thermostat set to 80°. That way it goes on and off as needed.

The mercury vapor bulb (MVB) gets extremely hot, and they are very drying on tortoise shells. We do not recommend them, as the drying has been shown to contribute to pyramiding.

In addition to the CHE, you need a basking bulb and a UVB light. The basking bulb will be in the dome fixture sitting on top. The UVB is a fluorescent tube type. Don't buy any UVB bulb that screws into a regular light socket. They all perform poorly, not emitting the correct amount of UVB. And some of them burn babies' eyes...literally. You want to get a tube UVB that has a high output (HO) designation. The basking bulb and the UVB can both go on a timer for a 12hr on/12 hr off cycle.

I realize I haven't answered your original questions. I'm going to put several links here. They will go into more detail on what I've posted here. Read them, and come back with questions. We're happy to explain why we say the things we do.

Don't be surprised when our care methods are different from others you've read. Huge strides have been made in tortoise care over the last 10 years. Unfortunately, most vets, pet shops, some breeders, and the internet have not caught up with the new info. So their advice is old, outdated, and frequently just plain wrong. On this forum we have members who have been keeping, breeding tortoises for 30 years. They have tried different husbandry methods, and have proved what works best and why. No one here gets paid to be here...we have only one reason to put in the hours that we do...to try to help keepers be informed so their tortoises live in an environment that leads to thriving, not just surviving.





 

Janedoe12287

New Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2020
Messages
3
Location (City and/or State)
Versailles
Hi, and welcome to the forum!
First, I found a Versailles in KY, MO, IN and OH, along with the one in France! You don't write like you're French, so could you tell us what state you're in? Different suggestions for different places.

Your 50g tub sounds OK for a while, but you said a wire grate. That's not a good thing to use. All baby tortoises need high humidity to prevent pyramiding and metabolic bone disease (MBD). A grate will not hold the humidity or warm temps the baby requires to grow well and not get sick.

Make sure to get the lid that comes with the tub. Cut holes in the lid slightly smaller than the dome light fixture. Line the holes with a few layers of aluminum foil, then sit the lights over the holes.

The seller is correct about the wattages. Only your thermometer can tell you what works for you. Buy several bulbs, one of each wattage. Find which one works, and take the rest back.

The ceramic heat emitter (CHE) is the way to go for nighttime heat. You will need to put it on a thermostat set to 80°. That way it goes on and off as needed.

The mercury vapor bulb (MVB) gets extremely hot, and they are very drying on tortoise shells. We do not recommend them, as the drying has been shown to contribute to pyramiding.

In addition to the CHE, you need a basking bulb and a UVB light. The basking bulb will be in the dome fixture sitting on top. The UVB is a fluorescent tube type. Don't buy any UVB bulb that screws into a regular light socket. They all perform poorly, not emitting the correct amount of UVB. And some of them burn babies' eyes...literally. You want to get a tube UVB that has a high output (HO) designation. The basking bulb and the UVB can both go on a timer for a 12hr on/12 hr off cycle.

I realize I haven't answered your original questions. I'm going to put several links here. They will go into more detail on what I've posted here. Read them, and come back with questions. We're happy to explain why we say the things we do.

Don't be surprised when our care methods are different from others you've read. Huge strides have been made in tortoise care over the last 10 years. Unfortunately, most vets, pet shops, some breeders, and the internet have not caught up with the new info. So their advice is old, outdated, and frequently just plain wrong. On this forum we have members who have been keeping, breeding tortoises for 30 years. They have tried different husbandry methods, and have proved what works best and why. No one here gets paid to be here...we have only one reason to put in the hours that we do...to try to help keepers be informed so their tortoises live in an environment that leads to thriving, not just surviving.






Thank you for all the information! I'm from Versailles Indiana lol.
 

Janedoe12287

New Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2020
Messages
3
Location (City and/or State)
Versailles
Hi, and welcome to the forum!
First, I found a Versailles in KY, MO, IN and OH, along with the one in France! You don't write like you're French, so could you tell us what state you're in? Different suggestions for different places.

Your 50g tub sounds OK for a while, but you said a wire grate. That's not a good thing to use. All baby tortoises need high humidity to prevent pyramiding and metabolic bone disease (MBD). A grate will not hold the humidity or warm temps the baby requires to grow well and not get sick.

Make sure to get the lid that comes with the tub. Cut holes in the lid slightly smaller than the dome light fixture. Line the holes with a few layers of aluminum foil, then sit the lights over the holes.

The seller is correct about the wattages. Only your thermometer can tell you what works for you. Buy several bulbs, one of each wattage. Find which one works, and take the rest back.

The ceramic heat emitter (CHE) is the way to go for nighttime heat. You will need to put it on a thermostat set to 80°. That way it goes on and off as needed.

The mercury vapor bulb (MVB) gets extremely hot, and they are very drying on tortoise shells. We do not recommend them, as the drying has been shown to contribute to pyramiding.

In addition to the CHE, you need a basking bulb and a UVB light. The basking bulb will be in the dome fixture sitting on top. The UVB is a fluorescent tube type. Don't buy any UVB bulb that screws into a regular light socket. They all perform poorly, not emitting the correct amount of UVB. And some of them burn babies' eyes...literally. You want to get a tube UVB that has a high output (HO) designation. The basking bulb and the UVB can both go on a timer for a 12hr on/12 hr off cycle.

I realize I haven't answered your original questions. I'm going to put several links here. They will go into more detail on what I've posted here. Read them, and come back with questions. We're happy to explain why we say the things we do.

Don't be surprised when our care methods are different from others you've read. Huge strides have been made in tortoise care over the last 10 years. Unfortunately, most vets, pet shops, some breeders, and the internet have not caught up with the new info. So their advice is old, outdated, and frequently just plain wrong. On this forum we have members who have been keeping, breeding tortoises for 30 years. They have tried different husbandry methods, and have proved what works best and why. No one here gets paid to be here...we have only one reason to put in the hours that we do...to try to help keepers be informed so their tortoises live in an environment that leads to thriving, not just surviving.





[URL
Hi, and welcome to the forum!
First, I found a Versailles in KY, MO, IN and OH, along with the one in France! You don't write like you're French, so could you tell us what state you're in? Different suggestions for different places.

Your 50g tub sounds OK for a while, but you said a wire grate. That's not a good thing to use. All baby tortoises need high humidity to prevent pyramiding and metabolic bone disease (MBD). A grate will not hold the humidity or warm temps the baby requires to grow well and not get sick.

Make sure to get the lid that comes with the tub. Cut holes in the lid slightly smaller than the dome light fixture. Line the holes with a few layers of aluminum foil, then sit the lights over the holes.

The seller is correct about the wattages. Only your thermometer can tell you what works for you. Buy several bulbs, one of each wattage. Find which one works, and take the rest back.

The ceramic heat emitter (CHE) is the way to go for nighttime heat. You will need to put it on a thermostat set to 80°. That way it goes on and off as needed.

The mercury vapor bulb (MVB) gets extremely hot, and they are very drying on tortoise shells. We do not recommend them, as the drying has been shown to contribute to pyramiding.

In addition to the CHE, you need a basking bulb and a UVB light. The basking bulb will be in the dome fixture sitting on top. The UVB is a fluorescent tube type. Don't buy any UVB bulb that screws into a regular light socket. They all perform poorly, not emitting the correct amount of UVB. And some of them burn babies' eyes...literally. You want to get a tube UVB that has a high output (HO) designation. The basking bulb and the UVB can both go on a timer for a 12hr on/12 hr off cycle.

I realize I haven't answered your original questions. I'm going to put several links here. They will go into more detail on what I've posted here. Read them, and come back with questions. We're happy to explain why we say the things we do.

Don't be surprised when our care methods are different from others you've read. Huge strides have been made in tortoise care over the last 10 years. Unfortunately, most vets, pet shops, some breeders, and the internet have not caught up with the new info. So their advice is old, outdated, and frequently just plain wrong. On this forum we have members who have been keeping, breeding tortoises for 30 years. They have tried different husbandry methods, and have proved what works best and why. No one here gets paid to be here...we have only one reason to put in the hours that we do...to try to help keepers be informed so their tortoises live in an environment that leads to thriving, not just surviving.






Heres what I bought they don't have lids for them. Saw them being used by breeders ect. For the price it really had the space. I had planned on using a hide box with sphagnum moss. I figured giving them the option to seek out higher humidity they may want would work. That not a good idea? I just figured they'd know what they need and would utilize it as long as its available. Figured how else would they live for so long lol.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20200622-070046_Chrome.jpg
    Screenshot_20200622-070046_Chrome.jpg
    131.3 KB · Views: 13

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,749
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
Wow! That's a great tank! I think it can be used. A piece of thin lightweight plywood could lay across the top of it for access and mounting lights, or even just part of it. The remainder could be plexiglass for viewing.

Another option would be to buy a pre-made closed chamber. One of our members builds them, and they are wonderful! They have all the hardware installed to hold all your lights and CHE, and they look beautiful. It makes setting up very easy. Here's a link to a recent thread about it.


If you are interested, the member who builds them is Markw84. Put the @ sign in front of his name to tag him.

You will want a humid hide box for him. But the sphagnum moss is dangerous to use. Most torts try to eat it, and it's a very real impaction risk. Many keepers use it without problems. I consider it playing Russian roulette with a sweet baby, and don't take the chance.

For humidity, you will mix water into your substrate...either coco coir, orchid bark, or cypress mulch, or a combo of them. You make it all damp. The entire enclosure needs to be damp, and temps must be kept at recommended levels to avoid sickness. Damp + warm = Healthy, happy and good appetite.
Damp + cold = Resp Infection (RI), and stopping eating.

You mentioned "they know what they need"...that's true to some extent. But in actuality something like 90% of hatchlings die in the wild. Add to that the differences between the many choices they can make in the wild, vs the limited choices they have in our artificial environments. They must make do with what we supply, so we'd better supply the very best.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Im sure it's been asked many times sorry. I just joined this thread trying to find my way around on here. I'm to get my hatchling late July or early August a few weeks after hatching. I am doing a 50 gallon rubbermaid it will have a wire custom grate over the top for the lights to sit on. Arizona sulcata said wattage depends on enclosure type.

So I want to do a long hood light for UVB mercury bulb. What's a good wattage to use? What's a good wattage to use for a ceramic heat bulb? I'm going with mercury and ceramic because that's the products they list to use.
Austin is one of the few breeders that starts his babies correctly, so you've found a great source for a baby there.

Unless you can figure a way to close that top, that enclosure is not going to work well for you. You won't be able to create and maintain the correct conditions with that unless the entire room is always at 80+% humidity and over 80 degrees. Like in a tropical fish room, or something.

No MVBs. That will cause pyramiding.

No moss. They will eat it and it can cause an impaction.

If you take the time to read those links that Karen left for you, you'll be way ahead and most of your questions will be answered.
 

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,749
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
@Tom...we are going to have to coordinate our responses so we are not typing at the exact same time!! This is about the 3rd or 4th time this has happened recently. Now, who are you doing next??
? ;)??
 

New Posts

Top