Advice for lighting setup and water dish.

[BB123]

Hello Everyone,

My tortoise is a Horsefield Tortoise and is my very first tortoise. He/she is housed indoors in a small open top table (till I can afford to get a appropriate sized one). His/her basking spot is at 40 degress celcius and the rest of the table is between 20 to 25 on the cooler side and 35 around his basking slate and 30 on his feeding slate. The humidity is 55 during the day while the lamp is on and 75 when its switched off.

But I was just wondering if anyone could help me figure out how to setup strip UV lighting in his enclosure I was thinking of hanging it at an angle on one of the walls but I am not sure how to. I have got him the Arcadia Pro T5 UVB Kit Desert 12%, LED strip lights, Arcadia Ceramic Heater and the HabiStat High Range Dimmer Thermostat because I want to swap him/her off of Mercury Vapour Bulbs I am currently using.

I also wanted to see if anyone knows how to get their tortoise to use a water dish as I have tried several different styles and materials but he/she does not seem to like any of the ones I have brought.

Any advice would be much appreciated and welcome.

 

[wellington]

First he needs a 4x8 foot enclosure minimum.
As for a tube florescent lay it across from one side to the other.
Basking temp should be 95-100F
All over 75-80F
Night no heat unless it gets below 60F

 

[BB123]

First he needs a 4x8 foot enclosure minimum.
As for a tube florescent lay it across from one side to the other.
Basking temp should be 95-100F
All over 75-80F
Night no heat unless it gets below 60F

Hello Wellington,

Thank you for the heating advice I really appreciate it and will get that sorted out tommorow as his lights are off now. I was just wondering if it would be okay to lay it directly over his makeshift lid as I know they need to be at a certain highet.

And thank you again

 

[BB123]

Hello Wellington,

Thank you for the heating advice I really appreciate it and will get that sorted out tommorow as his lights are off now. I was just wondering if it would be okay to lay it directly over his makeshift lid as I know they need to be at a certain highet.

And thank you again

Hello again,

I was also wondering if the Ceramic Heat Emiter would be sufficent for his basking spot or should I get something like a basking flood light instead?

 

[wellington]

Yoi really need light for basking as they use the sun in the wild. The basking flood light is perfect
As for the uvb on top of the lid. How far is the lid from the top of tort? The correct distance needed will be on the bulb box. If the lid is too low then put a block of wood on each end and you can lay the light on that.

 

[BB123]

Yoi really need light for basking as they use the sun in the wild. The basking flood light is perfect
As for the uvb on top of the lid. How far is the lid from the top of tort? The correct distance needed will be on the bulb box. If the lid is too low then put a block of wood on each end and you can lay the light on that.

He is roughly 12 to 13cm away from the basking area I think and the box says this I attached both photos as I'm not sure which is clearer and the Arcadia Lighting guide says to have the 12% bulb 40-60cm or 15-24'' away from the basking zone so which one would be the best height as I've never used any lights like this I have no idea which one is correct.

 

[BB123]

He is roughly 12 to 13cm away from the basking area I think and the box says this I attached both photos as I'm not sure which is clearer and the Arcadia Lighting guide says to have the 12% bulb 40-60cm or 15-24'' away from the basking zone so which one would be the best height as I've never used any lights like this I have no idea which one is correct.

I was also just wondering if the solar flood light can be used with the HabiStat High Range Dimmer Thermostat that I've got or would I need a different thermostat instead?

Thank you again for all the help.

 

[wellington]

Anywhere between the height given. Without a solar meter it's really a guess. I would try to have it 15 to 18 inches away.
Yes I believe the Habistat would/should work fine

 

[BB123]

Anywhere between the height given. Without a solar meter it's really a guess. I would try to have it 15 to 18 inches away.
Yes I believe the Habistat would/should work fine

Okay I'll try it at 15 and see how things go. How long should you have the tube lights and flood lights on for during the day exatly? And is it possible to get him to use a water dish at all as I've brought quite a few different ones but he's shown no interest at all.

 

[wellington]

12 hours and use a clay saucer like the ones that go under flower pots. Even if you think he's not using it leave one in there and bury it so the rim is level with the substrate.

 

[BB123]

12 hours and use a clay saucer like the ones that go under flower pots. Even if you think he's not using it leave one in there and bury it so the rim is level with the substrate.

Thank you so much for all of your help it's really made me feel better about how to properly set up his lighting equipment and thank for the water dish advice too. If there is anything else you think I should know also I'm happy to hear anything as I want to provide as much as I can for him.

 

[wellington]

I would take the two hides out that aren't built in. Give him more space to roam until you can get a bigger enclosure.
Move basking light to the end where the arched hide is and put the uvb across the middle.

 

[BB123]

I would take the two hides out that aren't built in. Give him more space to roam until you can get a bigger enclosure.
Move basking light to the end where the arched hide is and put the uvb across the middle.

Okay I'll do that when the flood lights are delivered. They should not take too long as swell repitles is really quick with getting things sent out and delivered. For now I'm going to try and get some sleep so thank you again for all your help toady.

 

[Tom]

There are four elements to heating and lighting:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.

You don't want a dimmer on your basking lamp. The "sun" shouldn't be going on and off all day. Run the heat lamp on a timer for 12-13 hours a day. Set the height by putting a digital thermometer directly under the bulb for an hour or more and letting it bake. The temperature should be around 36-37C. Raise or lower the fixture to get this temperature.

You need a Solarmeter 6.5 to set the height correctly. Anything less is just guessing. Every bulb is a little different from the factory. I would not go less than 18 inches for a 12% HO tube. Mine are usually set around 20-22 inches.

More correct care info:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Questions are welcome.

 

[BB123]

There are four elements to heating and lighting:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.

You don't want a dimmer on your basking lamp. The "sun" shouldn't be going on and off all day. Run the heat lamp on a timer for 12-13 hours a day. Set the height by putting a digital thermometer directly under the bulb for an hour or more and letting it bake. The temperature should be around 36-37C. Raise or lower the fixture to get this temperature.

You need a Solarmeter 6.5 to set the height correctly. Anything less is just guessing. Every bulb is a little different from the factory. I would not go less than 18 inches for a 12% HO tube. Mine are usually set around 20-22 inches.

More correct care info:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Questions are welcome.

Hello Tom,

Thank you for all the extra information you and Wellington have been a great help with everything.

I am going to try Wellington suggestion of putting it at 15 inches first and hopefully thatll be corecct till I can afford a solor meter.

Would this be the correct solor meter as I am hoping to get one later on because the link for the solor meter does not work for me https://www.reptilecentre.com/solarmeter-65r-uvi-radiometer_p22267654.htm

I should not need a overnight heating element as my room stays above 20C. I use a infrared temperature gun to get a good idea of the heating throughout his enclosure. Allthough I will save the ceramic heat emiter to use for his bigger setup if I need that extra heat in such a large area.

 

[Tom]

Hello Tom,

Thank you for all the extra information you and Wellington have been a great help with everything.

I am going to try Wellington suggestion of putting it at 15 inches first and hopefully thatll be corecct till I can afford a solor meter.

Would this be the correct solor meter as I am hoping to get one later on because the link for the solor meter does not work for me https://www.reptilecentre.com/solarmeter-65r-uvi-radiometer_p22267654.htm

I should not need a overnight heating element as my room stays above 20C. I use a infrared temperature gun to get a good idea of the heating throughout his enclosure. Allthough I will save the ceramic heat emiter to use for his bigger setup if I need that extra heat in such a large area.

15 inches is too close for an Arcadia 12% bulb. Your tort will be at risk for photokeratitis at that distance. The Arcadia bulbs make strong UV. I'm running several of them daily right now. I'd go a minimum of 18 inches, or 46cm, at least until you have the meter to verify what the actual output of your bulb is in your enclosure.

That is the correct meter, but the price seems a little high on that site. Maybe it costs more over there because they have to import them from here? Import tariffs and transportation costs? In any case, that meter will make sure your tortoise is getting enough UV, but not too much.

 

[BB123]

15 inches is too close for an Arcadia 12% bulb. Your tort will be at risk for photokeratitis at that distance. The Arcadia bulbs make strong UV. I'm running several of them daily right now. I'd go a minimum of 18 inches, or 46cm, at least until you have the meter to verify what the actual output of your bulb is in your enclosure.

That is the correct meter, but the price seems a little high on that site. Maybe it costs more over there because they have to import them from here? Import tariffs and transportation costs? In any case, that meter will make sure your tortoise is getting enough UV, but not too much.

Okay then 46cm it is for the tube lights. That particular site is pretty pricey and the delivery price can also be ridiculous too but if thats the right meter hopefully I'll be able to find it cheaper elsewhere so I'll know what to look when I can purchase one for myself.