Basking light not right?

[Mark Cassell]

Hi my horsfield tortoise is 8 months old and I recently got a new basking bulb but it seems to have a ring of heat rather than a nice a spot . See pictures attached . Is this wrong?

 

[Mark Cassell]

It's a 60w bulb , I had a 100w but it was too hot for her.

 

[Mr Buster]

Nice crib, if I showed those pictures to my Buster he would go on a food strike.

 

[erinlyndon]

I don't think that is wrong, I love your enclosure

 

[Mark Cassell]

Thanks guys

 

[Mark Cassell]

 

[Mark Cassell]

You can see the ring of fire more visible here, I'm worried about heat spots, should I be ?

 

[erinlyndon]

I'm not sure, I've only been a tortoise owner for 3 months, my bulb is the arcadia d3 mvb 100w. It doesnt do that.

 

[Mark Cassell]

 

[Mark Cassell]

 

[Mark Cassell]

Worried it's too hot up there for her.

 

[Mark Cassell]

 

[Mark Cassell]

 

[erinlyndon]

Its a little too hot for a russian, Pebble likes it about 32c.
Is it possible to move the light up?

 

[Yvonne G]

If you mount it in one of these:



...you get better heat distribution. But make sure the fixture has a ceramic base. And don't use the clamp feature - just take the clamp off.

 

[Yvonne G]

You can move the rocks away too so she can't be so close to the heat spot.

Also, I'd get a different UVB bulb. Those compact fluorescent bulbs have been known to cause painful eyes.

 

[Mark Cassell]

Its a little too hot for a russian, Pebble likes it about 32c.
Is it possible to move the light up?

Hi yes it's adjustable , it's at 32° now

 

[Mark Cassell]

You can move the rocks away too so she can't be so close to the heat spot.

Also, I'd get a different UVB bulb. Those compact fluorescent bulbs have been known to cause painful eyes.

 

[Tom]

I agree with everything Yvonne just said.

Your temps look fine, but that bulb is a "spot" bulb and I recommend against them for the very reason you have noted here. They concentrate too much heat into too small of an area. I would replace that bulb with a "flood" bulb and use a ceramic based, hooded fixture for it to direct more heat down and spread it out.

About the coil bulb: In addition to the risk of eye burning, they are not effective UV sources and if it was a non-eyeburning bulb and you decide to keep it, it is still too far away from the tortoise for the tortoise to get any UV benefit from it. I'd replace that with an Arcadia tube of one sort or another.

 

[Tom]

Hi yes it's adjustable , it's at 32° now

Basking area directly under the bulb should be around 36-37 C for a horsfield tortoise. But you want a large area that is evenly heated to that temperature, not a small spot that is unevenly heated like what you have now.