CHE Wattage Question and general care

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Shelbymom

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:rolleyes:Trying to warm up my tort table, and am getting a CHE today. Someone had mentioned that 100 watts would be suitable. Will 1 CHE be enough to warm up an entire open 5 1/2 foot by 3 foot OPEN TOP table? Temps ranging from 64 degrees in cool side to 79 degrees in the warm area. Humidity 60%.

I see that they sell 200 watt emmitters too.

What brand is most efficient?

Is one brand safer than another? Do they have auto shut off if they overheat or if they touch the ground?

How far should the emmitter be hung from the floor of the table? Can a tortoise be burned from basking under it?

Conversely, please educate me on MVB's. Better than CHE? If so, why?
I already have a 48" Reptisun 10.0 UVB bulb. Is that good enough from a UVB standpoint? Do I need more for the size of my table (5 1/2 foot by 3 foot). Currently supplementing with RepCal Phosphorus - Free
+ D3 sprinkled on food 1x weekly. 24-7 access to cuttlebone on table. Should I eliminate RepCal? Shell seems a-bit-softer-than-it should-be. That's why I added it once a week.

Also, how far should a basking lamp hung from the carapace? I currently have a RED 100 watt heat bulb that hangs about 6 inches from the carapace. Am I burning my tort as this close range? Should I move it higher up? I stick my hand under it and do not get burned, but then again, my hand is flat on the floor of the table, not raised 4.5 inches like my torts carapace. Any help/suggestions would be most appreciated. I am still new to tortoise keeping and eager to learn!

Thanks again,

Janine

Shelbymom said:
:rolleyes:Trying to warm up my tort table, and am getting a CHE today. Someone had mentioned that 100 watts would be suitable. Will 1 CHE be enough to warm up an entire open 5 1/2 foot by 3 foot OPEN TOP table? Temps ranging from 64 degrees in cool side to 79 degrees in the warm area. Humidity 60%.

I see that they sell 200 watt emmitters too.

What brand is most efficient?

Is one brand safer than another? Do they have auto shut off if they overheat or if they touch the ground?

How far should the emmitter be hung from the floor of the table? Can a tortoise be burned from basking under it?

Conversely, please educate me on MVB's. Better than CHE? If so, why?
I already have a 48" Reptisun 10.0 UVB bulb. Is that good enough from a UVB standpoint? Do I need more for the size of my table (5 1/2 foot by 3 foot). Currently supplementing with RepCal Phosphorus - Free
+ D3 sprinkled on food 1x weekly. 24-7 access to cuttlebone on table. Should I eliminate RepCal? Shell seems a-bit-softer-than-it should-be. That's why I added it once a week.

Also, how far should a basking lamp hung from the carapace? I currently have a RED 100 watt heat bulb that hangs about 6 inches from the carapace. Am I burning my tort as this close range? Should I move it higher up? I stick my hand under it and do not get burned, but then again, my hand is flat on the floor of the table, not raised 4.5 inches like my torts carapace. Any help/suggestions would be most appreciated. I am still new to tortoise keeping and eager to learn!

Thanks again,

Janine

Kate mentioned adding possibly 1 CHE and 1 MVB, hanging the CHE in the middle. Wouldn't that eliminate a cool side and a hot side in favor of an overall rise in ambient temp for the whole table, or am I missing the point?
 
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