Heating lamp

Brian 2548

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My tortoises heating lamp keeps blowing (stops working) once a month or so I don’t know why anyone got any advice
 

Maro2Bear

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Greetings.

Exactly what kind of bulb? Is it on a timer? Is it in a shield? Do u often experience power surges?
There are lots of reasons that bulbs do this. More often than not, it’s user error of some sort.
 

Brian 2548

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Greetings.

Exactly what kind of bulb? Is it on a timer? Is it in a shield? Do u often experience power surges?
There are lots of reasons that bulbs do this. More often than not, it’s user error of some sort.
it in a shield and it is plugged into an extension which has a surge protection on it it is also turned off at night here is the one I buy.
6EC404F1-5D56-4020-B6E4-BB1C973DD209.jpeg
 

FrankIinTheTortoise

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it in a shield and it is plugged into an extension which has a surge protection on it it is also turned off at night here is the one I buy.
View attachment 312958
Those bulbs aren't really good. I think the problem is the bulbs. I strongly suggest buying a CHE. They're about the best heat bulbs you can find on amazon, I use them too: Amazon.com: Simple Deluxe 150W 2-Pack Ceramic Heat Emitter Reptile Heat Lamp Bulb No Light Emitting Brooder Coop Heater for Amphibian Pet & Incubating Chicken: Pet Supplies
 

Yvonne G

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Is the bulb screwed into a ceramic fixture or a Bakelite fixture? That type bulb gets too hot for the Bakelite fixture and burns out the bulb.
 

Brian 2548

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Tom

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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. 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.
  3. 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 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. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html
Notice I do not mention mercury vapor bulbs, and CHEs are not mentioned as a basking bulb. There is a good reason for this...
 

FrankIinTheTortoise

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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. 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.
  3. 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 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. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html
Notice I do not mention mercury vapor bulbs, and CHEs are not mentioned as a basking bulb. There is a good reason for this...
He never said he needed a basking bulb he just said it's the kind he got. He's probably just looking for a good heat bulb.
 

Tom

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He never said he needed a basking bulb he just said it's the kind he got. He's probably just looking for a good heat bulb.
Post number one starts with: "My tortoises heating lamp keeps blowing..."

Heat lamps are for basking. You recommended a CHE. That is for ambient temperature maintenance, not basking.
 

Tolis

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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. 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.
  3. 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 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. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html
Notice I do not mention mercury vapor bulbs, and CHEs are not mentioned as a basking bulb. There is a good reason for this...
Do you use a ceramic fixture on both the incandescent basking bulb and the CHE used for ambient heat?
 

Lyn W

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Just a thought - when you say shield is that another name for a dome ?
I remember reading that the deep, narrower type can cause bulbs to overheat so I use a wide dome and thankfully not had a problem with bulb life yet.
 
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Diane Berner

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The basking bulbs they sell in pet stores or online pet trade are notorious for having a short life. All you can do is keep returning them to the stores and getting replacements according to store policy. I work for one of the major pet stores and every time someone buys a bulb I tell them to save their receipt.
 

Dcatalano

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The most important one in your situation is the basking bulb. This simulates the sun and allows them to warm up each day.

You may or may not need more ambient light, or more ambient heat. Depends on the light in the room and the temperatures in the room.

Sounds like you should also have a UV tube over the long frozen winters.
Ok. So the basking bulb and UV light are different? I would’ve thought that would be one light. Is there a place with recommendations for those types of setups, including UV bulbs? I ordered a double dome light for reptiles as recommended by the pet supply place and feel like that’s probably going to go back, based on this information. Many thanks!
 

Tom

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Ok. So the basking bulb and UV light are different? I would’ve thought that would be one light. Is there a place with recommendations for those types of setups, including UV bulbs? I ordered a double dome light for reptiles as recommended by the pet supply place and feel like that’s probably going to go back, based on this information. Many thanks!
Pet shops almost always give the wrong advice and sell you the wrong products.

You need and incandescent flood bulb for basking. These give off heat and light and simulate the sun indoors. They give off no UV.

You need an HO tube for UV. I like to run them for a couple of hours mid day to simulate the mid day UV spike that happens outside. You can turn it off in summer when they are getting outside time.

Most people need LED lighting to make thing brighter during the day.

Some people need ambient heat from a CHE or RHP on a thermostat, depending on your room temps and species.
 
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