how to keep a tortoise entertained

[1289Gabe]

I just moved his enclosure outside. He seems much happier now.

 

[1289Gabe]

A T5 HO bulb. Either the ZooMed 10.0, or the Arcadia 12%. Either one is good and long lasting. I run mine on a timer for about 3 hours mid day to simulate the UV spike that happens daily outside. Be sure to mount them far enough away. These are good for any species in a climate that needs indoor UV due to a long frozen winter.

In SD, you really don't need indoor UV. Your climate is warm enough and weather nice enough that you can rely on outdoor sunshine for UV.

A T5 HO bulb. Either the ZooMed 10.0, or the Arcadia 12%. Either one is good and long lasting. I run mine on a timer for about 3 hours mid day to simulate the UV spike that happens daily outside. Be sure to mount them far enough away. These are good for any species in a climate that needs indoor UV due to a long frozen winter.

In SD, you really don't need indoor UV. Your climate is warm enough and weather nice enough that you can rely on outdoor sunshine for UV.

What bulb should I use for heating?

 

[Tom]

What bulb should I use for heating?

If you get an enclosure from Mark and Will, everything will already be included.

• There are four elements to heating and lighting:
  1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt floods from the hardware store. I run them on a timer and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. You can mount a fixture on the ceiling, or hang a dome lamp from the ceiling. Go lower or higher wattage if this makes the enclosure too hot or not warm enough. Do not use "spot" bulbs, mercury vapor bulbs or halogen bulbs because these bulbs are overly desiccating and cause pyramiding even in good living conditions.
  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 like sulcatas or leopards. I like this thermostat: https://www.lllreptile.com/products/13883-zilla-1000-watt-temperature-controller. Put the probe in the coolest corner away from all heating elements. You may need more than one heating element to spread the heat out for a given enclosure.
  3. Light. I use florescent tubes for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most tubes at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. I've been using LEDs lately and they are great, and run cooler than a florescent. This can be set on the same timer as the basking bulb.
  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. I like the ZooMed 10.0 HO, and the Arcadia 12% HO. Which type will depend on mounting height. It helps to have a UV meter to test and see what your bulb is actually putting out at your mounting height. Plexi-glass or screen tops will filter out some or all of the UV produced by your bulb.