Lighting and heat issues

[eliseandboris]

 

[eliseandboris]

I apparently have no forum skills and I had trouble posting words :/ Anyway…I’m taking over care for this tortoise and changed bulbs. The tank temp is lower. He used to have a red one at night. A coiled 150 UVB (pictured) and a basking lamp w less wattage than the 100 w he has now. I swapped out the UVB for 5.0 13 watt. and the 100w basking. What should I use to keep his tank warm at night? A blue light or ceramic bulb thingy? I’m lost and trying… Also going to change his habitat. I know the tank is bad

 

[TechnoCheese]

Welcome!
Have a read through this if you haven't already. It may answer some of your questions. https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-best-way-to-raise-any-temperate-species-of-tortoise.183131/
More great info here:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/

No colored bulbs. They can see both the color and the light. If you do need night heat, shoot for a ceramic heat emitter.

That compact bulb you bought is no good. Same problems as the coil. You need a 10.0 long tube florescent mounted at the correct height for the bulb type (T5 or T8).

Your light fixtures should be hanging straight down from a stand or sitting on top of the metal mesh lid cover. Those clamps are prone to failing (Happened to me, I got very lucky that my house did not catch fire and my tortoise did not die).

 

[eliseandboris]

Welcome!
Have a read through this if you haven't already. It may answer some of your questions. https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-best-way-to-raise-any-temperate-species-of-tortoise.183131/
More great info here:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/

No colored bulbs. They can see both the color and the light. If you do need night heat, shoot for a ceramic heat emitter.

That compact bulb you bought is no good. Same problems as the coil. You need a 10.0 long tube florescent mounted at the correct height for the bulb type (T5 or T8).

Your light fixtures should be hanging straight down from a stand or sitting on top of the metal mesh lid cover. Those clamps are prone to failing (Happened to me, I got very lucky that my house did not catch fire and my tortoise did not die).

Thank you! I’m at the pet store right now. Any idea what’s safe to use as a night bulb that will maintain temps? I’m worried I’ll overheat him and not be able to get into the office :/

 

[TechnoCheese]

Thank you! I’m at the pet store right now. Any idea what’s safe to use as a night bulb that will maintain temps? I’m worried I’ll overheat him and not be able to get into the office :/

Be sure not to buy a ceramic heat emitter at a pet store, they've been insanely priced at like 50$ recently, at least near me, when you can get 2 or 3 for like 10$ on amazon. You would need a thermostat to control the temperature of the ceramic heat emitter. You may not even need night heat if your temps are not getting lower than 60 or so, Russians do fine with a night temp drop (though it can be beneficial to keep the temperature above 70 if you're having trouble keeing them awake for the winter).

 

[eliseandboris]

Be sure not to buy a ceramic heat emitter at a pet store, they've been insanely priced at like 50$ recently, at least near me, when you can get 2 or 3 for like 10$ on amazon. You would need a thermostat to control the temperature of the ceramic heat emitter. You may not even need night heat if your temps are not getting lower than 60 or so, Russians do fine with a night temp drop (though it can be beneficial to keep the temperature above 70 if you're having trouble keeing them awake for the winter).

It’s getting below 60 and I’m afraid he won’t be comfortable overnight. I’m stressing out really bad. Just looking at these ceramic lights and they say I need a clip on cage lamp. I’m going bonkers

 

[TechnoCheese]

It’s getting below 60 and I’m afraid he won’t be comfortable overnight. I’m stressing out really bad. Just looking at these ceramic lights and they say I need a clip on cage lamp. I’m going bonkers

In general, most products sold by pet stores will be in some way unsuitable for tortoises or any reptile, or have some aspect about them that is detrimental. Pet stores and reptile branded products are made to sell units, not necessarily to benefit the animal, and other than UVB height recommendations, I would take anything written on most products with a grain of salt. For example, those colored "night" bulbs being sold despite the fact that anything with eyes sees the light it produces, even if it can't see the color. My leopard gecko chases lasers even if he can't see red. If I put a red light over his enclosure, it would be like the sun being on 24/7. Tortoises, however, can see every color of light we can. Other than UVB, there is very little you need to purchase at a pet store for a tortoise, and it may save you a lot of stress to purchase products you need elsewhere.

If you cannot get a thermostat right this second, a low wattage CHE, like 50 or 60 watts, would probably keep the temperatures warm enough without any risk of overheating. However, this is entirely speculation, because only your thermometer can tell you what wattage you need. You might go with 100 watts in your climate.

I also see now that you're using a "spot" type bulb. It's better than nothing, but they are unsuitable for tortoises because they focus their light into a smaller beam and do not heat the shell evenly, as well as being very harsh on their shells. You want a flood incandescent, the type you used to be able to find in hardware stores before there was a ban put in place. You may have to order one or do your best to find a reptile branded one that is a flood, and not a "spot".

Ceramic heat emitter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3GLW5L5/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Thermostat: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I15S6OM/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Basking lamps (this one is reptile branded, but it is literally just an incandescent flood bulb you would buy at a hardware store that they stuck their brand on. This is the cheapest I found it): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006L2UC4/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

 

[eliseandboris]

In general, most products sold by pet stores will be in some way unsuitable for tortoises or any reptile, or have some aspect about them that is detrimental. Pet stores and reptile branded products are made to sell units, not necessarily to benefit the animal, and other than UVB height recommendations, I would take anything written on most products with a grain of salt. For example, those colored "night" bulbs being sold despite the fact that anything with eyes sees the light it produces, even if it can't see the color. My leopard gecko chases lasers even if he can't see red. If I put a red light over his enclosure, it would be like the sun being on 24/7. Tortoises, however, can see every color of light we can. Other than UVB, there is very little you need to purchase at a pet store for a tortoise, and it may save you a lot of stress to purchase products you need elsewhere.

If you cannot get a thermostat right this second, a low wattage CHE, like 50 or 60 watts, would probably keep the temperatures warm enough without any risk of overheating. However, this is entirely speculation, because only your thermometer can tell you what wattage you need. You might go with 100 watts in your climate.

I also see now that you're using a "spot" type bulb. It's better than nothing, but they are unsuitable for tortoises because they focus their light into a smaller beam and do not heat the shell evenly, as well as being very harsh on their shells. You want a flood incandescent, the type you used to be able to find in hardware stores before there was a ban put in place. You may have to order one or do your best to find a reptile branded one that is a flood, and not a "spot".

Ceramic heat emitter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3GLW5L5/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Thermostat: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I15S6OM/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Basking lamps (this one is reptile branded, but it is literally just an incandescent flood bulb you would buy at a hardware store that they stuck their brand on. This is the cheapest I found it): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006L2UC4/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Thank you so much for your help! Do you agree I need a basket cage for a ceramic bulb? If I get a low wattage just to help overnight for the moment is a regular lamp ok? Thank you!

 

[TechnoCheese]

No problem! You do not need a basket cage for a ceramic heat emitter. Any dome light fixture, preferably with a ceramic top where the bulb screws in, will work. It's really not desirable to have lights on at night, and I wouldn't recommend it, but if it gives you peace of mind for the time it takes for a CHE to come in, I doubt it would have any long term negative effects. It's just not great for an animal that depends a lot on its circadian rhythm to have the sun up for 24 hours a day. Remember that, for them, when the light's on, it's day time.

Try not to stress yourself out too badly. Russians are incredibly hardy and tolerant of a wide variety of temperatures, and it is incredibly likely the tortoise you have is wild caught and has experienced temperatures like that and much lower anyway. While sub 60 (~50-55) or so night temperatures might be undesirable long term, especially in an indoor enclosure, short term exposure to those temperatures is unlikely to have a long term negative effect on the tortoise as long as it has a 95-100 degree basking spot for 12-14 hours of the day

 

[eliseandboris]

No problem! You do not need a basket cage for a ceramic heat emitter. Any dome light fixture, preferably with a ceramic top where the bulb screws in, will work. It's really not desirable to have lights on at night, and I wouldn't recommend it, but if it gives you peace of mind for the time it takes for a CHE to come in, I doubt it would have any long term negative effects. It's just not great for an animal that depends a lot on its circadian rhythm to have the sun up for 24 hours a day. Remember that, for them, when the light's on, it's day time.

Try not to stress yourself out too badly. Russians are incredibly hardy and tolerant of a wide variety of temperatures, and it is incredibly likely the tortoise you have is wild caught and has experienced temperatures like that and much lower anyway. While sub 60 (~50-55) or so night temperatures might be undesirable long term, especially in an indoor enclosure, short term exposure to those temperatures is unlikely to have a long term negative effect on the tortoise as long as it has a 95-100 degree basking spot for 12-14 hours of the day

You are my hero. Seriously. Thank you SOOOO much!

 

[TechnoCheese]

You are my hero. Seriously. Thank you SOOOO much!

Happy to help, feel free to ask any more questions as they come to you. Thanks for trying to improve things for this tortoise

 

[eliseandboris]

Happy to help, feel free to ask any more questions as they come to you. Thanks for trying to improve things for this tortoise

Thanks He has come a long way and I’m so glad there are people out there like you to help!