lighting and heating...again

[betturbutter]

I have already asked about a lighting and heating question and that one was answered. i have a couple of new questions i'm hoping some of you can answer. I know i have to get some sort of UV lighting and that the long tubes are the best. I want to know which watt do i get? Is UVA or UVB better? Also for the heat lamp which watt do i get? Is there a difference between a 5" and 8" lamp besides the size? Which brands are the best? Is there a lamp that is three-in-one (heat,uv,light). Do i need to seperate heat lamps for day and night? All of these questions are for a hatchling sulcata. Any information on any of these questions will help.

 

[deadheadvet]

Zoomed T5 HO work really well.
Find a good flood light for basking.
100W should work.
1000bulbs.com is a good source for stuff.

 

[betturbutter]

Zoomed T5 HO work really well.
Find a good flood light for basking.
100W should work.
1000bulbs.com is a good source for stuff.

Thank you. i will is a flood light the long tube lights? is the flood light for UVB?

 

[deadheadvet]

Flood light would be only for heat. You can use MVB, but they will not put out any UV after about 3 months.
The T5 bulbs are strictly UV

 

[betturbutter]

Flood light would be only for heat. You can use MVB, but they will not put out any UV after about 3 months.
The T5 bulbs are strictly UV

Will the T5 last longer? The heat lamp should be 100 watts? did i get this right?

 

[Dizisdalife]

I have already asked about a lighting and heating question and that one was answered. i have a couple of new questions i'm hoping some of you can answer. I know i have to get some sort of UV lighting and that the long tubes are the best. I want to know which watt do i get? Is UVA or UVB better? Also for the heat lamp which watt do i get? Is there a difference between a 5" and 8" lamp besides the size? Which brands are the best? Is there a lamp that is three-in-one (heat,uv,light). Do i need to seperate heat lamps for day and night? All of these questions are for a hatchling sulcata. Any information on any of these questions will help.

Your tortoise needs UVB rays in order to synthesize vitamin D3 and in turn, metabolize calcium.
I believe there are two types of heat that are required for a hatchling enclosure. The first is a basking heat that is around 100F and the second is an ambient heat for the enclosure that is lower than the basking spot. Usually around 80F for hatchlings. To make the basking spot I used a flood/spot light (https://www.google.com/search?q=flo...XlyAHz4ICgCg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1440&bih=685) and a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) for the ambient temp (https://www.google.com/search?q=ceramic+heat+emiter#q=ceramic+heat+emitter&tbm=shop).

The basking temp was set by adjusting the height of the flood/spot light and using a temp gun to check the spot temperature (http://www.horizonhobby.com/products/tg1-infrared-thermometer-temp-gun-PXTPE1).
The ambient temp (which in my case was also the night temp) was controlled by plugging the CHE into a thermostat (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002CZ0J3E/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20).

Your tortoise needs to have a period darkness. Since CHE's emit no light I used these for night time heat and for ambient temp during the day.

A PowerSun MVB is a light that gives heat and UVB for your tortoise. I used one of these for about 6 months. After that my tortoise was outside enough that I didn't need to supplement UVB. He got plenty from the sun.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Re: RE: lighting and heating...again

I have already asked about a lighting and heating question and that one was answered. i have a couple of new questions i'm hoping some of you can answer. I know i have to get some sort of UV lighting and that the long tubes are the best. I want to know which watt do i get? Is UVA or UVB better? Also for the heat lamp which watt do i get? Is there a difference between a 5" and 8" lamp besides the size? Which brands are the best? Is there a lamp that is three-in-one (heat,uv,light). Do i need to seperate heat lamps for day and night? All of these questions are for a hatchling sulcata. Any information on any of these questions will help.

Deadheadvet has good input on UV bulbs. If I ever used artificial UV lighting I'd use the t5 based off his recent findings.

Your tort needs uva and uvb, not one or the other.

Your basking bulb wattage will depend on your enclosure set up. A closed chamber keeps heat in therefore requiring lower wattage bulbs. An open tort table needs higher wattage bulbs. You might have to play around with different bulbs to see which one gives you the basking temperature you need. Using flood lamps or regular incandescent bulbs (like the ones around your house) are good, inexpensive options for basking bulbs.

When you say 5"/ 8" lamp are you referring to the dome size? Larger domes are better for most bulbs. The smaller the dome the more concentrated the heat is. Lower wattage bulbs may do fine but the hotter the bulb the more dangerous that can be. I use 10" domes.

The CHE set up on a thermostat is great for maintaining your ambient temp and night heat.

 

[betturbutter]

I have already asked about a lighting and heating question and that one was answered. i have a couple of new questions i'm hoping some of you can answer. I know i have to get some sort of UV lighting and that the long tubes are the best. I want to know which watt do i get? Is UVA or UVB better? Also for the heat lamp which watt do i get? Is there a difference between a 5" and 8" lamp besides the size? Which brands are the best? Is there a lamp that is three-in-one (heat,uv,light). Do i need to seperate heat lamps for day and night? All of these questions are for a hatchling sulcata. Any information on any of these questions will help.

Deadheadvet has good input on UV bulbs. If I ever used artificial UV lighting I'd use the t5 based off his recent findings.

Your tort needs uva and uvb, not one or the other.

Your basking bulb wattage will depend on your enclosure set up. A closed chamber keeps heat in therefore requiring lower wattage bulbs. An open tort table needs higher wattage bulbs. You might have to play around with different bulbs to see which one gives you the basking temperature you need. Using flood lamps or regular incandescent bulbs (like the ones around your house) are good, inexpensive options for basking bulbs.

When you say 5"/ 8" lamp are you referring to the dome size? Larger domes are better for most bulbs. The smaller the dome the more concentrated the heat is. Lower wattage bulbs may do fine but the hotter the bulb the more dangerous that can be. I use 10" domes.

The CHE set up on a thermostat is great for maintaining your ambient temp and night heat.

Yes i was refering to the dome size. Thank you for explaining the difference.

 

[mike taylor]

Pictures say a thousand words so I'm going to show you what works for me . This tank is five foot by twenty inches by twenty inches . Ok in one fixture I have just a normal 40 watt lamp. In the double fixture i have a 40 watt lamp and a 100 watt che . For uvb I use a 24" tube fixture. The che is on a thermostat set at 80 for night heat . And I have the 40 watt lamps on a timer on at six of at eight. The uvb is on the same timer . The fogger is a reptifogger. I just turn it on as needed .

 

[deadheadvet]

Heather is exactly right on choosing wattage for heat. It is totally dependent on an open table set up vs a closed system that will trap heat better. I have both, so I use a space heater in the room where the tortoises are housed plus spot lights for feeding/basking and have heat tape as well in parts of the set up.