Lighting for tortoise table?

a6t9vette

New Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2016
Messages
18
Happy new year.

I'm currently using a 100w ceramic element for heat and a mini CFL light uvb/uva for light. Both held in a double mini dome about 8-9" above the basking spot.
Based on recommendations I want to move away from CFL. I'd prefer not to scrap the entire set up I have now to do so though (stand, dome, ceramic emitter). What's my best option here. Was thinking that mounting a 24" bulb on the side of the table as I have seen several pictures of a set up like that but then also read the light should really be overhead. The table sides are about 10" now but with substrate (Zoo med forest floor) that's 2-3" less. Is mounting to the side ok or do I need to hang it from above? If so is there a preferred fixture?
Also open to other ideas too. Like use a MVL (although I do like being able to keep the heat on all night as it does give a good heat gradient now.

Thanks for any input.

IMG_1802.JPG
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Hi Bob:

I don't like the double dome because that means everything is concentrated in one spot. Whoever thought a double dome was a good idea, probably never kept tortoises in a tort table.

A good set-up for a tort table such as yours would be a 10" fluorescent UVB tube along one long wall of the habitat with a CHE in the middle over the end that has the hiding place and a regular 100 watt bulb in the middle over the other end. I would test the temperature all over the floor of the table and this will tell you whether or not the CHE will have to stay on 24 hours a day or if you can turn it off during the day.
 
Last edited:

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Happy new year.

I'm currently using a 100w ceramic element for heat and a mini CFL light uvb/uva for light. Both held in a double mini dome about 8-9" above the basking spot.
Based on recommendations I want to move away from CFL. I'd prefer not to scrap the entire set up I have now to do so though (stand, dome, ceramic emitter). What's my best option here. Was thinking that mounting a 24" bulb on the side of the table as I have seen several pictures of a set up like that but then also read the light should really be overhead. The table sides are about 10" now but with substrate (Zoo med forest floor) that's 2-3" less. Is mounting to the side ok or do I need to hang it from above? If so is there a preferred fixture?
Also open to other ideas too. Like use a MVL (although I do like being able to keep the heat on all night as it does give a good heat gradient now.

Thanks for any input.

I can't tell which species you have there. Advice will vary with the species.

I agree with Yvonne that the double dome idea is a bad one. I would move the basking rocks closer to the edge and hang a regular incandescent flood type basking lamp over them. The CHE should be set on a thermostat over the middle of the enclosure to help maintain ambient temperatures in the entire enclosure day and night. If you have a temperate species and your house stays relatively warm, then you won't need the CHE and thermostat at all. Finally, I'd get a long 10.0 tube and mount it over the entire enclosure. This will brighten things up and it will give your tortoise the needed UVB. The UV tube can run on the same timer as the basking bulb.
 

a6t9vette

New Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2016
Messages
18
So many different ways to do Things.

Tort is an Eastern Hermanns.

So there is no issue with a fixture Mounted along the inside edge of the table, not having to make something to hang the tube above would make life easier.
Assume you meant a 10.0 bulb not 10". If I mount on the inside edge I should be able to get a 24" bulb in there (table size is ~ 36" square). Thinking I should use a T8 (T5 HO would be likely be too close to Sheldon)
I'm in NJ and we don't keep the house overly warm. With the 100w CHE the basking spot stays right around 95 and areas around vary from that down to ~68 in the dark corner. Thought having that variant was a good. If that is the case what's the need for the additional 100w incandescent (can't even get them anymore)?
 

Maro2Bear

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
14,712
Location (City and/or State)
Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
In my set up,

CHE = overall ambient heat ( no light )
Incandescent = lighted up the enclosure from 0700-1900 ( produced some heat )
24" Long 10.0 florescent = UVA/UVB (limited hours)

Hope that helps!
 

Markw84

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 17, 2012
Messages
5,042
Location (City and/or State)
Sacramento, CA (Central Valley)
So many different ways to do Things.

Tort is an Eastern Hermanns.

So there is no issue with a fixture Mounted along the inside edge of the table, not having to make something to hang the tube above would make life easier.
Assume you meant a 10.0 bulb not 10". If I mount on the inside edge I should be able to get a 24" bulb in there (table size is ~ 36" square). Thinking I should use a T8 (T5 HO would be likely be too close to Sheldon)
I'm in NJ and we don't keep the house overly warm. With the 100w CHE the basking spot stays right around 95 and areas around vary from that down to ~68 in the dark corner. Thought having that variant was a good. If that is the case what's the need for the additional 100w incandescent (can't even get them anymore)?
Yes, there is potentially an issue mounting the UV on the side of an enclosure. A good UVA/B source should be mounted ABOVE the basking area. Tortoises, Like most animals, have ridged "eyebrows" for a very good reason = To protect the eyes from the overhead sun when the UV is the highest. Basking type tortoises will bask mostly for heat, and incidental to that will pick up UVB. They will instinctually place themselves and arrange their position by where they sense the heat coming from. In nature, that will also allow the way they are built to absorb and at the same time, to protect the eyes from UVB. If you have the heat basking source coming from a very different direction than the UVB source, and the UVB source is indeed strong, you can have problems. I always position my UVB sources where it will be overhead to the basking area.
 

a6t9vette

New Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2016
Messages
18
Ok, so I made a structure to be able to mount a tube above the table width wise and provisions to mount two other dome/similar for a CHE and maybe a second incandescent as recommended.

I'm looking at the reptisun 10.0 T8 24" bulb but haven't really found a fixture I want to buy yet. Any recommendations, do I need a reflector? I'd prefer something that maybe could hang from chains so I can tweak it's height.

Also from more reading it seems that the single dome I was going to get for the CHE says not to use them with it. What are other options then a cage as they seems very in efficient?
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
The reflector IS the fixture. And there are little hole thingeys on top of it for you to be able to attach a chain or whatever.

The view from the bottom showing the light tube:

Fluorescent UVB light a.jpg

And then the view of the top side showing the brand and the little hanging eyes:

Fluorescent UVB light b.jpg
 
Last edited:

a6t9vette

New Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2016
Messages
18
Ok. I call that the fixture. It have seen some with a reflective shield and others without. That's what I'm referring to as the reflector which I assume would take some of the light going up and reflect back down.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
I really like this setup because it is very bright and I notice a difference in my babies' activity right off the bat when I changed out the lights.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
I'm glad Mark wrote what he did about the position of the light. Mine all hang over the habitat, but I've noticed a few members who have theirs mounted on a back wall of the enclosure, so I thought that was ok. Live and learn.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
I used to use CHEs and had them mounted in a large dome 10" or bigger. There was never a problem using the large dome.
 

a6t9vette

New Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2016
Messages
18
Thanks for all the advice. Sheldon got his lighting upgrade completed today:

24" reptisun 5HO, 10.0 UV bulb (16-18" above surface)
65W flood light in front
100W CHE in the back

Basking area under flood is holding between 95-100F. Tweaking the CHE a bit. When it was over rock before it would dissipate more of the heat. Now that it's mostly over the mulch it's holding hotter in a small area so I'm adjusting the height as needed.

IMG_1805.JPG IMG_1806.JPG
 
Top