lighting question

[Dcatalano]

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.

Tom,
I adopted a Russian and think I need a new light/heat set up. Your 4 types message is helpful but now I’m confused.
How many lights/heat sources are needed? I currently only have one ceramic heat bulb, as was the set up I acquired. I know I need UVB, at least until summer. I do not have a separate basking light.
Can someone share pics of their set up?

 

[Tom]

Tom,
I adopted a Russian and think I need a new light/heat set up. Your 4 types message is helpful but now I’m confused.
How many lights/heat sources are needed? I currently only have one ceramic heat bulb, as was the set up I acquired. I know I need UVB, at least until summer. I do not have a separate basking light.
Can someone share pics of their set up?

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.

 

[Dcatalano]

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.

I asked my husband to get a flood light for basking and he bought an LED, and I was thinking I wanted incandescent from reading through some things around here. Are they interchangeable?

 

[Tom]

I asked my husband to get a flood light for basking and he bought an LED, and I was thinking I wanted incandescent from reading through some things around here. Are they interchangeable?

They are not. LEDs are great bulbs for lighting our homes. They use very little electricity, and they last forever, but they produce almost no heat, so they are useless as a basking lamp for our tortoises. Great for lighting up the enclosure though.

 

[Dcatalano]

They are not. LEDs are great bulbs for lighting our homes. They use very little electricity, and they last forever, but they produce almost no heat, so they are useless as a basking lamp for our tortoises. Great for lighting up the enclosure though.

That's what I thought. See... I'm learning! I appreciate your expertise.