Night heat required?

[mini_max]

We've got our Russian tort inside as its winter here. We have our furnace on so the house stays pretty warm. We are monitoring his humidity and keeping at a good level.

At the lowest his terrarium might drop to like 67 in the late hours of the night at worst but is most likely hovering around 70. Do I really require night heating? We are switching up all our lighting because he's seeming to want to sleep in the day and be up at night. We are thinking too bright and hot during day and just right at night which is why he's gotten all muddled up. Given that I'd kind of like to lose the night light and heat because I think that will give him a better sense of night time.

He's a burrower, so I'm not sure these few degrees I'm worrying over will really affect him when he's under his coir anyway?

Also, does an infrared bulb give uva and uvb? If so I am temped to use it as his day heat and light because he is in a very sunny room, so brightness from an artificial source isn't that necessary...I don't think...

 

[mini_max]

Actually I'm pretty sue infrared has nothing to do with uv light. So new question - what is a gentle source of uv light and heat? Can anyone recommend a good product?

 

[lismar79]

One of these may work great for you
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002DHO6S/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
With a humid enclosure I would worry about high 60's low 70's I would worry about him getting sick. A low watt che ( depending on the size of your enclosure) would solve your problems. I use a 50 w che in my russians and it gives me mid 70's for night heat.

 

[TortMomma]

I though with Russians as long as it doesn't go below 60 you don't need a heater. I may be wrong but I'm fairly sure that's what I've heard on here.
Maybe @Tom can help clarify.

 

[mini_max]

Please, that would be great. As I said, he's going a couple inches under anyway, so I think he's kind insulated anyway. And as I said - high 60s at worst.

Thanks

 

[lismar79]

I only let mine get to mid 70's...at night its 73-74ish lower in some places but in her hide wherebshe sleeps its more like 75. With the humidity though I would worry about 60's. Depends too on the age of tort. Mine is an adult so humidity is not high. Hopefully an xpert will clariffy

 

[Tom]

You do not generally need night heat for a russian. One possible exception would be keeping one warmer at night in an effort to stop it from trying to hibernate.

They like it bright during the day and dark at night. I would not use infrared bulbs with them day or night.

Are you using a coil type bulb?

Here is a care sheet that explains heating and lighting:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

 

[TortMomma]

You do not generally need night heat for a russian. One possible exception would be keeping one warmer at night in an effort to stop it from trying to hibernate.

They like it bright during the day and dark at night. I would not use infrared bulbs with them day or night.

Are you using a coil type bulb?

Here is a care sheet that explains heating and lighting:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

Thanks for your input Tom!

 

[mini_max]

You do not generally need night heat for a russian. One possible exception would be keeping one warmer at night in an effort to stop it from trying to hibernate.

They like it bright during the day and dark at night. I would not use infrared bulbs with them day or night.

Are you using a coil type bulb?

Here is a care sheet that explains heating and lighting:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

For day I am using a coil uvb and a 100 w uva / basking bulb. I think that this combo may be a little too intensely bright, and maybe a touch too warm. I want to change to a single Mercury vapor bulb (plus I now know that coil uvb bulbs are bad - thanks for the horrible recommendation petsmart...grrr). Also I am ditching the infrared as of today. I will monitor temps, but I am not feeling that he needs it.

 

[Tom]

The coil bulb is likely burning his eyes. Its not too bright. They like it bright. Its that coil bulb.

 

[mini_max]

Thank you. I am hopeful that a change in lighting will work wonders!

 

[Krabby]

I don't use any type of heat for my 2 RT's at night.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

My concern would be the low heat at night with humidity. That's bad. Russians do like a drop in temp at night, but I didn't give mine a humid environment.
I had a yearling Sulcata blinded by a coil bulb. You don't need it, get rid of it. I'm looking at Solar Glo bulbs for $39.99 at TortoiseSupply. The Powersun have just gotten too expensive for me.

 

[mini_max]

Coil bulb has been removed. And not running the infrared seemed to work! At 1 am he'd unburrowed but was fast asleep, and was still asleep at 730am when I turned on his basking light! If he was able to sleep comfortably outside his burrow, I am inclined to think that the temp was to his liking.
Now off to buy the merc vapor bulb. Does Anyone know, do they sell those at regular pet stores? I'm thinking maybe not, since they offered me that awful coil thing when they were misguiding me through my set up.

 

[Tom]

Coil bulb has been removed. And not running the infrared seemed to work! At 1 am he'd unburrowed but was fast asleep, and was still asleep at 730am when I turned on his basking light! If he was able to sleep comfortably outside his burrow, I am inclined to think that the temp was to his liking.
Now off to buy the merc vapor bulb. Does Anyone know, do they sell those at regular pet stores? I'm thinking maybe not, since they offered me that awful coil thing when they were misguiding me through my set up.

They do sell them at most pet stores, but they will be cheaper online. You can use a regular household incandescent bulbs for heat and light until you get your MVB.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Coil bulb has been removed. And not running the infrared seemed to work! At 1 am he'd unburrowed but was fast asleep, and was still asleep at 730am when I turned on his basking light! If he was able to sleep comfortably outside his burrow, I am inclined to think that the temp was to his liking.
Now off to buy the merc vapor bulb. Does Anyone know, do they sell those at regular pet stores? I'm thinking maybe not, since they offered me that awful coil thing when they were misguiding me through my set up.

Get a 100 watt Solar Glo from Tortoise Shack on line...$39.99. A pet store will charge over $50. Use a regular incandescent bulb until you get one on line....cheaper!!!

 

[mini_max]

Thanks for all the help everyone! Bought an mob at petsmart in the interest of getting it sooner but will buy online thereafter. Max thanks you too!