proper lighting for my tank

cliffordtherf

New Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2013
Messages
22
Location (City and/or State)
florida
ok so i have a 4 inch redfoot in a tank that is 36Lx18Wx12H inches ( it is the same size as my other 40 gallon tank only a few inches shorter)and i have a 13w uvb light and a 50w red light. i used to have a 60 or 70w blue light but i needed it for my bearded dragon. so does anyone know if these bulbs are ok or if i need to replace either of them?


also i leave both on all day and off at night, is this ok? my house is normally around the upper 70s or lower 80s.
 

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:

I'm worried that your "13w" UV bulb is the wrong kind of bulb. If it's a spiral compact fluorescent bulb, then it is harmful to your tortoise's eyes. You would be much better off using a tube-type fluorescent UVB bulb.

You want your RF's habitat to be an overall temperature of about 80F degrees. However you arrive at that temp is fine. The only important light is the UV light. After that you can use whatever you can find that gets you the correct temperatures. Some folks use the Ceramic Heat Emitters (CHE) to achieve the temperature. Some use red or black bulbs. Some use regular incandescent bulbs. Turning off the light at night is fine.
 

cliffordtherf

New Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2013
Messages
22
Location (City and/or State)
florida
yes i have a coil uvb bulb but i do plan on replacing it, the temp is 82 degrees right under the light so should it be hotter for a basking spot? i was told i can cover the screen with tin foil to hold in humidity and heat. thank you for the help
 
Top