Table Light/Heat Question

[Lulu]

Now that our heat wave has broken, my table is running about ten degrees lower than I'd like. I want to replace my heat source (just a 75 watt red light bulb that we already had -- definitely not wedded to it by any means). The table is also a little dark, in my opinion. It's got UVB and Cecil is going outside, so I'm not sure I need any kind of specialty light/heat source. Have I read in other posts that it is OK to use some kind of regular light bulb as a heat/light source? Is there a bulb that is good for plants? If so, I'd be able to pick up some more from the organic nursery to plant in the table to break up line of sight. Any suggestions for a good replacement?

 

[Tom]

Ditch the red bulb. I'm not a fan of those for day or night. If your tortoise get regular sunning sessions outside then any old regular incandescent bulb will work fine to give him daylight and heat. If your tort doesn't get much sunshine, then a mercury vapor bulb is the way to go. Really, you can just use a MVB either way and be extra covered. If you need night heat, then ceramic heating elements are my favorite. All heat, no light and they last forever.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I disagree with Tom in the red bulb black bulb area. I have used black light bulbs for years and my sister used them for one hundred years before me and so far no problem with them. I use the black light bulbs for nighttime heat and in the day a 100 watt incandescent bulb heats up just fine. So altho we have differing opinions on some things Tom and I are still friends, we just disagree on some things and that's fine to do...

 

[Tom]

Yep Maggie's right. I think it would be helpful if we explained our difference of opinion...

I like the CHE's because they last forever AND I like it dark at night, both for my torts AND me. According to the scientists, they also produce a little different wavelength of heat that is supposed to penetrate deeper. It also means that ALL of the electricity is producing warming heat for my torts, vs. the colored bulbs that still generate 20% light for the electricity used.

An advantage of the "colored" bulbs is that they are much cheaper and they give you a distant visual cue that they are on and working.

Either one works for night heat...

 

[Yvonne G]

...and one more thing that Tom failed to mention:

Sometimes, if you use a red or black bulb during the day, it makes the food or even the substrate appear different in the tortoise's eyes. Some tortoises eat substrate and it was determined that the keeper had a red or black light on during the day, making the substrate appear to be food.

Having said that, I prefer to use black lights for overhead heat at night. But I turn them off in the morning and back on at night.

 

[Lulu]

Thanks for the help! My daughter's been sick so haven't been able to get out (tried soaking her but it hasn't helped, so reduced to laying on the couch and watching TV). I'll pick up a regular bulb probably today. Haven't noticed any problems with the red bulb, but had plans to get a CHE when it gets colder anyway. Looks like we're getting hot again next week so we'll be back to happy torts and unhappy humans.