Tortoise Table Lighting

[cosmonautred]

Hello all,

I'm getting a custom tortoise table made by my uncle. 8 foot by 4 foot. I'm very excited about it, but one thing I'm very unsure about is how to light it/heat it, and what exactly I need to do so.

I live in the UK, so the winters can be quite cold, and even summer can be cold and dreary sometimes. I have no idea how to light his tortoise table. I have no idea what he needs. What lighting rigs, what bulbs, anything. How many basking spots does he need? Can you get bulbs that are both for heat and for UV? Should I turn these off at night, even in a tortoise table? In the winter, should I swap the heat bulbs with ceramic bulbs and leave those on 24/7?

I need somebody to point me in the right direction. This forum has been extremely helpful so far, so thank you for that. My tort should have his new house in the next few weeks. I just need to know what finishing touches I need to make it a home. What options do I have available?

Any other bits of general advice would be much appreciated. As an add-on, I'm also wondering about enrichment. What sort of stuff would he need?

Thanks!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Hello all,

I'm getting a custom tortoise table made by my uncle. 8 foot by 4 foot. I'm very excited about it, but one thing I'm very unsure about is how to light it/heat it, and what exactly I need to do so.

I live in the UK, so the winters can be quite cold, and even summer can be cold and dreary sometimes. I have no idea how to light his tortoise table. I have no idea what he needs. What lighting rigs, what bulbs, anything. How many basking spots does he need? Can you get bulbs that are both for heat and for UV? Should I turn these off at night, even in a tortoise table? In the winter, should I swap the heat bulbs with ceramic bulbs and leave those on 24/7?

I need somebody to point me in the right direction. This forum has been extremely helpful so far, so thank you for that. My tort should have his new house in the next few weeks. I just need to know what finishing touches I need to make it a home. What options do I have available?

Any other bits of general advice would be much appreciated. As an add-on, I'm also wondering about enrichment. What sort of stuff would he need?

Thanks!

Hello! Glad to see you back and so glad to hear you’ve got your uncle aboard to build you a custom table!

Fear not! The forum has the answers to all your questions

The links added in first response of your original thread might help clear up any confusion and give you an idea for equipment(I compiled a list in my housing thread along with product photos) but I’ll go through some bits here with you and add product links too

So first thing to address with the cold, from what I remember, you don’t wish to brumate your tortoise over winter do you? Because of how cold our winters get, for folks who don’t brumate their temperate species over winter here, do really benefit from a closed set up, this is definitely achievable in multiple ways for a custom 8x4 table, you could look into a greenhouse covering, or perhaps something like this frame with pvc panels attached? This is someone else’s custom built 8x4


This would definitely help lock in heat during winter.

Lighting wise, you want to avoid all in one heat and uvb bulbs(covered in the common keeping errors thread)
Its best going with a separate uvb and heat set up, having combined heat and uv, means when adjusting your height to create the desired basking temperature, you’re messing with your UVI zone, they are much more desiccating on the shell and their uv output often very unreliable.
There’s the added fact of uv timing, with the uv timing, every other source of information will tell you 12hours of uv. This is essentially an old fashioned rule that has stuck with a lot of keepers, it stems from the presumption that once the basking light or ambient lighting is on, ie the ‘sun’, that uv must coexist the same amount of hours. Fact is, uv rays only peak for a few hours a day, anyone with a uv meter will confirm this. No tortoise is blasted with 12 hours of uv in the wild, therefore it’s not necessary in captivity. Whilst not necessarily dangerous, it’s potentially annoying to the tortoise to have 12hours on uv in the enclosure.
The right uv bulbs are much more expensive to replace once their uv strength diminishes, so it’s definitely best having it on a 4 hour timer that provides them with all the uv they need, saving your bulb life.
Then some cheaper led lighting for your ambient 12 hour light cycle as well as the basking light on the same 12hrs, your ceramic(s) if needed, will run 24/7 on a thermostat.
The most recommended up to date indoor uv option is t5 tube fluorescent bulbs, they disperse the uv light over a much wider area. Recommended brands are Arcadia proT5 kit or zoo med reptisun t5(hood usually sold separate) id personally recommend the Arcadia, mounted 18-20 inches from the substrate.

For lighting fixtures, you want ceramic fittings, the basking light will need a dome and preferably any ceramic bulbs you use will need one too, something like this(but please ask around for dome suggestions, we personally don’t have to use them in our set up, so I’m struggling to find ones big and wide enough in the uk)

Exo Terra Glow Light

Porcelain clamp lamp with glow reflector Day and night fixture in one Heat resistant porcelain socket

www.reptiles.swelluk.com

If for your ambient lighting, if you want a regular screw in led, that can go in a smaller cheaper dome, but I’d probably personally go for strip lighting. That will be mounted in the middle on a 12hour timer. Your ambient lighting is to light the entire enclosure during the day, you create shady areas with hides and things.

Only one basking spot is needed, with a reptile floodlight, directly under that bulb you want it ranging 95-100f, this bulb will be mounted further one end of the enclosure. This will be on the same 12hour timer your ambient leds are on.

Mount the t5 tube uvb as close to the basking light you can get it that one end. This needs to be on a separate 4hour timer from around noon.

All lights go off at night, tortoises need complete darkness to sleep.

If your worried ambient and night temperatures are going to be a struggle in winter, this is where ceramic bulbs come in, they’ll be no need to swap any bulbs around, if you want ceramics, either mount one in the middle, or if using two, mount one either end equally apart for a more even heat distribution, they will run 24/7 on a thermostat, the thermostat is what will turn them on/off as and when needed so your tortoise isn’t dropping below a certain temperature. They are none light emitting, so are find going on&off at night, you’ll simply plug the ceramic into the thermostat and forget about it.

Heres some uk product links(do feel free to shop around for better prices though!)

Basking light;

Arcadia Solar Basking Floodlight

Powerful UVA basking bulbs that simulate the sunlight Uses Infrared heat Provides heat reptiles need to thermoregulate for good health

www.reptiles.swelluk.com

These are the LED’s we personally use, but again these are kind of a pricey brand so do feel free to look for others!

White Python Daylight White LED Kits

Daytime white modular LED lighting kit Recreates daytime sunlight in your terrarium A wide range of kits to choose from

www.reptiles.swelluk.com

This is the uvb kit, there’s no avoiding this expense unfortunately because off brands are too unreliable;

Arcadia Pro T5 UVB Kit - Desert 12%

Highly adaptable lighting kit producing UV-rich light Links up to multiple kits Fix inside a vivarium or place upon a wire mesh glass terrarium

www.reptiles.swelluk.com

Ceramic bulb;

Arcadia Ceramic Heater

Ceramic bulbs emit heat without light Can easily be used alongside UVB lighting A great heat source for ectothermic species

www.reptiles.swelluk.com

They will need a thermostat, an on/off one will do, 600-1000watts is what to look for, we personally use the microclimate brand.

Plug in wall timers, one for basking and ambient(use a power strip to plug both into it), then one for your t5 uv;

Amazon.com: Defender 24 Hour Segment Timer Switch - Energy Saver Plug Standard Size - Hour Plug-in Timer Socket Set - 240v 3 Pin Plug with Programmable Time Controller : Tools & Home Improvement

Buy Defender 24 Hour Segment Timer Switch - Energy Saver Plug Standard Size - Hour Plug-in Timer Socket Set - 240v 3 Pin Plug with Programmable Time Controller: Timers - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.co.uk

Pond lining to protect your base;

Amazon.co.uk

We use swell reptile orchid bark, you’ll likely need up to 8 20l bags(I know it’s pricey, but it won’t need replacing if maintained properly)

If wanting a coir base, I’ve used this brand, this listing is decent value for money

Amazon.com : Coco

This is the digital monitoring we use;

EXO Terra Digital Reptile Thermohygro Combometer PT2470 for sale online | eBay UK

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for EXO Terra Digital Reptile Thermohygro Combometer PT2470 at the best online prices at eBay UK! Free delivery for many products!

www.ebay.co.uk

But some have had more success with these types, again feel free to shop around

Amazon.co.uk

Temperature gun(there’s lots on the market, this is just an example)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ERICKHILL-Thermometer-Non-Contact-Adjustable-Emissivity/dp/B0C72MDQ2Z/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Things you also need I don’t have links to at this moment are;
-possibly a better 10 inch brooder dome with ceramic fitting
-Some kind of greenhouse or homemade topper(but diy will probably be your best bet)
-Chain/clothing line and wood to make stands for hanging light fixtures
-Clay terracotta saucer for water, garden sections do them cheap!
-Feeding slate/clay saucer
-Thermostat for ceramics, lots out there!

If you refer back to those links in your original thread too, there’s lots of visual examples of mounting all of your lighting too in the 3rd and 4th links. (response#2)

New Enclosure

Hello all 👋 I'm looking to buy a tortoise table/vivarium that is large enough for my tortoise, as the one he currently has is now too small. He is a 3 year old Russian tortoise. I live in the UK, and I have absolutely zero construction experience. I don't even know where to begin. He will...

tortoiseforum.org

Enrichment wise, hides and some visual barriers are your best bet, they like having their line of vision broken up, hopefully you’ll find some decor inspo in those links.

Really hope this all helps!!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Also just as a word of preemptive advice! Setting all this up is possibly going to feel overwhelming or frustrating at times, but know that it’s completely normal for every new set up to need tweaks and adjustments to get all the levels correct, we can be here to help offer advice every step of the way