Upgrading enclosure heat issue! (Closed Chamber)

[Cstu650]

So I plan on upgrading my Russian tortoise enclosure into a closed chamber enclosure. I purchased a used one that has bulb mounts on the top but my issue his heat regulation since I can’t adjust the bulb distance for the basking area and I don’t wanna have an open top for humidity reasons. Is there anything I can do to regulate the basking temp? Maybe a different bulb or a dimming bulb I’m not sure.

thank you

 

[Tom]

You can hang a separate fixture from the ceiling that is adjustable for height. Or run your bulb through a rheostat to dial it up or down as needed.

 

[Cstu650]

You can hang a separate fixture from the ceiling that is adjustable for height. Or run your bulb through a rheostat to dial it up or down as needed.

Zoo Med PowerSun UVB and UVA Mercury Vapor Lamp 100 Watts is the current bulb I have and I heard they cant be used with rheostats. is there another bulb setup i can use,

 

[Tom]

Zoo Med PowerSun UVB and UVA Mercury Vapor Lamp 100 Watts is the current bulb I have and I heard they cant be used with rheostats. is there another bulb setup i can use,

That is correct and you shouldn't be using that anyway. They run too hot for a closed chamber, they are expensive and delicate, they cost too much, some of them stop producing UV prematurely, and worst of all, they cause pyramiding.

There are four elements to heating and lighting:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb.
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. You'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT.
3. Light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html

All of this and more is explained here:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Cstu650]

That is correct and you shouldn't be using that anyway. They run too hot for a closed chamber, they are expensive and delicate, they cost too much, some of them stop producing UV prematurely, and worst of all, they cause pyramiding.

There are four elements to heating and lighting:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb.
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. You'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT.
3. Light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html

All of this and more is explained here:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

If I were to run the incandescent floods through a rheostat would that be fine since the enclosure I have

That is correct and you shouldn't be using that anyway. They run too hot for a closed chamber, they are expensive and delicate, they cost too much, some of them stop producing UV prematurely, and worst of all, they cause pyramiding.

There are four elements to heating and lighting:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb.
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. You'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT.
3. Light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html

All of this and more is explained here:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Using a incandescent bulb can I use a rehostat or dimmer to control the temp rather then height adjustment?

 

[Tom]

If I were to run the incandescent floods through a rheostat would that be fine since the enclosure I have

Using a incandescent bulb can I use a rehostat or dimmer to control the temp rather then height adjustment?

The answer is probably. Maybe. Only your thermometer can answer this question for you. Every enclosure is different.