What is the best lighting?

[brenchelley-o]

What do you recommend to use for an indoor tort table for a few young sulcatas? What brand, wattage, etc? I've been looking around and I'm not too sure what I should get. I was the best for my little guys until they can be outside all the time. Thanks!

 

[Livingstone]

Zoomed 100watt MVB in a 10" ceramic brooder fixture, positioned 12-13" above the substrate.

 

[Laura]

but Real sunshine is the best.. and nec for healthy torts...

 

[tczar]

try to use a southern facing window on bright days

 

[tortoisenerd]

Welcome to the group! Congrats on the torts. How many? How old? We love photos.

You get virtually no UVB through glass, and not much more than that having them near an open window, so the torts would need to go outside to get UVB from sun (over 70/75 F outside in a secure enclosure). I would use a 100 Watt Mega Ray or T-Rex Active UV Heat (not UV Heat, which has less UVB output, although cheaper), and replace it at least yearly. Buy a ceramic socket wide and deep hood fixture with a lamp stand (mount the bulb face parallel to the substrate), and a temp gun to measure temps accurately. The ZooMed Powersun would be my second choice, but I believe the Mega Rays are starting to ship out now (T-Rex Active UV Heat is still out of production last I heard). If you can get them out an hour a day while you watch them (or have a wired over secure enclosure), that is plenty of sun and will help them thrive, even when they aren't ready for 100% outdoor life. Make sure they are getting pure calcium regularly. Here's some older but still helpful data: http://www.uvguide.co.uk/mercuryvapourlamps.htm

 

[bettinge]

I agree with the Mega Ray bulb although I think the External Ballast EB may be the cheapest UVA and UVB solution on the market. Some may not like that this bulb does not put out much heat, but I like the idea that I can optimize the basking spot for both temperature and UVB. And since the EB has no filament to break, the bulbs have a MUCH longer expected life........I'm sold anyway.

Check out this video and you decide. I've spent tons of time on this site reading, watching and learning.

http://www.reptileuv.com/reptile-video.php?rv=SBorEB-MegaRay-300&nav=h#top

 

[handsomeEdger]

We use a Zoomed 10.0 uvb bulb and a 150w ceramic heater bulb.

 

[chadk]

There is a balance that needs to be made in regards to lighting, UVB, and heat. THere isn't really a once size fits all.

Sure, natural sun in their native environment would be best. But we don't all live in Africa or have the same climate. In fact, many have raised healthy sulcatas that have never seen the actual sun. Some have even raised healthy sulcatas with no UVB, but instead suppliment with Calc + D3.

But back to your question... Again, there is no single best solution. There are many factors you need to understand. First and foremost, you need to know what your tort needs (and understand what the gray areas are, and what the +/- tolerances are). Then you need to come up with a plan to meet those needs after doing the research you are doing now. Then put it all together and be ready to spend some time tweaking things to reach a point where you are satisfied with your setup. Then be prepared to observe and tweak more over time....

So basically you need to determine what room the tort will be in. This room will have a range of ambient temperatures. That means the basic temp of the room at the warmest part of the day and coolest part of the night. Some may have a temp controlled room where they are able to keep a constant ambient temp in the room. For many torts, it is good to have a warm day cycle and cool night cycle ("night drop").

You then need to consider the housing you'll provide. Glass aquarium type, tort table, etc. The more open design of most tort tables will mean that temps will be harder to control if the room ambient temps are too low. For example, if you want to put a tort table in your garage, and your garage gets to 40 degrees at night, your CHE (ceramic heat emitter) may not be enough to ensure the tort table temps stay above the desired 65 degrees (or whatever for your tort). But in another room that never drops below 65 degrees, a single CHE may be plenty enough heat for the night, or you may not need any extra night heat at all.

OK, I'm tired and just rambling, so hopefully that makes some sense. I'm heading for some coffee...

 

[DeanS]

Laura said it best...there is NO substitute for sunshine! But if an artificial source is your only source Zoo Med's MVB (at least 100W) would be your best choice. Forget about UV fluorescents...they don't do squat!

 

[handsomeEdger]

Although i have my mega ray 60w eb on order i would have to very much disagree that flourescents dont do squat...we have had our sulcata under the zoo med 10.0 for a little over a year and he looks great healthy eating, very active and no pyramiding and every one else we have compared sizes with close to the same age as him he is for sure better looking and larger. The only reason we are switching is because the zoomed bulbs are about 45 a pop and they really dont last that long but as far as the uvb capability they are good.

 

[Tom]

Although i have my mega ray 60w eb on order i would have to very much disagree that flourescents dont do squat...we have had our sulcata under the zoo med 10.0 for a little over a year and he looks great healthy eating, very active and no pyramiding and every one else we have compared sizes with close to the same age as him he is for sure better looking and larger. The only reason we are switching is because the zoomed bulbs are about 45 a pop and they really dont last that long but as far as the uvb capability they are good.

I'm very glad that your tort is healthy and doing well, but it has nothing to do with your flourescent bulb.

They really do not do anything to prevent MBD or help with D3 production or Ca assimilation. I say this based on 24 years of professional reptile experience with thousands of individual animals of dozens of species AND a few scientific studies that I read years ago that proved and confirmed exactly what I was seeing in the real world.

If that is your sole source of UV and your tort never goes outside for sunshine then I'd really suggest getting an MVB before its too late and you learn what I'm telling you the hard way. If your tort gets some occasional sunshine then you are probably fine and don't need to change anything.

My intention here is not to upset you, but to let all the newbies out there know that flourescent bulbs are NOT sufficient in and of themselves unless you are dealing with species like redfoots or box turtles that get D3 in their diet.

 

[handsomeEdger]

Well Tom you are correct that if all i was using is the uvb i would be in trouble yes but it is not and i dont believe i stated that. He does get sun as well as a calcium with vitamin d3 additive has his own seperate heat source. I am a newbie to this forum but not to animals/reptiles in which i have a college degree studying. If you have spent any length of time reading about uvb bulbs and the fact that they help synthesize vitamin d3 you would see that they are not completely useless and in fact they do help along with the other things i have stated. We also supplement a vitamin spray as we live in the pacific northwest and it is fast becoming winter her so we felt ti very necessary to provide the said supplements...but thanks for your concern and please keep up the good posts as i have gotten some good info from some of your other post on here.

 

[DeanS]

If he's going out in the sun...then he should not be getting D3 in any supplement. I would save that for the 4 months he'll have to spend indoors (being that you're from WA) As for UV bulbs and tubes providing anything other than heat and visibilty...it's highly doubtful...far betterr to spend the extra money on a MVB and KNOW you're getting what you paid for.

 

[handsomeEdger]

i have been looking into those lights and like i said ealier i have order the mega ray 60wat eb which is suppose to be the best on the market and have proven uv output from the readings on the sight and also he does have a heat source but i have also been considering using some extra lights just for the purpose of having it more light in his area

 

[PeanutbuttER]

Well Tom you are correct that if all i was using is the uvb i would be in trouble yes but it is not and i dont believe i stated that. He does get sun as well as a calcium with vitamin d3 additive has his own seperate heat source. I am a newbie to this forum but not to animals/reptiles in which i have a college degree studying. If you have spent any length of time reading about uvb bulbs and the fact that they help synthesize vitamin d3 you would see that they are not completely useless and in fact they do help along with the other things i have stated. We also supplement a vitamin spray as we live in the pacific northwest and it is fast becoming winter her so we felt ti very necessary to provide the said supplements...but thanks for your concern and please keep up the good posts as i have gotten some good info from some of your other post on here.

I think you missed Tom's point. He wasn't saying that UVB bulbs are a waste of time, he was saying that most are a waste of time because the UVB output is too much to one extreme or the other to provide any actual benefit to the tort. Also, unless I am mistaken many of the tube and CFL "petstore" UVB bulbs degrade rather quickly and will still be producing light and heat and look functional although the UVB output has decreased so much that they become useless.

I think you will be very happy with your new Megaray when it comes.