Heating and lighting

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Doris
Posts: 2
Joined: 12 Oct 2021, 19:37

Heating and lighting

Post by Doris » 12 Oct 2021, 20:10

Hi, I have a vivexotic deluxe tortoise table approx 4ft x 2ft I currently have a d3 combined basking lamp. I need an ambient temperature of 80 degrees how can I get more heat onto the table. There does not appear to be much light can I use a Arcadia T5 12% reptile lamp as well as my D3 basking lamp. I have 2 baby sulcatas

CritterMama
Posts: 43
Joined: 21 Mar 2021, 13:43

Re: Heating and lighting

Post by CritterMama » 17 Oct 2021, 16:45

Doris wrote:
> Hi, I have a vivexotic deluxe tortoise table approx 4ft x 2ft I currently
> have a d3 combined basking lamp. I need an ambient temperature of 80
> degrees how can I get more heat onto the table. There does not appear to
> be much light can I use a Arcadia T5 12% reptile lamp as well as my D3
> basking lamp. I have 2 baby sulcatas

Hello Doris!
I don't know sulcatas - I have a baby Western Hermann's. However, despite my best efforts to the contrary ;) , I have managed to learn a few things about heating and lighting. It's good that you know what your babies' requirements are in terms of heat, humidity, and UVB. You don't mention live plants, so I won't address plant lights (unless you want me to).

I'm not a fan of "combination" lights - I think it's easier to manage heat and UVB if you have separate light sources for each. In looking at the product information page from Arcadia about their D3 light it seems they agree. They say "we always encourage the use of a linear UV lamp for effective UV provision." (https://www.arcadiareptile.com/lighting ... king-lamp/) I have had good luck with halogen bulbs (the "screw in" type) for basking. Make sure to use a floodlight and NOT spotlight which has too narrow a "beam". With regard to UVB, I use T5 HO linear bulbs.

To achieve the correct the temperature and UVB you really need a couple tools - otherwise you're just guessing. First, if you don't already have a thermometer with a probe (so you can take a reading down at shell-level), you should definitely get one. The ones I have also read humidity ("hygrometer") which is very handy. You can get in degrees Fahrenheit or in Celsius.

On the topic of heat another tool I highly recommend is a Digital Temperature Gun. I really like the Etekcity Lasergrip. So, in addition to the "ambient" readings from the thermometer/hygrometer, I use the temp gun to test temperatures at specific spots in the enclosure (such as on the basking rock, or at the "cool end", etc.) You can read more about digital temperature guns here: https://www.top5reviewed.com/digital-te ... #tab-con-5

Moving on to UVB, you need a UVB meter. I really like the Solar Meter UV Index Meter Model 6.5. They also have one specifically geared toward reptiles - it has ferguson zones and a pretty picture of a lizard on the outside, but inside it is the exact same meter so don't pay more for one over the other! Some folks have even made their own which is *way* less expensive, but some say it has less functionality. Read more here: Arduino UV Index Meter – Measuring UV Light https://dronebotworkshop.com/arduino-uv-index-meter/

So, bottom line is that you need to get readings for both your heat and UVB so that you can adjust your lamps higher or lower as needs be. You might also decide to get a stronger (or weaker) bulb to meet your needs. For example you might decide you need an 80W halogen vs. a 65 W (for basking), or an Arcadia 6% vs. 12% (for UVB). You have to get the correct values for both heat and UVB for your critters. I hope this helps. If you have questions, bounce back.

Links:
Thermomter/Hygrometer https://www.amazon.com/Rojuna-Hygromete ... LVQK&psc=1

Solar Meter UV Index Meter Model 6.5: https://www.solarmeter.com/product/model65/
Etekcity Lasergrip 774 (there are newer models - this is the one I have: https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergr ... r=1-3&th=1
Critter Mama

One Husband, one Bearded Dragon, one Panther Chameleon, one Labrador Retriever, and now a baby Hermann's Tortoise!

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