Optimizing Temperature and Light for Turtle Tables

[Earl Walter]

Hi,
I am currently using a Vivexotic Deluxe turtle table that is approximately 4ft x 2ft. I currently have a D3 combination basking lamp, but I am having trouble maintaining a consistent 80-degree F temperature, which is important for the health of my turtles. Although the D3 basking lamp provides heat and UVB, I feel that the light from this lamp is not strong enough to cover the entire enclosure.
To improve this situation, I am considering adding an Arcadia T5 12% reptile lamp. I think that using both lamps will help increase the light and temperature, creating a more comfortable living environment for my turtles. The T5 will provide the extra UVB needed and help increase the overall lighting in the table, which will help maintain the ambient temperature.
Any ideas? Help me?

[Nina]

Hi Earl, and welcome to The Tortoise table.

Just to be clear, are you aiming to have a temperature of 80F everywhere in the table, or just under the lamp? What you want is a gradient of temperatures, so that you have a temperature under your lamp at the warm end of 86F (measured directly under the lamp and at the height of your tortoise's shell) and about 68 at the cooler end. This is because tortoises are ectothermic and need to wander from cooler to warmer temperatures in order to thermoregulate. If you are struggling to get that temperature under your basking lamp, if you lower the lamp an inch or two, that will increase the temperature at ground level in the table.

Adding the T5 bulb will increase the light levels a bit (they aren't super bright) and add a lot more UVB, but it is a fluorescent tube and gives off almost no heat at all, and I'm also wondering if that would be overdoing the UVB in the table -- not sure. If you want extra light you could always put in a low energy bulb that gives off light but no heat, or add a lower wattage ordinary household 40W or 60W bulb to give extra light and heat -- but remember that for most species you want a cool end of 68F and a warm end of 86F, so you don't want to increase the temperature at the cool end too much. What species do you have, as that could make a difference?

Nina