one of the best ways to heat an enclosure is to use a ceramic heat bulb in a reflector lamp.these bulbs produce heat emitting infrared light, which is radiated through a ceramic housing. these bulbs heat evenly and their warmth penetrates deeper into the tortoise and since they produce no visible light they can be used at night. my redfoot tortoise prefers them over light bulbs.when properly placed they are completely safe to use and last far longer than conventional bulbs.one thing to remember:ceramic bulbs should be used with a ceramic socket, since they get warm enough to melt a plastic socket. ceramic fixtures are available at hardware stores and there are several reflector lamps available with ceramic sockets. ceramic bulbs come in a variety of wattages and the lower wattage bulbs work well for smaller enclosures. as with other heat sources, use an electronic thermometer to establish proper temperature. This text was taken from the book - Practical care and maintenance of the redfoot tortoise in captivity by Mike Pingleton.

In the Practical care of leopard and sulcata tortoises DVD they recommend using ceramics and therostats on tortoise tables as a good heat source method. This dvd is by A C Highfield of the tortoise trust.

Well said. I have been saying this for years.

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http://www.solaris-heat.com

well I'm going to stick with my megaray, as theres been no problem.

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These bulbs are just for heat, they give off no light so you will need to provide UVB and light still e.g megaray, trex, spotbulb and UVB strio.

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when i first cam n here i asked if people used ceramics and thermostats on their tables, alot of tem said i was wrong and that i didnt know what i was talking about and that i would kill my tortoises. i explained that i go my info from the tortoise trust, they still said i was wrong even though i have read several of the tortoise trust book and seen their dvds and come across this info on several occasions.
i can confirm that the tortoise trust do recommend that you use a uvb full spectrum tube and a ceramic. the ceramic is for controlled heat with a thermostat and the uvb tube is to replicate the sun light.

but if your getting the correct heat, light and UVB with a MegaRay the why would I need to use a ceramic?

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drummerkid

I concur with Sarah and Jason here, torts need heat,light and uvb..the above only caters for one of these needs..

also lets not forget what was said originally.. we didn't say your tortoises would die as you used ceramics over the hot end... you said this

a ideal temp isnt 28-32..thats the HOT end ideal temp range. you said put the sensor in the middle..which would give 30..in the middle..an even hotter end than that, and not much of a cool end. the Hot end should be 30-32..not the middle of the table. tortoises need a correct heat gradient..and this was were our complaints lay with you, not with ceramics per ce.so your new post to stir up a hornets nest and prove you were right imo hasn't done that

[edit] to add the original thread was in regards to thermostats not ceramics as such, bev said she used ceramics and that was fine, her temps were ideal if i remember correctly. thermostat < that's the thread btw

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im not here to cause trouble but you stated ceramics are nt often used with tortoises when clearly they are and ive found this info in several places in dvds and books published by the tortoise trust. the set up recommended is a ceramic with a uvb tube. the ceramic is used with a thermostat for controlled HEATING and the uvb tube is used for LIGHT AND UVB RAYS.

you're missing our points.. i never said they shouldnt be used.. just the way you were using them sounded incorrect.unless you phrased it wrong and intended something else.

you were using the stat in the middle of the table..not the hot end. And i still prefer a visible hot spot as such with my torts, as it mimics nature more so than a ceramic would.

Also for UVB output you can't beat the powersun,mega ray and t-rex combined. So yes that info may have been provided but as i've said before times change..and i'd always used a combined or a seperate bulb n uvb strip to a ceramic.

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