Russian Tortoise UVB (are MVB bad?)

Ray--Opo said:

A lot of us use the tubes. Arcadia has a set up but not sure if it's in your price range.

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1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt floods from the hardware store. I run them on a timer and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. You can mount a fixture on the ceiling, or hang a dome lamp from the ceiling. Go lower or higher wattage if this makes the enclosure too hot or not arm enough.
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 like sulcatas or leopards. I like this thermostat: https://www.lllreptile.com/products/13883-zilla-1000-watt-temperature-controller. Put the probe in the coolest corner away from all heating elements. Unless your house get unusually cold at night, you can skip this step for a Russian. Night lows above 60 require no night heat.
3. Light. I use florescent tubes for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most tubes at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. I've been using LEDs lately and they are great, and run cooler than a florescent. This can be set on the same timer as the basking bulb.
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. It helps to have a UV meter to test and see what your bulb is actually putting out at your mounting height.

Tom said:

All the MVBs are temperamental, frequently burn out prematurely, have over-heating problems, and at least some of them stop producing any UV within 3 months. The worse thing about them though is that they give off high levels of IR-A, which contributes to pyramiding in growing tortoises. I no longer recommend them for tortoises.

If you need indoor UV, the best way to provide it is with any of the newer HO tubes. ZooMed makes on that can be mounted around 16-18", and Arcadia makes a 12% HO tube that should be mounted around 20" away. A UV meter is an indispensable tool in making sure your tortoise is getting enough UV, but not too much. I usually only run these bulbs for about 3 hours mid day. When used this way, I've got some over three years old and still making good UV. They are reliable and trouble free. Makes it easy.

There are four elements to heating and lighting:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt floods from the hardware store. I run them on a timer and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. You can mount a fixture on the ceiling, or hang a dome lamp from the ceiling. Go lower or higher wattage if this makes the enclosure too hot or not arm enough.
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 like sulcatas or leopards. I like this thermostat: https://www.lllreptile.com/products/13883-zilla-1000-watt-temperature-controller. Put the probe in the coolest corner away from all heating elements. Unless your house get unusually cold at night, you can skip this step for a Russian. Night lows above 60 require no night heat.
3. Light. I use florescent tubes for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most tubes at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. I've been using LEDs lately and they are great, and run cooler than a florescent. This can be set on the same timer as the basking bulb.
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. It helps to have a UV meter to test and see what your bulb is actually putting out at your mounting height.

Click to expand...