Help with UVB!

kr1202

New Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2021
Messages
27
Location (City and/or State)
NC
Hello!
I am a new owner of a leopard and doing my best to get everything right due to getting the incorrect supplies from where I received my little one. The next issue I am trying to fix is my UVB bulb. I have searched throughout the forums but unsure of what exactly to get. I currently have a coiled Fluker's sun glow fluorescent bulb. I am learning how harmful the coils can be with eyes therefore I want to get this right before I do run into this issue. So, sorry for asking a questions that has been asked and answered many times but here we are:

1. What would you recommend for UVB source in an indoor enclosure?
2. How do I go about placing the current coiled bulb horizontal until I get a new one? (pictures would be great because I am such a visual learner)
Bonus question: any recommendations on lighting set up in general? I have a basking light and UVB on the hotter side near each other currently with the UVB not directed in the basking area but more towards the center. (pictures of set ups and also encouraged here)

Thanks in advance!
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
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You'd be much better off not using any UVB if what you have is a coiled bulb.
You need a strip UVB tube.
An HO T5 5.0
You can also forgo this type of UVB source if your tortoise can get some outside time in the actual sun for a few hours a week.
 

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kr1202

New Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2021
Messages
27
Location (City and/or State)
NC
Thank you! Plan on shopping around tomorrow. Do you have any suggestions on durations to have these on? I was under the impression of during the day but now seeing it actually doesn’t need to be on all the time.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
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Southern California
Hello!
I am a new owner of a leopard and doing my best to get everything right due to getting the incorrect supplies from where I received my little one. The next issue I am trying to fix is my UVB bulb. I have searched throughout the forums but unsure of what exactly to get. I currently have a coiled Fluker's sun glow fluorescent bulb. I am learning how harmful the coils can be with eyes therefore I want to get this right before I do run into this issue. So, sorry for asking a questions that has been asked and answered many times but here we are:

1. What would you recommend for UVB source in an indoor enclosure?
2. How do I go about placing the current coiled bulb horizontal until I get a new one? (pictures would be great because I am such a visual learner)
Bonus question: any recommendations on lighting set up in general? I have a basking light and UVB on the hotter side near each other currently with the UVB not directed in the basking area but more towards the center. (pictures of set ups and also encouraged here)

Thanks in advance!
Turn the coil bulb off and don't use it. They can go along time with no UV at all. Feed some occasional Mazuri, and use a calcium supplement with D3 a couple times a week. That will hold him over even more.

There are four elements to heating and lighting:
  1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
  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. You'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night.
  3. Light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in bulb types are both fine.
  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. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html Here in our climate, you shouldn't need indoor UV.
 

kr1202

New Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2021
Messages
27
Location (City and/or State)
NC
Turn the coil bulb off and don't use it. They can go along time with no UV at all. Feed some occasional Mazuri, and use a calcium supplement with D3 a couple times a week. That will hold him over even more.

There are four elements to heating and lighting:
  1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
  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. You'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night.
  3. Light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in bulb types are both fine.
  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. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html Here in our climate, you shouldn't need indoor UV.
Thanks Tom!! So far basking has been in the 90s and looking good. Just got a thermometer gun to double check the area and I also have a rock to place there like you said. My ambient and UV are my next correction and your comment helped a lot along with your care sheet. I am in the winter months here in NC so getting the proper UV will be necessary for now. Thank you for always being so informative!
 
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