How much uv and how to measure uv light ? For sulcata tortoise

[karlscaff93]

Hi I’ve been doing some research into uv light but Carnt seem to get my head around it ....
so I thought somebody on here my be able to help me out ....

Is there an ideal light range for sulcata tortoises ?

How am I able to measure the uv light ?

Do standard combination lights (uv/basking) give out enough uv light to keep a sulcata healthy or is extra uv light needed to give them a more natural environment?

 

[MichiganMan]

Solarmeter 6.5R

 

[Tom]

Whoa. That is a big question. I'll try to keep it brief...

No one has concrete answers to this with accompanying numbers. We've made our best guesses, and come up with a wide range of possibilities and that all seem to work. This is why you will see so many differing answers to this question, and potentially, all of them can be right.

To measure UVB output, you need a Solarmeter 6.5. You are just guessing without it. They cost $250, but you'll save that in unnecessary bulb replacement meant in a couple of years, because most bulbs last a lot longer than most people seem to think. Manufacturers and sellers tell you to replace the bulbs every six months, but I have bulbs that have been running daily for three years and still make excellent UV. hat a waste and what an expense it would be to throw perfectly good working bulbs away and replace them. I guess its good if you are a business and want to sell more bulbs.

Once you get a meter, then you have to decide which strategy suits you best:
1. Low levels of UV on all day over the whole enclosure.
2. Higher levels of UV on for 3-4 hours mid day, simulating what happens outside daily.
3. High levels all day, but only on one side of the enclosure.

Each of these strategies, and infinite gray areas between them, will work to keep your tortoise healthy. Your UV meter will tell you how high to mount your bulbs and how long they are lasting so you always know what is going on in the enclosure. This is especially important for this heat loving species in your not so hot climate, since they will be indoors most of every year.

This is all complicated by the fact that most people have an outdoor pen to use in fair weather, and most people also supplement the diet with D3. Both of which are beneficial in your situation.

Here is my preference on lighting. There are two ways to go with the UV tubes. All other products on the market are inferior, damaging, or dangerous. ZooMed HO 10.0 tubes, or Arcadia 12% HO tubes. Make sure they are "HO" (High Output) and don't waste your time or money with 5.0 stuff. Tube length doesn't matter. The Arcadia bulb is very strong and must be mounted farther away. The ZooMed bulb is not as strong, so lends it self well to shorter enclosures. Again, only with the use of a meter will you be able to tell if your bulbs is mounted at the correct height.

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 warm enough. Do not use "spot" bulbs, mercury vapor bulbs or halogen bulbs because these bulbs are overly desiccating and cause pyramiding even in good living conditions.
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. You may need more than one heating element to spread the heat out for a given enclosure.
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. I like the ZooMed 10.0 HO, and the Arcadia 12% HO. 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. Plexi-glass or screen tops will filter out some or all of the UV produced by your bulb.

Hope this explains it all in enough detail. Feel free to ask questions and/or make conversation. That is why we are all here!

 

[karlscaff93]

Hi tom thanks for your reply .... would you recommend something like this ? With 2 of the tubes changed to Arcadia 12% ho and 2 tubes changed to 5000k - 6500k .... With a basking bulb like you have mentioned ? is there a ruff guide at how much uv this species should be getting or is the reading on the solar meter supposed to be similar to the output of the bulb ?

 

[Tom]

A unit like that would work for a large tortoise in a large enclosure.

A low level of UV would be 2 o 3 on your 6.5 meter. A high level would be 6 or 7. I'm around 7 here mid day in the summer or late spring in full sun. That is a VERY high level, and I wouldn't want that for more than about 3 hours mid day, and they need to be able to hide from it if they want to. A level of 4 or less, could safely be run all day, but they would still need areas to hide from it. Shade, so to speak.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I purchased my SOLARMETER from Josh's Frogs.
They sell the model 6.5R for just $200.
It's a nice, simple unit.
And it's the only way to measure UVB

 

[karlscaff93]

Thanks for the reply again if it’s okay I’m going to rack your brains a bit more though .... I have an enclosure size of 8x6 ft the light holder in the picture is 2ft long and can hold 2 tubes which I would run for 2 hours a day everyday ... would a radiant heat panel like the one in the picture be suitable (on a thermostat ) mounted on the side wall or from the ceiling? And something similar to the basking bulb in the picture okay ?