I need some help (UV question)

[melvings]

I have a baby sulcata, I'm from Puerto Rico and the temperature in my island fluctuated between 75 Fahrenheit at night to 95F in a day. My question is, how many hours can I use ultraviolet light. "Sorry for my English"

 

[JoesMum]

Hello

The ultraviolet (UVB) light is mimicking the sun.

If your tort gets outside for an hour a day then no UVB is necessary. Otherwise the lamp needs to be on for 12 hours.

Your tort must also be able to bask in full direct sun (not through glass) or under a lamp. It does this to raise its internal body temperature so it can be active and, most important, to digest its food. This lamp must be on 12 hours a day too. If your tort is kept completely outside, you won't need a basking lamp.

I'll post a lighting summary next.

 

[JoesMum]

Here's a lighting summary:

Your tort needs:

1. A basking lamp
This must hang vertically, not at an angle. Basking is essential to raise your tortoise's core temperature so it can digest food.

2. UVB light
Read the instructions for the source to see how close to the substrate it must be. UVB is essential so your tort can process dietary calcium and have healthy bones and shell.

Both 1 and 2 are available from the sun for those able to live outside.

UVB does not pass through glass or perspex(plexiglass) - light must be direct to be effective not through a window. Mesh screening can also interfere with UVB.

3. A minimum overnight temperature (see the care sheet for your species) and complete darkness at night to sleep.


Notes

(a) A Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB) provides combined UVB and Basking. Alternatively you can use 2 bulbs: a tube UVB and a reflector bulb for basking (a household reflector - not low energy or halogen - from a hardware store will do the job; it's the wattage that counts)

(b) Ignore any references to UVA you may read - it's misleading marketing speak.

(c) Compact coil UVB harms tortoise eyes and must not be used.

(d) Basking and UVB should be on a timer so the light(s) are on for 12 hours a day. Temperature under the basking is regulated by its height above the substrate.

(e) Overnight, depending on your home, you may need additional heat. You get this from a CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) which must be on a thermostat.

(f) Torts have outstanding colour vision and love red and purple food. Coloured heat lamps colour tank decor and torts don't always apply intelligence to what they eat, resulting them in eating tank decor. Coloured bulbs should not be used.


Measurements

There are 4 important temperatures that you must know for an indoor enclosure.
- Directly under the basking lamp
- Warm side
- Cool side
- Overnight Minimum

You will need digital thermometers for accuracy.

A temperature gun thermometer (inexpensive from Amazon) measures temperature accurately in specific places like directly under the basking lamp.

A min/max thermometer so you know the min/max temperatures in your home by day and night.

You should also get a good digital probe hygrometer to measure humidity.

Thermometers and hygrometer that stick to the side of the enclosure tend to be less accurate.

 

[Lyn W]

Hi and welcome.
I think have seen some breeders say that they keep their babies indoors for the majority of time for the first couple of years or until they reach a certain size with short spells of limited, supervised time outside in a secure enclosure with shelter, water and shade available and also safe from predators - including birds that could pick it up. Also on wet days you will probably need a uvb lamp as recommended by JoesMum. But please don't use any coil or long thin loop cfl type bulbs as these have been known to damage torts eyes so its too great a risk to take with your torts health.
Have you seen the sulcata caresheet under species specific? That will tell you all about diet, temps, substrate humidity etc.
The Beginners Mistakes thread (link below) will help you avoid problems encountered by others and the Enclosures thread is full of great ideas.
If you post a picture of your enclosure you will get some good tips on how to make it as safe and tort friendly as possible.

 

[melvings]

Thanks!!

 

[Speedy-1]

If you can get him outside about 2 hours a day , he will only need a light inside for heat !

 

[melvings]

 

[melvings]

I build this terrarium for my baby sulcata, I don't now if I need something else.

 

[THEELEG]

I build this terrarium for my baby sulcata, I don't now if I need something else.

Needs to be covered to hold humidity in

 

[melvings]

How can I do that?

 

[THEELEG]

How can I do that?

Wood, plexi glass, tin foil, just needs to be covered to hold humidity in. Have you read toms sulcata hatchling post?

 

[THEELEG]

How can I do that?

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

 

[cmacusa3]

@Jodie can give you some easy ideas to add some plastic to help cover it. She has some really quick and great ideas.