RT seems to hide from UVB bulb

[icenine]

Hey all, thanks for the help the past few weeks; I got my questions answered, but a new one has come up!

It appears my RT, when kept inside (as I have to) enjoys the heat bulb, but when I switch it to a UVB (when I'm away for school for example) he just hides from it. Supposedly they need the UVB for calcium and they also see it and become more active, but if I turn the UVB on and put him anywhere where he can see it, he just hides. ALL DAY. If I don't put him outside or wake him up to eat or something, he will literally spend ALL DAY hiding, ESPECIALLY if the UVB is on.

I've heard it's conceivable certain torts have sensitive eyes to certain UVB bulbs. Is this the case? what's the remedy? Thanks!

 

[ascott]

This is a tort that seems to have had a lot of changes in his world....so besides the time of year being the wind down time---he may be just too close to that uvb....also, when you burn a new uvb it is likely going to take it a couple of weeks to burn even so it may peak and drop in the amount of rays it puts out....so how do you have it set up in the enclosure?

Yes, a torts eyes can be very sensitive to artificial uva/uvb...you say that when you turn the heat off then turn the uvb on he retreats...is there a reason you do not run both at the same time? Perhaps he is retreating because the heat has "gone away" more so than hiding from the uvb?

 

[icenine]

This is a tort that seems to have had a lot of changes in his world....so besides the time of year being the wind down time---he may be just too close to that uvb....also, when you burn a new uvb it is likely going to take it a couple of weeks to burn even so it may peak and drop in the amount of rays it puts out....so how do you have it set up in the enclosure?

Yes, a torts eyes can be very sensitive to artificial uva/uvb...you say that when you turn the heat off then turn the uvb on he retreats...is there a reason you do not run both at the same time? Perhaps he is retreating because the heat has "gone away" more so than hiding from the uvb?

I have it clamped to the side. I don't really have a viable way to hang it, unless I got a whole separate external fixture, which I don't have the money for right now... I don't have both because I haven't bought another lamp cone thing, though I've definitely considered it might be a possibility. The thing is when I put the heat light there but don't put him under it, he'll chill out with the light on. But if I put the UVB on and don't put him under it, he'll usually hide.

The other thing is that I'm nervous about running the heat lamp during the day while I'm at school, I might be away for 6 or 7 hours I don't want it to fall into the enclosure or explode and cause fire or something like that

 

[stinax182]

i suggest putting his heat light and uvb light on a timer for 12 hours a day. with the clamp lights, i just put a screw where the clamp goes onto the cage so it can't fall (don't screw it on!) but your tortoise perceives light as heat so if you run only the uvb at times, it won't give enough heat for him to bask under it and light without heat they usually ignore for the most part. try running both during the day and he should come out more

 

[Edna]

Tortoises bask/seek heat (from the sun or your heat lamp) and get UVB incidentally as a result of basking. Your tortoise is not interested in getting UVB. Without the heat light, your temps are not warm enough to encourage your tort to be out and about. You need a second light fixture, or an MVB bulb that delivers both heat and UVB. Short term, if you must have only one bulb, heat is probably more important for your tort's health than UVB (my opinion).

 

[wellington]

If your tort gets outside a lot during the summer warm months, then the uvb isn't as important as the heat. Some members don't use UVB in the winter, as their torts are outside all summer long. However, if your tort doesn't get a lot of outside time during the summer, then he has to have both heat and UVB, both are very important. Insure the heat light won't fall and leave both on. If you don't want to do that, then when you get home, have both lights on.

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

Exactly what type of UV bulb are you using? and how is it mounted? (maybe this was mentioned elsewhere and I missed it)

 

[icenine]

Thanks for all of the responses!

StudentoftheReptile I am using a ZooMed ReptiSun 5.0 Compact Fluorescent UVB, mounted on the side of a large plastic enclosure pointing down on the far left side of the enclosure (his hide and burrow-of-choice are on the opposite side)

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

Thanks for all of the responses!

StudentoftheReptile I am using a ZooMed ReptiSun 5.0 Compact Fluorescent UVB, mounted on the side of a large plastic enclosure pointing down on the far left side of the enclosure (his hide and burrow-of-choice are on the opposite side)

That may be part of the problem. Some people have reported issues with CFLs.

Although the manufacturer states these bulbs can be positioned either way, you may want to try mounting the bulb in a different fixture in a horizontal orientation, instead of pointing down into the enclosure. Studies done by http://www.uvguide.co.uk (unfortunately, their section on CFLs is under revision) have shown the horizontal mounting provides a more optimal UV emission coverage.

Or...you can play it safe, and convert to a traditional tube florescent lighting arrangement that no one has yet to report any issues with.

 

[fabfourgirl1964]

This is a tort that seems to have had a lot of changes in his world....so besides the time of year being the wind down time---he may be just too close to that uvb....also, when you burn a new uvb it is likely going to take it a couple of weeks to burn even so it may peak and drop in the amount of rays it puts out....so how do you have it set up in the enclosure?

Yes, a torts eyes can be very sensitive to artificial uva/uvb...you say that when you turn the heat off then turn the uvb on he retreats...is there a reason you do not run both at the same time? Perhaps he is retreating because the heat has "gone away" more so than hiding from the uvb?

I have it clamped to the side. I don't really have a viable way to hang it, unless I got a whole separate external fixture, which I don't have the money for right now... I don't have both because I haven't bought another lamp cone thing, though I've definitely considered it might be a possibility. The thing is when I put the heat light there but don't put him under it, he'll chill out with the light on. But if I put the UVB on and don't put him under it, he'll usually hide.

The other thing is that I'm nervous about running the heat lamp during the day while I'm at school, I might be away for 6 or 7 hours I don't want it to fall into the enclosure or explode and cause fire or something like that

Zoo Med has a double lamp set up for heat and UVB. Each side has it's own switch. I have a lamp stand with it and use a timer that will come on and go off after 12 hours. When it got too hot in the room during the summer months here, I just switched off the heat for a while by it's own switch.

 

[Tom]

Those coil bulbs can damage their eyes and shouldn't be used. Apparently, you are one of the lucky ones and your tortoise figured this out BEFORE he went blind from it. If you need UV then try a mercury vapor bulb or a long tube type fluorescent instead of the cfl.

Your tortoise needs heat all day, so that he can thermoregulate and warm up to digest his food. I would be worried too, if I was relying on those clamps. They fail all the time. Either move the enclosure under something like a shelf, or build some sort of rack so that you can hang your bulbs from directly over head. This will also allow you to easily adjust the height of your bulbs to get the right temps.

 

[lynnedit]

Those coil bulbs can damage their eyes and shouldn't be used. Apparently, you are one of the lucky ones and your tortoise figured this out BEFORE he went blind from it. If you need UV then try a mercury vapor bulb or a long tube type fluorescent instead of the cfl.

Your tortoise needs heat all day, so that he can thermoregulate and warm up to digest his food. I would be worried too, if I was relying on those clamps. They fail all the time. Either move the enclosure under something like a shelf, or build some sort of rack so that you can hang your bulbs from directly over head. This will also allow you to easily adjust the height of your bulbs to get the right temps.

Yes, ditch the compact fluorescent bulb. For now, just replace it with a regular house bulb 75 or so if you need more light, or just use the heat bulb.
Since you have a heat source, the ZooMed Reptisun 10.0 tube fluorescent light could work. Get the closest length to the long side of your enclosure and set it up, with the heat/basking light positioned on one side.
Or, replace the whole set up with a Zoomed Powersun MVB on one side. However, if part of your enclosure is too dark, you will need an extra house bulb midway down anyway.

As far as something to hang the bulbs on (and an MVB absolutely needs to be hung facing straight down, it cannot be clamped at an angle), people have made a frame: a piece up each side, with a crosspiece to hang lights from, out of PVC, or 2x2's or 2x4's.

 

[icenine]

So I should ditch the UVB? Everyone here told me I had to get UVB for him, I didn't have another option at my local petco :/ I can't keep replacing/updating these things, as a college student I don't have the money for it since these UVBs are like $50 each..

 

[Tom]

If your tortoise will be awake and indoors all winter, then yes, you should provide a bulb for UV. There are three main types:
1. Mercury Vapor bulbs.
2. Tube style florecsent bulbs
3. Coil type compact fluorescent bulbs

#s 1 and 2, don't damage their eyes, #3 sometimes does. Ditch number three and get number 1 or 2.

MVBs are easiest for a Russian. Just hang it over one side, set it on a 12 hour timer, adjust the height so you get the right temp, and you are done.

If you use the fluorescent tube, you will still need a heat source. A regular incandescent flood bulb will work fine for this. A ceramic heating element will work too. Either way, you still need a fixture and it still needs to be on a timer.

I wish they would stop selling those coil bulbs, but as long as people keep buying them, they will keep putting them on the shelves.