Usage of UVA and UVB

[Stalvros]

I read that UVA and UVB are both necessary to the tortoise.
My question is, how long do I switch them on for?

At the moment, my UVA bulb is switched on from 6am - 9pm
My UVB light is switched on from 6am - 9am

Is this ideal?
Please let me know what adjustments to make.
I need directions.

Temp has always been maintained between 28 - 32 degrees
Humidity has always been maintained between 68 - 80 percent

 

[Missy]

I have a uva/uvb in one. It comes on at 7am and off at 9pm. What type tortoise do you have?

 

[wellington]

We could better help with a little more info. What kind of tort, does it get any outdoor sunshine if so how often and how long. Most likely your light needs to be on for 10-12 hours, however with more info we could tell you a more accurate answer.

 

[Stalvros]

Oh, the turtles I have are yniphora.
My apologies if I didn't mention enough information.
Please let me know what other information you need.

You mean there's such a thing as UVA/UVB lamp in ONE?
The ones I got is UVA lamp ONE
and UVB lamp TWO .

Where do you purchase the UVA/UVB lamp all in one?

 

[wellington]

They are called Mercury Vapor Bulbs (MVB) Check out Amazon.com and other popular internet reptile sites. Also if you have a petco, petsmart, or any other small animal/reptile store in your area. Not cheap, but they are the best and last longer.

 

[Madkins007]

Actually, almost ALL UVB bulbs emit about 3 times more UVA than UVB- it is almost never necessary to offer both.

If your tortoises get about an hour of sunlight a week (or a few hours a month, etc.), then UV bulbs, of any kind, are unnecessary.

As for duration, they only need about an hour of exposure a day under the lights, but since we also provide a lot of shade and hides (right?) it is generally considered enough to run them for about 6 hours a day or so, and plain white bulbs the rest of the day.