UV question

[tortiella]

Hi! I've been lurking around the forums, and while a majority of my questions have been answered, I just need some quick advice!

What UVB levels are recommended for Hermann's torts? Mine will be indoors. Also, should the tube in the link be suspended above or be installed directly in the interior of the enclosure? I have a half mesh lid, and my basking bulb will sit roughly 4" above the mesh area, since the total height of the enclosure is planned to be 12": http://www.lllreptile.com/products/...4CrGR9RRVKwUGmr2eMUtlcWmlimD_9CBoCiXMQAvD_BwE

Thanks!

 

[Tom]

Hi! I've been lurking around the forums, and while a majority of my questions have been answered, I just need some quick advice!

What UVB levels are recommended for Hermann's torts? Mine will be indoors. Also, should the tube in the link be suspended above or be installed directly in the interior of the enclosure? I have a half mesh lid, and my basking bulb will sit roughly 4" above the mesh area, since the total height of the enclosure is planned to be 12": http://www.lllreptile.com/products/...4CrGR9RRVKwUGmr2eMUtlcWmlimD_9CBoCiXMQAvD_BwE

Thanks!

That is the wrong bulb for a hermanni. They aren't a shade dwelling species and like to bask in full sun. There are two ways to do indoor UV: Lower levels on all day, or higher levels on mid day only. I prefer the latter as that is what happens outside. This also makes the expensive bulbs last for years since you are only using them for 2 or 3 hours mid day. Really though, you should not need indoor UV in your climate. If you want it anyway, get the 12% HO Arcadia bulb. It should be mounted around 18-20 inches away and you'll need a UV meter to verify. Screens will filter out some of the UV you are paying so much for. For all day use, a UVI reading around 2-4 is good. Be sure there are shaded areas and hides for the tortoise to escape the UV. For mid day only use, a UVI of 5-7 is good, still need that shade.

You should have an outdoor enclosure and use that to meet your tortoises UV needs in fair weather. Mid day in summer is too hot. Cold winter spells may be too cold, but there are plenty of in-between days and times where your tortoise can be outside for a few hours and get in some good basking, grazing and exercise, before returning to the indoor enclosure.

Don't obsess too much about the UV. They don't need it all day every day. They can go weeks with no UV at all. They store D3 in times of plenty, so its no problem to skip the UV for a couple few weeks in winter, or if you have a busy work week or two in summer. Dietary D3 supplements in the form of calcium with D3 or Mazuri will also meet their needs.

This may offer more help:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

The height of your heat lamp needs to be set with your thermometer.

 

[Markw84]

Hi! I've been lurking around the forums, and while a majority of my questions have been answered, I just need some quick advice!

What UVB levels are recommended for Hermann's torts? Mine will be indoors. Also, should the tube in the link be suspended above or be installed directly in the interior of the enclosure? I have a half mesh lid, and my basking bulb will sit roughly 4" above the mesh area, since the total height of the enclosure is planned to be 12": http://www.lllreptile.com/products/...4CrGR9RRVKwUGmr2eMUtlcWmlimD_9CBoCiXMQAvD_BwE

Thanks!

After you review the info @Tom has linked for you, I'm sure there are some changes you may wish to make to your enclosure.

If you already have the fixture you linked, that fixture puts out a fairly low level of UVB. It is a very good fixture, but it is the smallest they make and the 7% bulb is a lower level of UVB output. I do use that fixture over my turtle basking areas. With no obstructions, you will get a reading of 3.0 at 6". At 12" you will get about 1.1. So it is not really suited for tortoises. Keep in mind depending upon the type of screen you have, it will also filter out a substantial amount of the UV I quoted. A 1/2" mesh "hardware cloth" may only filter about 10%, but a screen like on a window can filter up to 50%.