Uvb light question

[Morty the Torty]

Hi guys, I hope someone can help me out here. I'm looking online at 2 different fluorescent bulbs by Repti Glo. One is a 5.0 for tropical and sub-tropical habitats, the other one is a 10.0 for desert habitats. They're both fluorescent, not compact. Also, how long of a bulb should I get for a 30L x 12W x 12H" enclosure? I really want to get this right so thanks in advance for your responses!

 

[jackrat]

What kind of tortoise is it for?

 

[Morty the Torty]

Sulcata

 

[ascott]

IMHO with you having a baby tort...I would go with their tube like which I believe is like 14" and start with the 5.0 and run that for about 12 hours per day...however I would place that across the top about center of your tank (not where there is glass nor screen blocking those rays into the enclosure )and place the heat basking bulb with uva at whatever end you plan as your hot side.....this will allow your little one to get heat for as long as he wants and also he can get perimeter exposure to the uvb and can come out of the hot spot closer to the uvb without staying too hot...essentially set it up so he has the choice to go in and out of his heat source as well as uvb....again, IMHO

 

[Morty the Torty]

Thankyou ascott! That's what I'll do

 

[Tony the tank]

Just to add to what Angela said... Make sure you keep the bulb at the recommended distance... Too close you can expose the animal to to much UV...too far UV starts to disappear quick...And burn the bulb in for a few hrs before placing in the enclosure..

Good Luck..

 

[ascott]

Just keep in mind..as he gets older and his eyes are not as sensitive and his skin thickens you can plan to up the uvb intensity to go along with his changing needs

---

Thanks for the add on Tony the Tank....... ALWAYS follow the manufacturer guidelines as those are the perameters the light is designed for

 

[Morty the Torty]

The reason I'm asking is because right now I have a Repti Glo 10.0 coil bulb but it sits on top of a mesh top and my enclosure is 12" high with only an inch of substrate. Do you think it's ok? Morty seems fine with it but I just don't want to do the wrong thing. It faces straight down and it's been in there since August.

 

[Tony the tank]

Morty... When the manufactures make ther recommendations... They don't make allotments or screens , glass or plexiglas...a screen drops the UVB rays down quite a bit...

I held up a window screen to my light and used my solarmeter.. And it dropped the readings almost by half... Glass dropped it to zero..

 

[ascott]

I would use a long tube UVB low grade along with a heat source bulb....just what I would do.....as you have a baby and they have very sensitive eyes and their skin is not yet that thick....

Your little one is likely doing alright because you DO HAVE that higher UVB bulb losing near half of its intensity due to shining through the screen.....