Which UVB

Rachnam

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Hi guys I would really appreciate some help please... I am looking to get a UVB for my tortoise as he no longer can go out as the weather is changing so I'm moving him into his enclosed indoor reptile cage.

I went to the pet store but they showing me both the florescent and the bulb.

Which would be best?
 

Changa

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Hi guys I would really appreciate some help please... I am looking to get a UVB for my tortoise as he no longer can go out as the weather is changing so I'm moving him into his enclosed indoor reptile cage.

I went to the pet store but they showing me both the florescent and the bulb.

Which would be best?
I am using a bulb for my 3 yr old and 2 yrs old sultcas
 

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Changa

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I m still new at taking care of my sultcas the veterans have a better answer for u
I have had my babies for 7 mos
 

Tom

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If you can get them there the Arcadia 12% HO tubes are a great UV source.

I would not use a mercury vapor bulb over a tortoise. They are expensive, unreliable, delicate, and some of them stop producing UV after a short time. They also tend to desiccate the carapace which causes pyramiding.

There are four elements to heating and lighting:
  1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt floods from the hardware store. I run them on a timer and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them.
  2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species like sulcatas or leopards.
  3. Light. I use florescent tubes for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most tubes at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish.
  4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. It helps to have a UV meter to test and see what your bulb is actually putting out at your mounting height.
 

Ray--Opo

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Arcadia makes a UVB that has been recommended often. It has a HO rating and is a straight tube light. The CFL bulbs are the coil type that screw into a regular light socket. These are no good they are known to damage their eyes.
And also welcome we are here to help.
 

Rachnam

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Pretoria
If you can get them there the Arcadia 12% HO tubes are a great UV source.

I would not use a mercury vapor bulb over a tortoise. They are expensive, unreliable, delicate, and some of them stop producing UV after a short time. They also tend to desiccate the carapace which causes pyramiding.

There are four elements to heating and lighting:
  1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt floods from the hardware store. I run them on a timer and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them.
  2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species like sulcatas or leopards.
  3. Light. I use florescent tubes for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most tubes at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish.
  4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. It helps to have a UV meter to test and see what your bulb is actually putting out at your mounting height.
Thanks so much... Loki gets sun twice a week for around 2 to 3 hours... so I thought it was too less and was stressing that he needed more UVB so went to buy one.

Will look at the hardware for the florescent and the flood light for basking

Thank you
 

Rachnam

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Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
Pretoria
Arcadia makes a UVB that has been recommended often. It has a HO rating and is a straight tube light. The CFL bulbs are the coil type that screw into a regular light socket. These are no good they are known to damage their eyes.
And also welcome we are here to help.
Thank you
 

Ray--Opo

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Thanks so much... Loki gets sun twice a week for around 2 to 3 hours... so I thought it was too less and was stressing that he needed more UVB so went to buy one.

Will look at the hardware for the florescent and the flood light for basking

Thank you
If Loki is getting that much outdoor sun a week. Not thru a window or screen. Then there is no reason really for more UVB.
 

Cathie G

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If you can get them there the Arcadia 12% HO tubes are a great UV source.

I would not use a mercury vapor bulb over a tortoise. They are expensive, unreliable, delicate, and some of them stop producing UV after a short time. They also tend to desiccate the carapace which causes pyramiding.

There are four elements to heating and lighting:
  1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt floods from the hardware store. I run them on a timer and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them.
  2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species like sulcatas or leopards.
  3. Light. I use florescent tubes for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most tubes at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish.
  4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. It helps to have a UV meter to test and see what your bulb is actually putting out at your mounting height.
Hello Tom. Thanks for any advice you can give me. What about this bulb? Or what type for a deep dome lamp fixture? Saphire is an adult Russian in an open enclosure.1569355149877-1589873477.jpg
 

Tom

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Hello Tom. Thanks for any advice you can give me. What about this bulb? Or what type for a deep dome lamp fixture? Saphire is an adult Russian in an open enclosure.View attachment 281158
That is the dreaded "coil" bulb, aka: cfl type bulb. Those are ineffective as UV sources, and some of them damage tortoise eyes. I recommend against them.

In our climate, we really don't need indoor UV as long as the tortoise gets outside once or twice a week, most of the year, for some real sunshine. They can go a few weeks with no UV in our rainy winter spells with no issues. Also, Will @Kapidolo Farms finally has me convinced that tortoises can use dietary D3, so a simple calcium supplement with D3 a couple times a week is all that is needed.

If you still want UV lighting, I would get the regular ZooMed 10.0 tubes for mounting 10" above the tortoise, or an Arcadia 12% HO tube for mounting 18-24" above the tortoise.

Thee is nothing that will work in the deep dome type fixture for UV, and I wouldn't use a deep dome for regular bulbs either due to the heat dissipation properties.
 

Cathie G

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That is the dreaded "coil" bulb, aka: cfl type bulb. Those are ineffective as UV sources, and some of them damage tortoise eyes. I recommend against them.

In our climate, we really don't need indoor UV as long as the tortoise gets outside once or twice a week, most of the year, for some real sunshine. They can go a few weeks with no UV in our rainy winter spells with no issues. Also, Will @Kapidolo Farms finally has me convinced that tortoises can use dietary D3, so a simple calcium supplement with D3 a couple times a week is all that is needed.

If you still want UV lighting, I would get the regular ZooMed 10.0 tubes for mounting 10" above the tortoise, or an Arcadia 12% HO tube for mounting 18-24" above the tortoise.

Thee is nothing that will work in the deep dome type fixture for UV, and I wouldn't use a deep dome for regular bulbs either due to the heat dissipation properties.
That is the dreaded "coil" bulb, aka: cfl type bulb. Those are ineffective as UV sources, and some of them damage tortoise eyes. I recommend against them.

In our climate, we really don't need indoor UV as long as the tortoise gets outside once or twice a week, most of the year, for some real sunshine. They can go a few weeks with no UV in our rainy winter spells with no issues. Also, Will @Kapidolo Farms finally has me convinced that tortoises can use dietary D3, so a simple calcium supplement with D3 a couple times a week is all that is needed.

If you still want UV lighting, I would get the regular ZooMed 10.0 tubes for mounting 10" above the tortoise, or an Arcadia 12% HO tube for mounting 18-24" above the tortoise.

Thee is nothing that will work in the deep dome type fixture for UV, and I wouldn't use a deep dome for regular bulbs either due to the heat dissipation properties.
I've never used any of that. I don't even know if I need it. If Saphire needs it I'll do it.I've always used d3 and lately tnt powder through the winter. Then lots of fresh air and sunshine in the spring, summer and fall.
 

Cathie G

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I feel the same at times not doing enough
I don't know if that feeling ever goes away and hopefully not. I still check on my little guy at 3 am and all day now and then. Even after 12 years.
 

Blackdog1714

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THat
I don't know if that feeling ever goes away and hopefully not. I still check on my little guy at 3 am and all day now and then. Even after 12 years.
THat is why I have my camera. Since I am not raising a tone I can dote over my two!
 

Cathie G

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THat

THat is why I have my camera. Since I am not raising a tone I can dote over my two!
I only have one little spoiled turdess...I try to keep my phone camera available for pictures...but sometimes I'm just having too much fun to stop. So I usually have a story of the pic that got away
 

janec727

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If you can get them there the Arcadia 12% HO tubes are a great UV source.

I would not use a mercury vapor bulb over a tortoise. They are expensive, unreliable, delicate, and some of them stop producing UV after a short time. They also tend to desiccate the carapace which causes pyramiding.

There are four elements to heating and lighting:
  1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt floods from the hardware store. I run them on a timer and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them.
  2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species like sulcatas or leopards.
  3. Light. I use florescent tubes for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most tubes at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish.
  4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. It helps to have a UV meter to test and see what your bulb is actually putting out at your mounting height.

Off topic Q for anyone interested - How does one save/follow/subscribe to a post/reply *without* actually replying? Long story short it’s what I’m trying to do here... I promise I tried before posting this
 
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