# Do UVB lights hurt a tortoise's eyes?



## PetHumanOfFrancis (Jun 14, 2010)

Hello all!

I have a coil UVB light for my new tortoise, Francis. I am new to tortoise-keeping, so if this is a dumb question excuse my ignorance 

I know indoor tortoises need UV light, but I looked at the light today and just realized how bright it is! I have used tanning salons before (I quit bc it's so bad for you though) and Francis' lights are even brighter!

Do tortoises have "stronger" eyes than us? I just looked at it for a second and it made me see color spots. Now I worry for Francis bc he is just a wee creature...

I have observed him looking up and directly into the light, too. He can still see when I let him walk around though...so no damage yet.

Alright, that's it.  I feel like a new mom, so paranoid about everything...


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## DeanS (Jun 14, 2010)

I don't know how much better they see...I know it's a full spectrum. However, they might be smarter, because I don't anyone that would look directly into a UV light


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## PetHumanOfFrancis (Jun 14, 2010)

Hahaha, good point


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## tortoisenerd (Jun 14, 2010)

There are some bad coil ones and some good ones. Personally I'd stay away from all of them and get a 100 Watt T-Rex Mercury Vapor Bulb with a lamp stand and a ceramic socket hood fixture. You should have the bulb face parallel to the surface so it is like noon sun and not at an angle into their eyes. As a human looking at it from the side, you really shouldn't do that as yes it can hurt your eyes.


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## Tom (Jun 14, 2010)

Kate is right. Some of those coil bulbs have permanently blinded tortoises. I recommend removing them right away.


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## PetHumanOfFrancis (Jun 14, 2010)

Thanks guys! I have definitely turned it off and will go to the store tomorrow!


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## Maggie Cummings (Jun 14, 2010)

I am one that had a yearling blinded by a coil bulb. I am sure they have fixed them by now as this was a couple of years ago, but I sure wouldn't use any coil again...


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## tortoisenerd (Jun 14, 2010)

The UVB output from a MVB is so much better anyways...but they are tough to find in pet stores besides the crummy brands. Order a 100 Watt T-Rex online and use a regular house light bulb until then. You also need the lamp stand and the ceramic socket hood fixture. They last a year, and it is all in one heat, light, UVB.


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## GBtortoises (Jun 15, 2010)

It isn't just coil UVB lights. _Any_ extremely intense UVB source that is either too close to the tortoise or the tortoise does not have refuge from can damage their eyes. Very much in the same way that UV rays cause retina damage in humans. Overexposure to the sun and artificial UVA/UVB lighting can cause similar damage. Most of the research done with tortoises on the subject recommends not using bulbs with an output of 5.0 or stronger. 
Keep in mind that when you turn a new bulb on, regardless of it's type, that it is at it's very strongest intensity which _slowly_ begins to decrease with time. So while you may have an older bulb mounted a bit closer to the tortoise when it is replaced with a brand new one that tortoise is now immediately being exposed to a much higher intensity level. One suggestion that I read somewhere was to "season" a new light by turning it on and leaving it on for 24 hours prior to exposing tortoises to it. I've never done it and I'm not sure how you would know if the method is effective without a light meter but it sounds like a possibility. I simply move new lights farther away for the first month or so.


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## bettinge (Jun 15, 2010)

Has anyone actually bought a meter? I would love one, as its a gaget to play with, and learn from. But, for $239, the potential payoff is hard to justify.

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...vapor-bulbs/-/zoo-med-ultraviolet-radiometer/


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