Need help with T5 HO UVB Bulb

Ergotaxon

Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2021
Messages
85
Location (City and/or State)
Portland, TX
Hello. I purchased a 14% HO T5 UVB by Arcadia. I plan on using it for baby leopard tortoises. Is this bulb going to be ok for them?
 

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,749
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
That's a great bulb!
Part of how well a bulb works is the fixture and reflector that it's mounted in. If you purchased the Arcadia fixture you're all set!

If you bought a different fixture, it's OK as long as the reflector is super shiny. The output may not be perfect, but certainly no reason to not use it.

It will be just right for your babies. If you have a solarmeter 6.5 you can get the perfect height. If you don't have one, I believe 18-20" from the substrate is the correct height. Check the box...it should say how high to put it.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Hello. I purchased a 14% HO T5 UVB by Arcadia. I plan on using it for baby leopard tortoises. Is this bulb going to be ok for them?
The 14% is very strong. Its a great bulb, but you need a UV meter to mount it at the correct height. That type if UV bulb should only run for 1-3 hours mid day.

Read this for all the other heating and lighting info, as well as the correct care, feeding and housing info. Most of the info you find out in the world will be wrong.
 

Ergotaxon

Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2021
Messages
85
Location (City and/or State)
Portland, TX
That's a great bulb!
Part of how well a bulb works is the fixture and reflector that it's mounted in. If you purchased the Arcadia fixture you're all set!

If you bought a different fixture, it's OK as long as the reflector is super shiny. The output may not be perfect, but certainly no reason to not use it.

It will be just right for your babies. If you have a solarmeter 6.5 you can get the perfect height. If you don't have one, I believe 18-20" from the substrate is the correct height. Check the box...it should say how high to put it.
Thanks for your help. I appreciate it. I checked the box. It is a minimum of 15 inches.
 

Ergotaxon

Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2021
Messages
85
Location (City and/or State)
Portland, TX
The 14% is very strong. Its a great bulb, but you need a UV meter to mount it at the correct height. That type if UV bulb should only run for 1-3 hours mid day.

Read this for all the other heating and lighting info, as well as the correct care, feeding and housing info. Most of the info you find out in the world will be wrong.
Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Thanks for your help. I appreciate it. I checked the box. It is a minimum of 15 inches.
15 inches is much too close even for a 12% bulb. A 14% bulb is even stronger. You will probably need the bulb to be about 20 inches away, but only a Solarmeter 6.5 can answer this question for your bulb in your enclosure.
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
Moderator
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
28,938
Location (City and/or State)
South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
Thanks Tom, I’ll have to look into a Solarmeter
Josh's Frogs has the SOLARMETER 6.5
It's easy to use and that is a trusted company.
This one will probably last as long as you're in the hobby and will pay for itself in tubes that you can just readjust instead of throwing them away

20201008_132710.jpg
 

Ergotaxon

Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2021
Messages
85
Location (City and/or State)
Portland, TX
BTW, there is a Portland on each side of the country...are you buried in snow or drenched in rain? :)
Hi Karen, I was covered in Ice in South Texas. I don’t recall the weather ever getting that cold. It was a real struggle keeping my redfoots and sulcata warm. I’m investing in a generator for next winter. We experienced rolling black outs. I don’t ever want to risk losing my tortoises again. We were without power for 3 days. It was terrible.
 

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,749
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
Hi Karen, I was covered in Ice in South Texas. I don’t recall the weather ever getting that cold. It was a real struggle keeping my redfoots and sulcata warm. I’m investing in a generator for next winter. We experienced rolling black outs. I don’t ever want to risk losing my tortoises again. We were without power for 3 days. It was terrible.

Oh, my...yes, you were hit hard there. I have close friends in Orange Grove, and they were telling me how awful it was.

I'm glad you made it through OK with your torts. ?
 
Top