Avoiding uv light

[katfinlou]

The first day I got the light, my Hermanns basked under it the whole time it was on. For the last 2 days she has avoided it like the plague, choosing instead to stay under the heat lamp. Is something wrong with her?

 

[juli11]

No that's normal. A good solution could be to make the uv lamp only for some hours per day on and for the rest of the time you take a neon lamp or something like that. With this way the tortoise find a good daily rhythm.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Is it a coil bulb? They cause eye damage and lethargy. Several of us have had tortoises blinded by coil light....Get rid of it...

 

[johnsonnboswell]

It sounds like she's cold and your uv bulb doesn't throw heat.

 

[katfinlou]

It's a bulb shaped like a very short spiral. What can I use instead? Im beginning to think the guy in the pet store hasn't really done a great job for me...first a tortoise table that's way way way too small, then the sand/soil mix substrate and now a coil bulb...

 

[katfinlou]

She seems ok in herself other than she doesn't seem to know she can actually stop eating lol

 

[jeffjeff]

sorry to say most pet shops don't have a clue about torts. they just want to sell you whatever they have in stock.

 

[katfinlou]

Someone i know brought her to me after Id admired their nieces tortoise. Just turned up, out of the blue and said I have a tortoise for you!! She'd been kept in an outhouse without warmth or light. Ive since showed her what ive bought for the tort and she said well the other owners didn't do all that and it was fine... Thing is if I take on the responsibility of a pet i care for them as thoroughly as I do my children-they deserve no less just because they're animals.

 

[katfinlou]

And she has awful pyramiding so she clearly wasn't fine with the previous owners...

 

[lismar79]

Good for you and her both that you feel this way about her care!
Something like this for a light:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002AQDJK/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
This is a bit pricey but its a very good source of heat and uv all in one. A fluorescent tube uv light would do you well too instead but I am not very good with size watt and such so someone else should advise.

 

[katfinlou]

Thanks lismar79 will sort a new bulb for her asap

 

[Tom]

If you need indoor UV because your climate prevents you from getting her outside, then mercury vapor bulbs or HO florescent tubes are best. Just gotta use them correctly.

You know how the sun feels for a couple of days after a sunburn? That is probably what is going on with your tortoises eyes. We, and they, don't really feel the damage as its being done, but once the burn has happened it hurts a lot, and our skin, or their eyes, are very sensitive to it afterward.

Care for russians is similar to hermanni. There might be some inspiration in here for you:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/semi-underground-russian-box.98590/

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[katfinlou]

Thanks for the advice Tom. The climate here in North East Northumberland is grotty most of the year im afraid. We are right on the coast which keeps the temp down and we have an almost constant covering of thick grey cloud! Ive switched the iv light off for now until I can order another from Amazon on Tuesday when I get paid. I do hope she will be ok til then

 

[katfinlou]

I got paid earlier than expected so can now order a new uv bulb. This is the one im currently using, I notice it says it's only 15w and was recommended to buy a 100w Mercury Vapor bulb. Just want to make sure this is correct before I go ahead and buy it


And while im here the pets hop guy sold me a blue basking bulb that gives off no light at all. it's only 75 w. Is it warm enough? Thanks

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Stop listening to the pet store guys. The best heat is from the mercury vapor bulb. If that is not enough, a ceramic heat emitter is good. No light, just heat.

 

[katfinlou]

Im finished with the pet shop guy. He's sold me a tortoise table that's way way to small, pellet substrate, the substrate pictured above, a spiral uv bulb and told me to feed her all the wrong stuff. I thank god for this forum or we would have been in a right mess!