Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
Yeah unfortunately any screw in uv bulbs aren’t the safest or most efficient choice, they can cause a few different issues, I cover it all in the ‘common errors’ thread.
You’ll want an incandescent floodlight for basking and some led ambient lighting on the same timer.
For uv t5 bulbs are what’s recommended, there’s two reliable brands readily available in the uk, I’d personally go for the ‘Arcadia proT5 12%’ the smallest size will do. I know it’s a bit pricey, but they’re 100% needed for your guys health, this will go on a 4hour timer.
With the uv timing, every other source of information will tell you 12hours of uv. This is essentially an old fashioned rule that has stuck with a lot of keepers, it stems from the presumption that once the basking light or ambient lighting is on, ie the ‘sun’, that uv must coexist the same amount of hours. Fact is, uv rays only peak for a few hours a day, anyone with a uv meter will confirm this. No tortoise is blasted with 12 hours of uv in the wild, therefore it’s not necessary in captivity.
The uv bulbs are much more expensive to replace once their uv strength diminishes, so it’s definitely best having it on a 4 hour timer that provides them with all the uv they need, saving your bulb life.
Then some cheaper led lighting for your ambient 12 hour light cycle as well as the basking light on the same 12hrs, your ceramics(if needed) will run 24/7 on a thermostat, this will all make more sense once you have time to read the links I gave you
I know this probably seems a lot to go over, sorry
you can always come back to it and take the time you need
