D3 Desert 12% UV-B kit height setting requirement for a leopard tortoise.

[Wrts1289]

Hello! So I have an arcadia ProT5 UVB Kit D3 Desert 12% UV-B bulbs set in my terrarium. My question is they have different settings which provide % of UVB based on that. One comment on the box states "Distance from lam to reptile- not advised". So my question is this, what is the recommended UVB % for a leopard tortoise and how do you go about placement of the UVB meter regarding distance from the bulb to whatever your supposed to place the meter at? I have the needed meter and an just trying to figure out how to correctly set the height of the bult to whatever the measuring point is.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

From the internet:

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Hello! So I have an arcadia ProT5 UVB Kit D3 Desert 12% UV-B bulbs set in my terrarium. My question is they have different settings which provide % of UVB based on that. One comment on the box states "Distance from lam to reptile- not advised". So my question is this, what is the recommended UVB % for a leopard tortoise and how do you go about placement of the UVB meter regarding distance from the bulb to whatever your supposed to place the meter at? I have the needed meter and an just trying to figure out how to correctly set the height of the bult to whatever the measuring point is.

Do you have the correct type of UV meter?
A 6.5R?

 

[Wrts1289]

Do you have the correct type of UV meter?
A 6.5R?

Yes I do.

 

[Wrts1289]

 

[Wrts1289]

So this is the reference chart for my bulb type.

View attachment 359934

So this is the reference chart on my box. What is the Ultra Violet Index I am looking for? I did read the post on recommended height which is what I will set it at, but am also looking for a reading level so when I check with my meter I can know whether the bulb is still good. Also what is the recommended placement of the meter to the bulb as far as height?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

A leopard tortoise is in Furguson zone 3.
So AROUND 3.0 plus.
Since this information seems pretty vague. I'd like to hear from someone who knows more about your species.
But, 3 to 3.5 seems useable.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Most people DO NOT have one of these.
I just assumed that you didn't

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Yes I do.

That's a wise purchase

 

[zovick]

So this is the reference chart for my bulb type.

So this is the reference chart on my box. What is the Ultra Violet Index I am looking for? I did read the post on recommended height which is what I will set it at, but am also looking for a reading level so when I check with my meter I can know whether the bulb is still good. Also what is the recommended placement of the meter to the bulb as far as height?

I just stand the meter on its end on top of the substrate and try for an average reading between about 2.9 and 3.3 for my younger Radiated Tortoises. I think Leopards would be pretty much the same. You will notice that you can get different readings between the two ends of the bulb and the center of it if you are using a longer bulb. I always used 48" tubes, so the readings differed a bit at the center and the ends. I tried to get an average of about 3.0 or just a bit more as I said above.

For my adult Radiateds, I used an average reading of 4.5 or thereabouts.

 

[Tom]

Hello! So I have an arcadia ProT5 UVB Kit D3 Desert 12% UV-B bulbs set in my terrarium. My question is they have different settings which provide % of UVB based on that. One comment on the box states "Distance from lam to reptile- not advised". So my question is this, what is the recommended UVB % for a leopard tortoise and how do you go about placement of the UVB meter regarding distance from the bulb to whatever your supposed to place the meter at? I have the needed meter and an just trying to figure out how to correctly set the height of the bult to whatever the measuring point is.

There is a lot of leeway and margin for error with this. I do what Zovick described. I place the meter against the substrate and move it back and forth under the bulb. Sometimes I will dig a hole in the substrate and place the back of the meter against the bottom of the enclosure to get the sensor on the meter closer to actual tortoise shell height, but then you only get a reading in that one spot under that one part of the tube.

I also observe what the UV levels are doing outside in different seasons and at different times of day. Mid day summer will give me reading around 8. I think that is a bit too high for indoor application and for most species a level around 3-4 is good. I only run these bulbs for a few hours mid day. They should not be on and running for 12 hours a day in my opinion. That is unnatural and its too much.