Double checking Uvb bulb

tortdad

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You are correct. The one in the link is no good. Go MVB or tube type, the long tubes like 12" or more long
 

Tom

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Its not that ALL cfl bulbs are a problem. Some of them are a problem and there is no way to tell ahead of time which ones are bad. They are also not very effective at generating UV for tortoises.

A long tube or a MVB is a better option.


ZooMed and Zilla tubes are both fine, but realize that a regular 10.0 bulb will need to be no further than 10-12 inches from the tortoise to be even a little effective. And MVB can be farther, and Arcadia 12% HO bulbs can be as far as 24" and still generate more UV than a 10.0 bulb.
 

iota

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Thanks for the information. I will look into the HO bulbs. In any case do I have to worry about too much UV? I've built a 4x8 table and I putting it in a room about 5 feet from double glass doors leading out to my deck. The room has a southern exposure, and gets TONS of sunlight through the doors. It is part of the reason why I chose that room. I live in Pittsburgh, so he/she will live part of the year inside and part of the year outside. (i've not purchased anything yet. I am heading to a reptile show in the morning.)
 

leigti

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How far away from the top of your tortoise will the bulb be? If it is going to be 12 inches then you may not need a high output fixture and bulb But if it is going to be more than that then I would definitely suggest a high output fixture and bulb or a mercury vapor bulb. Powersun makes a good MVB.
The glass in your room will block out the UVB rays. So don't worry about too much UVB from the windows. Even if you open the windows and the screens will block the UVB also. But the windows will make the room nice and bright. But they could also make it cold in the winter so think about that.
 

leigti

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Oh and have fun at the reptile show. I went to my first one this year and it was very interesting. And you can get stuff they're very cheaply sometimes.
 

Tom

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What type of tortoise are you getting and what size? Open tables are okay for some, but not so good for others.

You will have to be careful that your tortoise does not overheat indoors behind that glass. Watch the temps carefully as spring and summer approach.
 

iota

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The rooms stays about 70 degrees year round. It's basically my office. I work from home a couple days a week, and I am in there a lot in the evenings. I bought a red-foot. Right now she's about a 4 inches. I picked the one that was the most active, and did not shy away when I picked her up. She had good weight and clear eyes. She is in a temporary home while my husband and dad finish the table.

The walls on the table are 16 inches high without sub straight. We built a top for the table, because I have cats. The top is 1x somethings with a series of cross sections. The basking light will be suspended above the table on a mount a made. The uvb light will just lay across the top of the wire similar to an aquarium light.

My dad picked a heavy kind of wire stuff that will support the weight of my cat. Watching my bettas are her favorite activity, I don't trust her for a second with a tortoise.

I posted a pick of the red-foot in her temporary home. I took her out of her travel container and put her in a warm soak on a terracotta platter.
 

Yvonne G

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What size openings in the wire? Anything smaller than quarter inch or so blocks out the UVB rays.
 

iota

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I have no measured. It is big enough to put my finger through.
 

HLogic

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Is any brand okay for tube as long as it is a long tube? I have been reading on the forums about lighting, and Zoo Med and Zilla have both been sited as bad bulbs. Are these just the coil bulbs? My options for lighting are petsmart or petco. Almost all the bulbs are Zoo Med or Zilla. I was also looking at these:

http://www.petsmart.com/supplies/bulbs-lamps/all-living-things-tropical-fluorescent-uvb-bulb-zid36-14769/cat-36-catid-500036?var_id=36-14769&_t=pfm=search

It says it emits 25 microwatts which is insufficient UVB and that bulb is quite pricey for a 24" bulb...
 

Tom

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If you want to use an open topped table you will need to heat and humidify the entire room. They need it very humid and warm, but they also need relatively dry substrate. This will be tough in a cool dry room with a wide open top. A closed chamber would make your life a lot easier and your tortoises life a lot better. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/

For soaking you will need a tall sided opaque tub that they can't climb out of. Putting them in their terra cotta water dish is not soaking, but it is a good way to teach them where the water source is.
 

iota

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Oh! I really like that enclosure. I wonder if I could get away with some sort of "buffet table" style top so we can still look in and enjoy, but have the benefit of not struggling with humidity. I was sitting here engineering a substrate irrigation system, because I am able to get humidity between 75 & 80 according to the hydrometer, but it has been a lot of getting up, checking, moving wood chips, and watering.
 

Tom

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Oh! I really like that enclosure. I wonder if I could get away with some sort of "buffet table" style top so we can still look in and enjoy, but have the benefit of not struggling with humidity. I was sitting here engineering a substrate irrigation system, because I am able to get humidity between 75 & 80 according to the hydrometer, but it has been a lot of getting up, checking, moving wood chips, and watering.

Remember that too wet, too much of the time will easily cause shell rot in a RF tortoise. Other species are not as prone to it.
 

iota

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For soaking you will need a tall sided opaque tub that they can't climb out of. Putting them in their terra cotta water dish is not soaking, but it is a good way to teach them where the water source is.

I have the one I brought her home in. It's fairly deep and black. Thanks for clarifying, because I would have just had her hanging out in her bowl a couple times a week.
 
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