How much UVB % and watt

[BoredPotato]

I am getting a tortoise soon but I have no idea what's ideal for them. The guy who I am buying from didn't really give any specifics and just said it needs to have low Watt.

But I just want to be sure, how much % UVB and what the range of Watt it needs. btw, it's a Testudo Hermanni Boetgerri.

 

[Cherryshell]

Welcome to the forums! Give this thread a read and see if it doesnt help answer your questions.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

www.tortoiseforum.org

 

[Cherryshell]

Oh and it'd be a good idea to post pictures of the enclosure so those with more experience can offer some advice on any changes that need to be made before ya put your little one in it.

 

[Cherryshell]

@ZEROPILOT has been performing tests on uvb lights, this would be another thread to keep your eye on: https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/inexpensive-and-effective-uvb.151045/

 

[BoredPotato]

Welcome to the forums! Give this thread a read and see if it doesnt help answer your questions.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

www.tortoiseforum.org

I know most of the information in that post already but that's like general stuff, I want like the accurate/exact information. It says that it recommends florescent HO UVB tubes and I also like having tubes as my enclosure that I will make will be rather big and tubes are perfect to cover it all. But where I am buying from all says 6 - 14% UVB and 24 - 54 Watt and tbh, Idk how much I need.|

Some of the packaging says desert reptiles 12 - 14% UVB with 24 - 54 Watt so I guess the tortoises need around 12% UVB but the Watt is the problem, how much watt is safe? As where I come from, the weather is mostly cold or very rainy thus my tortoise will be mostly kept inside thus the reason I want the exact information as I am scared it will die.

 

[BoredPotato]

@ZEROPILOT has been performing tests on uvb lights, this would be another thread to keep your eye on: https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/inexpensive-and-effective-uvb.151045/

That's indeed nice to know that I can just buy the thing where the bulb is attached to it in a hardware store. ty

 

[Krista S]

I know most of the information in that post already but that's like general stuff, I want like the accurate/exact information. It says that it recommends florescent HO UVB tubes and I also like having tubes as my enclosure that I will make will be rather big and tubes are perfect to cover it all. But where I am buying from all says 6 - 14% UVB and 24 - 54 Watt and tbh, Idk how much I need.|

Some of the packaging says desert reptiles 12 - 14% UVB with 24 - 54 Watt so I guess the tortoises need around 12% UVB but the Watt is the problem, how much watt is safe? As where I come from, the weather is mostly cold or very rainy thus my tortoise will be mostly kept inside thus the reason I want the exact information as I am scared it will die.

The wattage is based on the length of the bulb. With the Arcadia 12% for example, the 22” bulb which goes in the 24 inch fixture is 24 watts. The 34” bulb is 39 watts and the 46” is 54 watts. As long as you are getting 12% and the length of the length you need, you can’t get the wrong wattage.

 

[BoredPotato]

S

The wattage is based on the length of the bulb. With the Arcadia 12% for example, the 22” bulb which goes in the 24 inch fixture is 24 watts. The 34” bulb is 39 watts and the 46” is 54 watts. As long as you are getting 12% and the length of the length you need, you can’t get the wrong wattage.

So if I am right, the Wattage doesn't matter as long I get around 12%+ UVB? Okay, thank you

 

[Krista S]

That's indeed nice to know that I can just buy the thing where the bulb is attached to it in a hardware store. ty

@Cherryshell please read to the bottom of the thread you shared. This is outdated information and no longer advisable. A proper T5 HO fixture should be used for the 12% bulb to be most effective.

 

[Krista S]

S

So if I am right, the Wattage doesn't matter as long I get around 12%+ UVB? Okay, thank you

That is correct! 12% is the important thing to watch for. Wattage doesn’t matter as long as you’re getting the correct length you need for your enclosure.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

That's old information. In my more recent post:
"REAL WORLD UVB TEST DONE"
I measure Reptisuns T5 5.0 and 10.0 tubes both going through a screen and not.
Reptisun tubes are slightly less powerful than Arcadia 6% and 12% tubes. But the readings shouldn't be too different. Just a bit higher for the Arcadia stuff.

 

[BoredPotato]

That is correct! 12% is the important thing to watch for. Wattage doesn’t matter as long as you’re getting the correct length you need for your enclosure.

Forgot to ask but what for type of wood do you recommend for a DIY, I want to make my enclosure around 1+ - 2 meters and 40 - 60 cm in height, it's only for 1 tortoise and if I am making it now it will be less effort for the future.

If it's possible, the most affordable ofc.

 

[Krista S]

Forgot to ask but what for type of wood do you recommend for a DIY, I want to make my enclosure around 1+ - 2 meters and 40 - 60 cm in height, it's only for 1 tortoise and if I am making it now it will be less effort for the future.

If it's possible, the most affordable ofc.

I‘m sorry, I don’t have any experiencing with building diy enclosures out of wood. I have a Hermann’s tortoise who will be 2 years old in May and I am having a 6 foot by 4 foot enclosure built out of expanded pvc. I don’t know what this material costs in the Netherlands, but I know it quite affordable in the US. Where I live in Canada, like most other things, it was stupidly expensive. I had to pay $300 per 8’x4’ sheet of 3/4”. I still chose to go this route because there’s too many complications with wood. It rots easily and I didn’t want to use a bunch of chemicals to treat the wood. Expanded pvc is water and heat resistant. I chose to invest more into the enclosure now, so that it’ll last for the foreseeable future. I would look into the expanded PVC and see what it costs where you are. When you factor in the cost of wood, sealants, time to treat the wood and time for chemicals to off gas, and that this process should be repeated every year or 2...it just might be worth your while to go with PVC.