Info on UVB and lights

[John Ramos]

I'd like to know the difference between all the UV lights and I think it would be helpful to other newbees!

What is a 5.0 and a 10.0 bulb?

CFL's vs incandescent, is it personal preference or ? Or LED's

Heat lamps vs ceramic heaters.

How much is too little, just right and when is it too much?

Which are the best brands, some of these Chinese lamps are just money sucking trash, already been through a few.

Is pyramiding caused by too much UVB, too little or have nothing to do with it?

Thanks!

 

[Yvonne G]

The "5.0" and "10.0" refers to tube-type fluorescent bulbs.

We DO NOT encourage anyone to use the compact fluorescent bulbs. They burn baby tortoises' eyes. The manufacturers SAY they are safe now, however almost every day we get a thread from a new member asking about the swollen eyes on their baby and we learn they're using the CFB. I haven't used the LED. Do they provide UVB? What you're looking for in lighting is UVB and heat.

A heat lamp usually doesn't provide UVB and neither does the CHE (ceramic heat emitter). You can't use the heat lamp at night because you want it dark in the habitat. But you CAN use a CHE to keep the habitat warm at night as it doesn't provide light.

I buy the Mercury Vapor Bulbs that show up when you do a Google search for "Reptile Mercury Vapor Bulb". Most of the common ones like Zoo Med, etc. are all the same and do their job well. It doesn't do for one to go cheap when outfitting a tortoise.

Pyramiding is caused by keeping a baby tortoise in dry conditions during his first year. Baby tortoises hatch out in the monsoon season and they grow best (smoothly) when they are kept moist, warm and in a humid environment. UVB contributes, but not much. Without UVB the calcium doesn't work and the baby eventually gets soft and dies.

 

[John Ramos]

Ok, I'll go with the mercury vapor, I noticed in searching that some say UVA and UVB in one lamp. What's the UVA thing?

 

[Yvonne G]

Madkins007 (one of our moderators) wrote this on another thread a while ago:

Tortoises, like most animals, need balanced light- the visible spectrum for vision (and many behaviors are based on seeing things under balanced light, and UV light. UVA helps regulate several behaviors and probably affects some deep brain glands. UVB, actually a tiny bit of UVB that is almost UVC, helps the body create vitamin D in the skin. Vitamin D is hard to get in diet and is absolutely necessary for proper bone development as well as building nerves, etc. UVB also seems to stimulate some glands in the brain that help regulate day/night function, seasonal functions, and reproduction.
The BEST source of balanced light is the sun. If that is not available to you, you should try to provide a good mix of typical lighting and UVB lighting.

Please note, however, that while almost all UVB bulbs emit plenty of UVA radiation, most plain light bulbs do not emit hardly any UVA or UVB. (Old fashioned thick white fluorescent bulbs do emit some, but not the newer, thinner white bulbs.)

 

[Tom]

I

I'd like to know the difference between all the UV lights and I think it would be helpful to other newbees!

What is a 5.0 and a 10.0 bulb?

CFL's vs incandescent, is it personal preference or ? Or LED's

Heat lamps vs ceramic heaters.

How much is too little, just right and when is it too much?

Which are the best brands, some of these Chinese lamps are just money sucking trash, already been through a few.

Is pyramiding caused by too much UVB, too little or have nothing to do with it?

Thanks!

I think Yvonne did a fine job, but I still want to answer in my own words.

1. 5.0 or 10.0 refers to the amount of UV put out by the bulb. Higher numbers indicate more UV. The 5.0 bulbs emit very little. The 10.0 bulbs aren't much better unless the tortoise is within 10-12" of the bulb, according to my UVB light meters.

2. Compact florescent lights are the coil type bulbs and most of us have seen them cause problems on occasion, so we recommend against using them. Incandescent bulbs give heat and light, but no UV. No one I know if has used an LED over a tortoise yet.

3. Heat lamps for daytime basking spots. CHEs for ambient temperature maintenance day or night.

4. How much of what? Your heating and lighting strategy needs to be bright enough to simulate daylight, and your tortoises temperature needs must be met. This will be different for every enclosure and every house. Different equipment will give you differing results and different people have different preferences.

5. Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are two dry. Age doesn't matter.


This is a lot to take in John. It might be easier to tell us what species and size you have and ask for recommendations. For example, if you have a proper outdoor enclosure and your tortoise gets access to sunshine a few times a week, you don't need any indoor UV. Just basking heat and light during the day. If you have a Testudo species, you probably don't need any night heat.

 

[John Ramos]

Actually, I think I have a pretty good grip on it now.

2 Russians, I'm thinking ahead for the winter, I do put them out during most days.

You mentioned UVB light meters, which ones? I was on another thread and I guess they ended up saying SOLARMETER MODEL 6.2 was the right one and Mega-Ray 100W from Bobmac are the bulbs. Have I nailed it or what?

Crazy stuff for a rock with 4 legs but I love it! Haha!

John

 

[jaizei]

The type of meter depends on what you want to measure. UVB or UVI. I like having both of them, but purely from a safety standpoint a 6.5 may be more beneficial. If your bulb is emitting a lot of UVB from the lower end of the range, a 6.5 will reflect that.

Megaray are some of the better MVBs. I have some that are close to a year old that are still producing good amounts of UVB.

 

[leigti]

Actually, I think I have a pretty good grip on it now.

2 Russians, I'm thinking ahead for the winter, I do put them out during most days.

You mentioned UVB light meters, which ones? I was on another thread and I guess they ended up saying SOLARMETER MODEL 6.2 was the right one and Mega-Ray 100W from Bobmac are the bulbs. Have I nailed it or what?

Crazy stuff for a rock with 4 legs but I love it! Haha!

John

You're right, it is crazy stuff for a rock with four legs but I love it too. I am in the process of updating my lighting and indoor enclosures and sometimes it feels like I'm getting stupider by the minute the more I read about it. But thanks to the helpful people on this forum I think I have figured it out. Good luck with whatever you decide to use.