is Tanker getting enough UV

[Kolorbl1nd]

Hi,
I'm a littled worried that my little guy is not getting enough UV I never see him under the heat or uv light. he is usually in his hide spot. what should I do?

 

[pdrobber]

what is your current lighting setup? (types of bulbs, MVB, UVB strip, UVB coil, regular light bulb, etc.) what are the temps in the enclosure?

 

[Madkins007]

Most tortoises hide most of the time. The idea is to provide enough UVB so when he IS out and about, he is absorbing it. Usually- if he felt he needed more heat, he would be under the basking light.

 

[Tony the tank]

Is the baskin area to hot??..If the enclosure is to warm..the tort will avoid he heat bulb..and if it's a MVB that combines both... Also in his behavior to stay away from the heat will also keep him from the UVB...

In a little test I'm conducting.. I have a 20x15ft enclosure I keep at 87-90*F..
I have two 275watt megaray MVB at 42" (no heat ..But lots of UVB at that distance)..I also have two 250watt regular heat lamps at 24" creating a 105*f basking area .

None of my bigger torts use the heat lamps..But every morning they are under the UVB bulbs for a few hrs...One exception is a small female she spends a few minutes under the heat...but once the big guys move out from under the UVB she plants herself there just moving to eat..

Hope this helps..Good luck

 

[Kolorbl1nd]

what is your current lighting setup? (types of bulbs, MVB, UVB strip, UVB coil, regular light bulb, etc.) what are the temps in the enclosure?

i have the exo terra repti glo 26w UV bulb which i heard is bad?
and the exo terra intense basking spot 100w heat lamp. i have the lamp set up that its connected so they are right next to one another. the lamps are only on the top of my enclosure, its two levels. the lamps are 12 inches away from the substrate.

 

[pdrobber]

yes, that's a coil shaped bulb. I see you use the double fixture. You could maybe use a basking bulb and a CHE to get temps up in that spot. Also, you said temps were hard to get up and maintain. Maybe having the double level isn't so great for that.

You said you have to coax him up and down the ramp. That may be another factor as to why he stays in the hide...

So between it being cold in his hide, the UVB most likely bothering him, and not wanting to or not knowing to climb up the ramp, you might have to change a number of things. While having a nice basking spot on the top level is good, you need the entire enclosure to be warm enough. If his hide is too cool, he won't be active. If he doesn't know to climb up or want to to the upper level, that's not good.

have you considered heat mats/CHE's on the bottom level as well?

 

[jackrat]

Stay away from the coil type lights.

 

[Kolorbl1nd]

Stay away from the coil type lights.

what light should I get instead?

 

[pdrobber]

the long UVB tube bulb (the bulb should not be bent into any shape)