Lighting/UVB question

[KelseaB]

Are there any pros or cons of using an all in one heat/UVB bulb verses having two separate bulbs?

I already have a fluorescent tube ballast I could use for uvb but I was wondering if there is any benefit of having it separate?

This is an primarily indoor enclosure for a 2-3" Russian tortiose.

Also, unrelated but better than having two threads. I have seen people quoting between 10 and 14 hours of light for a light cycle. Is there a generally accepted 'best' number of hours or is it just whatever is best for you?

 

[JoesMum]

The UVB output of a tube is longer than that of an MVB.

MVB’s are expensive and must be replaced long before they stop working as their UVB output tales off to nothing in 6-9 months.

It works out cheaper to have separate UVB tube and basking bulb

 

[KelseaB]

I thought the tube kind still needed replaced every 6 months. Is that inaccurate? If so I've replaced a lot of working bulbs over the years!!!! Haha

 

[JoesMum]

I thought the tube kind still needed replaced every 6 months. Is that inaccurate? If so I've replaced a lot of working bulbs over the years!!!! Haha

A tube should last at least 12-18 months

 

[KelseaB]

A tube should last at least 12-18 months

woops!! Good to know. I've think it was a bearded dragon forum I got that information. Gotta give them a talking to. Thanks for your replies!

Do you have an opinion on the edit I included about hours of lighting?

 

[JoesMum]

@Tom has done tests of both types of bulb with a UVB meter and his findings are that the MVBs can give out UVB for as little as 3 months The tubes lasted much longer.

For tortoises we recommend 12-14 hours.

14 hours seems to be the recommendation for those are intent on becoming inactive in winter.

Unless you are a creature of habit 24/7/365, I recommend that you put the lights on timers. This leaves you free to have a lie in or go out for the night without worrying about the lights!

 

[Tropics]

I guess it depends what species. For my red foot I have a tube uvb and CHE since I want to maintain a certain ambient temp since from what I read they don’t really bask. For my sulcata I have mvb in the am and Che at night. For my leopard hatchling I have a Che and UVB tube, but I will probably change it to a mvb too. It does giv them about 95-100 basking depending on how far it is.

 

[JoesMum]

I guess it depends what species. For my red foot I have a tube uvb and CHE since I want to maintain a certain ambient temp since from what I read they don’t really bask. For my sulcata I have mvb in the am and Che at night. For my leopard hatchling I have a Che and UVB tube, but I will probably change it to a mvb too. It does giv them about 95-100 basking depending on how far it is.

That's very true. The tropical forest species prefer not to have bright lights. They need a steady temperature day and night so a Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE) is used with a thermostat to provide heat and then a 5.0 UVB tube is used for 12-14 hours and is the only light needed

 

[KelseaB]

@Tom has done tests of both types of bulb with a UVB meter and his findings are that the MVBs can give out UVB for as little as 3 months The tubes lasted much longer.

For tortoises we recommend 12-14 hours.

14 hours seems to be the recommendation for those are intent on becoming inactive in winter.

Unless you are a creature of habit 24/7/365, I recommend that you put the lights on timers. This leaves you free to have a lie in or go out for the night without worrying about the lights!

Wow I'll definitely grab the tube then!!

All four of or ball pythons are in a 12 hour timer with fluorescent lights (not needed but seems to help keep them from doing the ball python hunger strikes). I'll bump the snakes up to 13 hours and put my Russian's lights on that cycle too otherwise I won't see my baby except to soak in the mornings with how my work schedule is.

 

[JoesMum]

It sounds like ball pythons are right up there with tortoises for using hunger strikes as a weapon!

 

[KelseaB]

It sounds like ball pythons are right up there with tortoises for using hunger strikes as a weapon!

The snakes can safely go 6 months or more without food in their strikes so it can be quite distressing for a new owner. Having the light cycle seems to help to some degree. Thankfully only one really does that a lot the others are just once in awhile.

 

[Tom]

Are there any pros or cons of using an all in one heat/UVB bulb verses having two separate bulbs?

I already have a fluorescent tube ballast I could use for uvb but I was wondering if there is any benefit of having it separate?

This is an primarily indoor enclosure for a 2-3" Russian tortiose.

Also, unrelated but better than having two threads. I have seen people quoting between 10 and 14 hours of light for a light cycle. Is there a generally accepted 'best' number of hours or is it just whatever is best for you?

Evan, out resident vet here, was the one who was testing MVBs and discovered that the current crop was only making UV for 3 months. Those things do work, but they are so unreliable and unpredictable, plus expensive, plus they are extremely desiccating to the tortoise's carapace, so I've moved away from them. I would not trust one to make good UV without a meter.

As far as replacing every six months, that is what some manufactures recommend so they can sell more bulbs. If you do that, your tortoise should always be getting good UV, but you'll be wasting a lot of money over the long term. I've got bulbs that have been in daily use for years that still make good UV. I would not know this with out a meter.

If a person lives in a climate that is frozen all winter, which makes you dependent on artificial UV, a meter is essential. Here is the one I recommend:
https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html I think its cheap insurance to make sure your tortoise is getting the UV it needs all winter, and having the meter will save a ton of money on replacement bulbs as the years go by.

Light cycle duration depends on the species and what you are trying to do. There is no one-size-fits-all. For tropical species, like sulcatas, I use a 12-13 hour cycle year round. For a temperate species, I use a 12 hour cycle in spring and summer, and then either cut back, or add more hours, depending on whether or not I intend to hibernate them. If not hibernating and I intend to keep them up and active all winter, I'll slowly bump them up to 13-14 hours of light per day. If I want them to hibernate, its a whole process and one of the steps is to gradually reduce the light cycle down to about 6 hours a day just before hibernation begins.

 

[KelseaB]

Thank you for the link for the meter. I will look into getting one in the near future!!