mvb

[lynnefay]

hello, a few months ago i posted a picture of Ivan's shell, looking like the edges of the scutes were separating, slightly. it has not gotten worse, don't worry. but it hasn't filled in with new growth. it seemed dry, and still does. i started soaking him 20 minutes every other day. and, forgive me, i rubbed some coconut oil on it once. it still seems drier than when i got him.
then, i just saw lyn's comment about mvb bulbs being bad for shells... drying them. he is under a 125 w exoterra, 95 degrees.
should we stop using mvb? a lower wattage?
what should i do?

 

[wellington]

Yes, stop using the mvb and get a tube florescent.

 

[Tom]

then, i just saw lyn's comment about mvb bulbs being bad for shells... drying them. he is under a 125 w exoterra, 95 degrees.
should we stop using mvb? a lower wattage?
what should i do?

There are four elements to heating and lighting:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night.
3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.

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...

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