It sounds to me like you’re doing a lot of things right, which is just fantastic to hear from such a new owner!! I think Ducky is just fine from everything you’ve shared. The UV bulb you’re using... 10.0 is correct, but is it the screw in kind or the fluorescent tube kind? Because you mentioned the double dome fixture I fear that it’s the screw in kind. The only type of UV recommended for tortoises now are the fluorescent tube fixtures and bulbs. Any of the screw in types are extra desiccating on tortoises shells and they have a long history of damaging tortoises eyes. They’re supposedly good for other reptiles, but not tortoises. If you are using the screw in kind of UV…especially if it’s the spiral type of bulb I would unplug it and go without UV until you’re able to get the proper fixture and bulb. If Ducky is able to get a few hours per week outside, her UV criteria is being met! If you do have the fluorescent UV fixture and bulb, then just ignore everything I said lol.
That’s awesome if the Duckster is going in and out of the water. When they drink, they actually dunk their little heads under the water and you’ll actually see some movement in the throat when they swallow. A fun fact you can share with your son is that Ducky is also able to absorb and take in water through her cloaca (aka butt hole). So if you’re soaking her every other day and seeing her going in and out of her water dish as well as spraying, then she’s good! From what you’ve said about her pooping and peeing and eating good, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about health wise. Tortoises live a long time because they usually live life in the slow lane. One thing you can try is blocking out the bottom part of the glass so she can’t see out. Sometimes it can stress them if they see out, especially when they know there’s a bigger world to explore. It is common however for tortoises to do laps around the perimeter of their enclosure.
Back to the UV. For the new enclosure I’d recommend looking at the Arcadia Pro T5 kit. It will come with the fixture and bulb all in one and when it’s time to replace the bulb, you can just buy the bulb next time. It’s cheaper to buy the combo initially than to buy fixture and bulb individually. Here’s a link to the Arcadia website so you can see what I’m talking about. Also, it’s the 12% bulb you’re looking for.
ProT5 - Arcadia Reptile
ProT5 HO T5 UV-B Lighting Kit Link up to 10 Kits. Choice of UV-B T5 lamp included, 14% Dragon, 12% Desert or 6% Forest. Easy to fit inside vivariums or over mesh. Lamps made in Germany by the worlds experts. Flicker free (T5). Lighting Guide Facebook Youtube Instagram HO T5 UV-B Lighting Kit...
www.arcadiareptile.com
There are of course other ways to do this. When I set up Dozer’s new enclosure I couldn’t get my hands on anything Arcadia. It’s not as common to find in Canada where I live, and any that would typically be available was depleted due to covid. So I am currently using a 24” SunBlaster T5 HO fixture with a reflector on it that I got off of Amazon with a reptisun 10.0 fluorescent tube in it. There’s nothing wrong with reptisun, it is a good product, just that the Arcadia is seen as a little more superior of a product. As for my SunBlaster fixture, it’s been good too. I have a UV meter and find that it directs the UV out really well. I’ve seen studies that show it is optimal to use the Arcadia branded fixtures, but from my little bit of experience the Sunblaster is serving its purpose very well. I have bought an Arcadia 12% bulb to replace the reptisun, when it loses its UV strength and I’ll be sticking with the SunBlaster fixture. It is recommended that you don’t have UV throughout the entire enclosure. Ducky should have the choice to move in and out of the UV and the bulb should only be on for 3 or so hours per day depending on the level of UV being emitted. A lot of the pros on here say the UV shouldn’t cover more than 1/3 of the enclosure. My enclosure is 7x4 and I use the 2 ft long fixture.
The only way to know for sure the level of UV being emitted ans when the bulb has stopped producing UV is with a Solarmeter. The Solarmeter 6.5 and 6.5R are the only UV meters that work for our purposes. They say if you don’t have a Solarmeter that the UV bulb should be changed every 6 months. The Solarmeter is expensive and kinda made me sick to spend the money at the time, but I am so glad I got it. There’s so much peace of mind I have with never having to guess if the UV output is too high or too low. The reading you get on the Solarmeter is what determines the height it should be at in the enclosure and how long it’s safe to have the UV light on each day. Every now and then I check the output and make adjustments if needed. The UV output on my reptisun is just starting to weaken now, so a couple weeks ago I lowered the fixture a bit to get the reading I need again. Besides the peace of mind it provides, you also recoup money by not having to replace bulbs until it’s actually necessary, instead of replacing bulbs every 6 months not knowing if the old bulb was still good or not.
I am sorry if this is information overload. UV was the hardest thing for me to figure out for Dozer, so now that I understand, although I’m no expert, I like to share what I’ve learned.
Please feel free to ask any questions you have.
