khepur
New Member
Hello! I'm Khepur, and I am very much a newbie with owning tortoises, and the ones I'm caring for aren't technically 'mine' but I've fallen in love and desperately want to give proper care. They are three Arizona Desert Tortoises (probably Gopherus agassizii) and are around two months old. I've been caring for them for a month (long story short, the owner thought they'd do fine at the bottom of a birdcage with no lights/heat/substrate and my bleeding heart intervened) and I have learned a lot in that time from this forum and everyone's posts here. I know I still have tons more to learn so I'm reaching out and hoping someone has advice for me on UVB.
I initially started out using a compact fluorescent but after a week or two of having that I discovered how dangerous they are and switched to using three Zilla Slimeline T8 Flourescent Desert Fixtures, with the 18-inch bulb that came with it; it's currently 14 inches above their enclosures (all three are in separate 32inx20in cement mixing tubs, with individual heating and lighting). I've been using this light for several weeks and after further research, I'm starting to worry it's the wrong bulb to provide adequate UVB. Is there a better bulb or fixture to use? I'm assuming I can use other brand bulbs in this fixture as long as they fit.
If I could give these little guys more access to real sunlight I would, but we've been having rainstorms and the temperature has dipped enough to make me nervous about them being outside and away from their heating. I've been using the care guide for temperate tortoises provided on here almost religiously, so I feel fairly confident about the heating, substrate, food, etc, but it's the UV that's really stressing me out here since it's so important.
This is my first time caring for reptiles and I know I fit the picture of a frantic first-time mother, to be honest, but I just want to make sure they're healthy and growing well. I'm terrified at the idea of losing them, through my own fault or from their rough start. Any and all advice is sorely welcome!
I initially started out using a compact fluorescent but after a week or two of having that I discovered how dangerous they are and switched to using three Zilla Slimeline T8 Flourescent Desert Fixtures, with the 18-inch bulb that came with it; it's currently 14 inches above their enclosures (all three are in separate 32inx20in cement mixing tubs, with individual heating and lighting). I've been using this light for several weeks and after further research, I'm starting to worry it's the wrong bulb to provide adequate UVB. Is there a better bulb or fixture to use? I'm assuming I can use other brand bulbs in this fixture as long as they fit.
If I could give these little guys more access to real sunlight I would, but we've been having rainstorms and the temperature has dipped enough to make me nervous about them being outside and away from their heating. I've been using the care guide for temperate tortoises provided on here almost religiously, so I feel fairly confident about the heating, substrate, food, etc, but it's the UV that's really stressing me out here since it's so important.
This is my first time caring for reptiles and I know I fit the picture of a frantic first-time mother, to be honest, but I just want to make sure they're healthy and growing well. I'm terrified at the idea of losing them, through my own fault or from their rough start. Any and all advice is sorely welcome!