Uv in a tortoise table

[charliecharliecharlie]

Hi guys,

I know this is a common question but I am just not finding the answers I need anywhere online. Please bear with me and explain in real simple terms as I am still a newbie and so confused by all the options available.

So, Ralph is a horsefield, no older than 10 months old. We live im the UK and have had him for over 2 months now. Originally kept in a 4ft viv with plenty of ventilation, a ceramic heater with digital thermostat and an arcadia uv desert tube (30w, 36 inches 10%) with reflector.

We are going for a weekend away soon so bought him a smaller table so he could be looked after by friends. Im not too sure just yet but I reckon he prefers the table so this could be a longer term thing. I have transferred the ceramic heater over to the table with the thermometer to the thermostat as close to the heat as I can get it, but am really struggling on the uv issue.

My questions are

1.It is best to keep heat and light outputs seperate? Not to have a heat, light and uv bulb in one?

2. Can I get uv bulbs rather than tubes?

3. If tubes are the best option, how is the best way to attach it above him?

4. Would this be suitable for his set up

https://www.internetreptile.com/com...arcadia-uv-flood-12-reptile-compact-lamp.html

or is there something cheaper available?

5. What do all the different percents mean and wattages? I think I need 10 or 12% but not sure on the wattage and dont really know why.

6.Does he need heat from the ceramic bulb, uv from a tube AND a normal light from a spotlight lamp? I thought spotlights were used to provide heat for basking. If Ralph only has heat and uv will be feel like he is in the dark all the time?

6.I am also concerned about his night time temp in a table as my room temp this morning was 15 degrees celcius. Is this too cold? If so I can rearrange my house so he is upstairs in a smaller warmer room.

If anyone could recommend any products, specifically from Internet Reptile as I can drive there it would be such a HUGE help as I dont find staff there very patient with me. Thank you so much! x

 

[Loritort]

Hello and welcome!!
I'm sure someone more experienced can answer ALL your questions.
Sorry the staff at the reptile place wasn't helpful or patient. Some people just aren't nice or helpful.

 

[lismar79]

I do not see any reason why you could not use something like- https://www.internetreptile.com/25-mvb-mercury-vapour
Basking & uvb in one. Heat emitter for night temps.
I keep the light on in my room for additional lighting in the day time.
15 degrees Celsius is too low in my opinion, even for a horsefield who likes cooler temps. Can his enclosure be enclosed to help hold heat in?

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Russian torts need a lot of space to keep them healthy and fit and a lot of walking is necessary to allow their digestion to work properly.
Have a read of http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
Apologies if you have already done so.

1) Many people (including me) are happy with an MVB (mercury vapour bulb) that have heat, light and UVB in one, though they need replacing every few months as the UV produced drops, though the light still looks fine to us. Others prefer to use a strip UVB light and separate basking bulb, as some say the UVB's are desiccating.

2) Yes, if you prefer, but get an MVB not any of the coiled /compact bulbs that have been known to damage tortoise eyes and often don't produce the required UVB anyway.

3) People often fix them to the sides of the enclosures, i think, not sure, as i don't use them myself.

4) That looks like a compact bulb cunningly disguised as a tube. I wouldn't use it myself.

5) The higher the wattege, the higher the heat (generally). For a little enclosure you're not likely to need more than 50 watts.

6) I would be happy with that temp as long as it doesn't get much lower. You may need a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) connected to a thermostat to ensure it doesn't drop much below this.

 

[Tom]

Hi guys,

I know this is a common question but I am just not finding the answers I need anywhere online. Please bear with me and explain in real simple terms as I am still a newbie and so confused by all the options available.

So, Ralph is a horsefield, no older than 10 months old. We live im the UK and have had him for over 2 months now. Originally kept in a 4ft viv with plenty of ventilation, a ceramic heater with digital thermostat and an arcadia uv desert tube (30w, 36 inches 10%) with reflector.

We are going for a weekend away soon so bought him a smaller table so he could be looked after by friends. Im not too sure just yet but I reckon he prefers the table so this could be a longer term thing. I have transferred the ceramic heater over to the table with the thermometer to the thermostat as close to the heat as I can get it, but am really struggling on the uv issue.

My questions are

1.It is best to keep heat and light outputs seperate? Not to have a heat, light and uv bulb in one?

2. Can I get uv bulbs rather than tubes?

3. If tubes are the best option, how is the best way to attach it above him?

4. Would this be suitable for his set up

https://www.internetreptile.com/com...arcadia-uv-flood-12-reptile-compact-lamp.html

or is there something cheaper available?

5. What do all the different percents mean and wattages? I think I need 10 or 12% but not sure on the wattage and dont really know why.

6.Does he need heat from the ceramic bulb, uv from a tube AND a normal light from a spotlight lamp? I thought spotlights were used to provide heat for basking. If Ralph only has heat and uv will be feel like he is in the dark all the time?

6.I am also concerned about his night time temp in a table as my room temp this morning was 15 degrees celcius. Is this too cold? If so I can rearrange my house so he is upstairs in a smaller warmer room.

If anyone could recommend any products, specifically from Internet Reptile as I can drive there it would be such a HUGE help as I dont find staff there very patient with me. Thank you so much! x

I would move him back to the larger viv ASAP. Temperatures and humidity are much easier to maintain in a closed chamber, and they need lots of space.

Your questions:
1. This is dependent on each individual situation. In your situation, I think you need:
A) A CHE set on a thermostat to maintain ambient no lower than around 20C day or night for a baby.
B) Your long UV tube for UV, set on a timer for 12 hours a day.
C) A flood bulb (Not a spot…) for basking on a timer for 12-14 hours a day.
2. Yes, but the answer to number one is how I would do it and how I think it will work best for your situation.
3. You can use PVC pipe or wood to make a frame over an open table to attach all your lights, but in the viv, simply attach it to the ceiling. You may have to lower it a bit as that bulb needs to be no more than 10-12" form the tortoise to be effective.
4. No. Those sometimes burn reptile eyes and should not be used.
5. The percentage denotes what amount of the light produced is in the UV spectrum that our reptiles need. 10 0r 12% should work well for your situation.
6. See the answers for number 1 and 2.
7. See answer number 1. A).

Doesn't sound like you need to buy anything except maybe a thermostat for your CHE and a couple of timers for your basking and UV bulbs. I get those at hardware stores over here. I understand you have the equivalent of Home Depot over there. Called Home Base, if I recall correctly?

Keep the questions coming. Ask everything that comes to mind. We are here to talk tortoises!

 

[Markw84]

@charliecharliecharlie I will try to keep this simple, but to answer your questions a bit of terminology may get confusing. I hope this is easy...

1 I do like the better control I have of the perameters by keeping the heat and light separate. The lights need to be on a timer, and the heat on a thermostat. However, a basking bulb for basking heat would be required. I use a standard incandescent flood bulb for that normally a 50 - 75 watt bulb is all that is required. That would be on the timer with the other lights.

2 There are a few other options. The MVB already mentioned is used by many. I don't prefer them as they do not last long and they emit a type of heat that is very drying on the carapace of a tortoise basking directly under it. Another option would be the HID or Metal Halide bulbs that are more common in Europe. They are a great choice and emit a much better color balance of light as well as excellent UVB and less of the more drying type of heat. However, they must be in a fixture with ballast made for that type bulb so they are initially a more costly option. Once you have the fixture, the bulb itself is much less to replace when needed. https://www.internetreptile.com/met...att.html?search_query=metal+halide&results=23

3 The tubes are easy to mount as they are extremely light and can be hung anywhere over the enclosure easily. The types you are looking at and the one I link below are my favorites as they have a remote ballast - Which is the heavier part of a fixture. So only the very light tube and hood need to be hung over the enclosure. Do not attach these type bulbs to the side of the enclosure. They light and UVB must come from overhead for a tortoise.

4 The bulb and fixture you have linked above in question 4 is an excellent choice. It is not a compact fluorescent. It is specially designed shorter tube that Arcadia offers. I prefer a longer tube over more of the enclosure, such as this https://www.internetreptile.com/com...n39w-light-kit-tube-controller-reflector.html but the one you have linked is certainly a top of the line type of UVB.

5 The percentages are simply the percentage of energy produced by the bulb that is UVB. For example, the total amount of energy put our by a 12.0 bulb is normally 12% UVB, 28% UVA and 60% visible light. MVB bulbs are not rated that way since over 50% of the energy they put out is heat and not visible light or UV. So only the remaining energy is used to produced light and UV.