UV Lighting - HELP!

[LSomers]

Hi there,

I am getting a baby Horsefield tortoise and just have a small viv. For now (2ft) the UVB light I have ordered as recommended is too big.

Please could someone confirm if I can get bulbs instead and if so which ones?

Very confused with all the information out there!

Thanks

 

[wellington]

Floursecnt tube uvb is the best. The "bulbs" are too hot and intense and will cause pyramiding.
A 2x4 enclosure is needed. I suggest getting a proper enclosure, the Christmas storage boxes make a good enclosure for a hatchling or any 50 gallon tote box. I would use the light you got and get the new enclosure asap.

 

[Tom]

Hi there,

I am getting a baby Horsefield tortoise and just have a small viv. For now (2ft) the UVB light I have ordered as recommended is too big.

Please could someone confirm if I can get bulbs instead and if so which ones?

Very confused with all the information out there!

Thanks

Hello and welcome. Almost all of the info from all online sources and from pet shops is wrong. Get your info here in this site. We aren't selling anything and our goal is to keep your tortoise healthy and help you to have a positive tortoise keeping experience. Its likely that the pet shop sold you the wrong substrate, wrong bowls, wrong lighting, etc... Here is the correct info:

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. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
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...

tortoiseforum.org

A 24 inch enclosure is too small, even for a tiny hatchling. Tortoises need a lot of room to walk inside their enclosures. 36x18 inches should be the minimum for a tiny baby, and 48x24 inches is a better way to start one.

Questions are welcome. We will help you sort through all the conflicting and wrong info.