UV lighting: to use it or not? HELP!

[YvetteAimee]

This is my first week with my baby RF and we've blown our budget on it, happily of course. We got it with general knowledge and everything the pet store employee told us was wrong. Thankfully we could return most of the stuff we bought but I got landed with a $20 UV compact style bulb because I couldn't afford to spring for an alternate UV system. And I didn't want to return it if I absolutely was going to need it before I could afford the better alternative.

After some advice about taking our RF outside for natural UV I stopped using the bulb and put it away. BUT, after 3 days of cloudy skies and rain I pulled it out for some UV time. I live in Michigan where we have 2 seasons, cold winter that never ends, and humid, mosquito filled, HOT summer from Hades.

I've been told these UV bulbs are bad, but isn't sitting in a dark room with a basking bulb and NO UV just as bad? Should I use this thing sparingly? Most online care sheets say that RF's need 10-12 hours of UV exposure. I don't want to be a bad momma here. Should I time the use? Take the RF outside regardless of no apparent sunshine?

 

[Yvonne G]

If the tortoise gets some outside time there really isn't a need for UV in the house.

 

[DobbyRed]

I have two reds and I dont use uv lamps, what I do is that I take them outside for the morning sunrise for 30-40 min everyday and on weekends I have them mostly all day outside.

 

[YvetteAimee]

Little guy or gal is sleeping a lot today and hiding in the substrate. I'm keeping the temps and humidity up but I think Friday the 13th has struck at my house. Baby is not eating today and I cannot confirm a poop in days since I switched to the peat moss substrate. The color makes it very hard to see.

 

[wellington]

Babies do sleep a lot. Mother main thing is to be sure temps and humidity is correct. Also, be sure you add humidity without the top layer of substrate being damp. RF are more prone to shell rot then most other high humidity torts.

 

[mikeh]

How is the little one doing?

Many of these care sheets were written eons ago and when artificial UVB lights for reptiles were good enough to replicate amount of UVB received in shade, prompting a full day of exposure. This was designed for safety, so common folk won't fry their pet with UVB. Then the compact florescent came along and with it, well, some now obvious flaws that do burn reptiles eyes under certain conditions.

When your animal is outside in partial shade for an hour, it may receive more UVB radiation then it does under artificial UVB in those recommended 12hours day.
Today there are MUCH stronger UVB lights available, but that's for another time.

In rainforest it gets cloudy/rainy for days as well, the animal is designed for this and uses vit D storage during this time. You can take it outside even on cloudy 75F day, it will still get some UVB. If you feel you must use the compact florescent, it should be mounted horizontally above and not vertically, which is another challenge.

 

[YvetteAimee]

Before I left for work the baby was snuggled down in the substrate in the darker corner of it's tote. The temp was at a steady 82 f (I have the gauge at the furthest corner from the basking lamp) and the humidity was hovering at 78. Yesterday I picked up some spring mix greens and it seemed like it turned its nose up at them. Today I soaked the tort, cleaned its water dish and fed it spring mix with a light dusting of calcium powder. The first time I've used it too so I was feeling like a good momma. Perhaps that caused it to ignore the food? The eyes looked good and it seems to move around fine. Just wants to sleep. I am noticing growth lines on the top of the shell. Perhaps the little one is just having a growth spurt and is sleepy? I'm a nervous nancy. I had thought I was doing so well.

 

[DobbyRed]

My baby red most of the time is just being lazy, doing nothing, for her to eat I have to grab her and put her on top of the food dish, that way is the fastest way to put her to eat, the big one just come out from the hide and go directly to the dish.

 

[RoJo]

I took my rf outside a lot when he was little but my work sched changed and now I don't have time. He started to seem very sluggish and not eating much. Bought a UVB light and he's so much better now. Eating, basking and pooping on the reg now. I do have a hard time keeping humidity up though. It's usually around 40%. And help would be appreciated. Good luck on