UV meter really worth buying?

[Sticky Feets]

Hi all, I read some old threads about reliable UV meters and it appears that the $250 Solarmeter 6.5 is the only good one. With that said though, how does this actually save you costs with the initial cost being so high? I was thinking of adding a Reptisun 10.0 T8 18in bulb to my tort's enclosure to supplement his UV when I can't get him outside during the week. The bulb costs about $25 and if I just replace it every 6 months, then I'm only spending $50 a year on UVB. It would take several years for me to break even on the $250 that the Solarmeter costs. I'm running only 1 UV bulb and then planning to recycle that bulb for a future dart frog since they only need a UV index of 2.0 so I'm not worried about the UV dying out on the frogs. I get that this investment would make sense for a tortoise breeder or someone running several UV bulbs. But since this bulb would be SUPPLEMENTING the natural sunlight my tort gets during the week, I was just planning to have it timed for only 6 hours a day...meaning technically I could even stretch out replacing the bulbs every year. Cuz technically if I'm sunning my tort a few hours a few times a week he shouldn't really be needing UVB.

I live in Orlando FL where once winter quits, we'll get nice long hot sunny days year round. Just looking for opinions cuz I just don't know if I can justify the $250 Solarmeter if I'm not really relying on the UV bulb that much in the first place. Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this!

 

[Big Charlie]

Personally I don't think you need it since you can put your tortoise outdoors most of the year. I only think it is worth it for people who are breeding and keeping many tortoises indoors long term.

 

[wellington]

I agree with Big Charlie. In fact, if you can get your torts outside 3 to 4 times a week for natural uvb from the sun, you don't really need a uvb light for indoors.

 

[Sticky Feets]

Thanks! My schedule is really busy with me being in med school and the only times I'm really home during the day are the weekends so I feel like it may not be enough UVB, that's why I was thinking of supplementing with a bulb.

Also, I found a T8 18in light fixture at Home Depot for $13, a lot cheaper and lighter than the ZooMed ones, so I figured since I was able to bring the costs down this much, I may as well try and see.

 

[Tom]

In your case, you don't need the meter or the bulb. In fact, that bulb produces very little UV and must be mounted about 10 inches above he tortoise, for there to be much benefit. It does make nice bright light for them though at any reasonable mounting distance.

Guess how I know that bulb produces very little UV, and guess how I know about the mounting height?

 

[hollygaucas]

I agree with Big Charlie. In fact, if you can get your torts outside 3 to 4 times a week for natural uvb from the sun, you don't really need a uvb light for indoors.

I live in the UK so the temperature is usually cold most of the year, but is warm in summer. So if I let my tortoise out in the garden in summer 3-4 times a week I won’t have to use the UVB light?

Also a question for a friend, is this the same for a hot country like Australia? And what tortoise would adapt best in Australia?

 

[zovick]

Hi all, I read some old threads about reliable UV meters and it appears that the $250 Solarmeter 6.5 is the only good one. With that said though, how does this actually save you costs with the initial cost being so high? I was thinking of adding a Reptisun 10.0 T8 18in bulb to my tort's enclosure to supplement his UV when I can't get him outside during the week. The bulb costs about $25 and if I just replace it every 6 months, then I'm only spending $50 a year on UVB. It would take several years for me to break even on the $250 that the Solarmeter costs. I'm running only 1 UV bulb and then planning to recycle that bulb for a future dart frog since they only need a UV index of 2.0 so I'm not worried about the UV dying out on the frogs. I get that this investment would make sense for a tortoise breeder or someone running several UV bulbs. But since this bulb would be SUPPLEMENTING the natural sunlight my tort gets during the week, I was just planning to have it timed for only 6 hours a day...meaning technically I could even stretch out replacing the bulbs every year. Cuz technically if I'm sunning my tort a few hours a few times a week he shouldn't really be needing UVB.

I live in Orlando FL where once winter quits, we'll get nice long hot sunny days year round. Just looking for opinions cuz I just don't know if I can justify the $250 Solarmeter if I'm not really relying on the UV bulb that much in the first place. Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this!

If you had the Solarmeter, you might find that you did not need to replace the light bulb for several YEARS rather than every six months and that is the truth. Based on the amount of time you state that you use the bulb, the UV output could last a very long time, but you can't know that for certain without using the Solarmeter. You are very likely discarding bulbs that are still fine every six months.

Just FYI, I use T8 Reptisun 10.0 tubes myself and keep them on 14 hours a day 365 days per year, and they show virtually no loss of UV output after two years and sometimes even more of use.

In your situation, though, it is still probably hard to justify purchasing the $250 Solarmeter. I am just telling you that your bulbs are very likely still good for a few YEARS rather than 6 months based on the use you described.

 

[Sticky Feets]

Wow!!! So ZooMed is just trying to steal all our money by saying for us to replace every year? Hahaha! Yeah I guess I don't really need the bulb or the meter since I'm able to get my tort out in the sun quite often.

What's a good light to use for ambient daytime color light? I was gonna use the UV as that too but if it's not really producing enough UV for me then I'd rather find a cheaper option for ambient lighting. Currently his heat lamp gives off a yellow tint. Would coil bulbs still be harmful to the tort if the light is an LED and not CFL?

 

[zovick]

Wow!!! So ZooMed is just trying to steal all our money by saying for us to replace every year? Hahaha! Yeah I guess I don't really need the bulb or the meter since I'm able to get my tort out in the sun quite often.

What's a good light to use for ambient daytime color light? I was gonna use the UV as that too but if it's not really producing enough UV for me then I'd rather find a cheaper option for ambient lighting. Currently his heat lamp gives off a yellow tint. Would coil bulbs still be harmful to the tort if the light is an LED and not CFL?

I like the Verilux bulbs for good color rendition. They make a 48" one which also gives off a small amount of UV which is probably fine for your needs. That bulb is a T12 though, so be aware you would need a 4 foot T12 fixture to use one. The Verilux item number for that bulb is F40T12VLX. That one is the only Verilux linear tube which has any UV output.

 

[Speedy-1]

I am in Arizona which has similar weather , minus the humidity . I alway's managed to get Speedy outside for a little sunshine as often as possible ! When he lived inside I used a 65 watt Spotlight for his daytime heat and basking , I never used a UV bulb and he is doing great . Not saying it isn't needed in colder climes where a tort can't get natural sunlight on a daily basis , but we have managed without either !

 

[Tom]

I live in the UK so the temperature is usually cold most of the year, but is warm in summer. So if I let my tortoise out in the garden in summer 3-4 times a week I won’t have to use the UVB light?

Also a question for a friend, is this the same for a hot country like Australia? And what tortoise would adapt best in Australia?

The area where Sticky Feets lives is almost tropical and it is warm most of the year. There are only a few winter weeks where his tortoise might not be able to get outside every day.

In contrast, your climate is cold and clammy for most of every year, so you really do need a good indoor UV source and lighting strategy. I recommend the Arcadia T5 HO bulbs in your case. They make several types to suit multiple mounting heights and needs. An Arcadia bulb should be easy to find in the UK or anywhere in Europe, and in combination with a flood lamp for basking, it should keep your tortoise happy and healthy.

 

[Tom]

Wow!!! So ZooMed is just trying to steal all our money by saying for us to replace every year? Hahaha! Yeah I guess I don't really need the bulb or the meter since I'm able to get my tort out in the sun quite often.

What's a good light to use for ambient daytime color light? I was gonna use the UV as that too but if it's not really producing enough UV for me then I'd rather find a cheaper option for ambient lighting. Currently his heat lamp gives off a yellow tint. Would coil bulbs still be harmful to the tort if the light is an LED and not CFL?

I would not use coil bulbs over a tortoise. LEDs are still an unknown, but more people seem to be moving toward them and I have not heard of any problems yet.

You can go to the hardware store and find a "regular" T8 type florescent bulb for light. Look on the package and find one in the 5000-6500K color range. These make the best looking light. Most hardware store bulbs are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. The 10.0 lamps also make great ambient light, and if you don't need them for UV, you can mount them at whatever height is convenient.

 

[Anyfoot]

I use a 5.0 tube for my redfoots. I've now got it set with the solar meter at a reading of 1 at tort level. Am I right in saying I could hang with chains a 10.0 tube higher to get the same reading, and as the tubes UVB deteriorates just keep lowering the tube via the chains to give off the same reading and get more life out of one tube or does the tube deteriorate that fast once it starts losing UVB it's not worth bothering.

 

[Sterant]

I use 6500k AgroBrite T5 HO 4 foot tubes for ambient light (and Zoomed T5HO 10.0 for UV). Its a good color light, and helps grow plants if you do that in your enclosure. Even if you don't, that color temperature looks great and my tortoises will often bask under them.

As for the Solarmeter - many people have given you reasons why you probably don't need one.....but as @Tom said, the reason they know that is because they have one. Monitoring bulb output, as @zovick said, is another good use. If money isn't an issue, I think a Solarmeter 6.5 and a good infrared temperature gun are great investments when keeping tortoises.

 

[zovick]

I use a 5.0 tube for my redfoots. I've now got it set with the solar meter at a reading of 1 at tort level. Am I right in saying I could hang with chains a 10.0 tube higher to get the same reading, and as the tubes UVB deteriorates just keep lowering the tube via the chains to give off the same reading and get more life out of one tube or does the tube deteriorate that fast once it starts losing UVB it's not worth bothering.

Yes, you could hang the tube light fixture with chains and adjust the height to get higher or lower readings. You will find the tubes last longer than many people who do not use the Solarmeter 6.5 think they do. You very likely won't need to adjust your height for a year or more depending upon what reading you want to have at tortoise level. IE, the tubes do NOT deteriorate very quickly.

 

[wellington]

I live in the UK so the temperature is usually cold most of the year, but is warm in summer. So if I let my tortoise out in the garden in summer 3-4 times a week I won’t have to use the UVB light?

Also a question for a friend, is this the same for a hot country like Australia? And what tortoise would adapt best in Australia?

In the colder winter months, when you can't get your tort out into the sun, you want to use a uvb bulb. In the summer months when you can get him outside for sun light 3-4 days a week or more, you don't have to use the uvb light. This goes for every tort in every part of the world.