Uva bulb holder broke

[Wiwiwisjebd]

Hi, I needed some advice. I have a 2 year old horsefield tortoise and live in the UK. The uva bulb I had in had blown so I used the spares I had and the same happened. I’ve checked the fuses in the plug etc but now think it’s the actual holder itself which I never even thought to get a spare of. I won’t be able to get a delivery until Saturday (today’s Wednesday evening). I’ve not been able to find one near me and the reptile specialists I have all closed before I left work. Essentially I want to know if he will he be okay until Saturday latest unless I’m able to find one in between that time? Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Hi, I needed some advice. I have a 2 year old horsefield tortoise and live in the UK. The uva bulb I had in had blown so I used the spares I had and the same happened. I’ve checked the fuses in the plug etc but now think it’s the actual holder itself which I never even thought to get a spare of. I won’t be able to get a delivery until Saturday (today’s Wednesday evening). I’ve not been able to find one near me and the reptile specialists I have all closed before I left work. Essentially I want to know if he will he be okay until Saturday latest unless I’m able to find one in between that time? Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

What type of bulb is that?
Are you using it for heat?

 

[Wiwiwisjebd]

What type of bulb is that?
Are you using it for heat?

The ceramic holder is in the photo below ans the bulb I use is for heat only. The bulb is a 75W uva floodlight. He has a uvb strip light that is separate to this. How long can they go without uva? Thank you for your response.

 

[wellington]

We don't offer a separate light for uva. We offer uvb, basking flood light and heat, that's it. The uvb may have uva in it, but a separate light is not needed.

 

[Tom]

Hi, I needed some advice. I have a 2 year old horsefield tortoise and live in the UK. The uva bulb I had in had blown so I used the spares I had and the same happened. I’ve checked the fuses in the plug etc but now think it’s the actual holder itself which I never even thought to get a spare of. I won’t be able to get a delivery until Saturday (today’s Wednesday evening). I’ve not been able to find one near me and the reptile specialists I have all closed before I left work. Essentially I want to know if he will he be okay until Saturday latest unless I’m able to find one in between that time? Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

You can pick up a better fixture for less money at any hardware store. Do you have something like Home Depot over there?

 

[Lyn W]

As long as he is kept warm enough he should be OK .
Do you have a che with thermostat for night heat? You can use that instead for a few days.
How long have you had the holder ? Arcadia are usually a good reliable brand so it may have been faulty if the wattage of the bulb wasn't too strong and over heated it.

Pets at Home sell reptile supplies and if you have The Range near you you may be able to get one there too. I originally bought mine there but I think they have stopped selling reptile supplies in my area - they may still stock them in your city though.

If you post pics of your enclosure and the lamps you are using you'll get good feedback to make sure they are suitable.

 

[Tom]

Hi, I needed some advice. I have a 2 year old horsefield tortoise and live in the UK. The uva bulb I had in had blown so I used the spares I had and the same happened. I’ve checked the fuses in the plug etc but now think it’s the actual holder itself which I never even thought to get a spare of. I won’t be able to get a delivery until Saturday (today’s Wednesday evening). I’ve not been able to find one near me and the reptile specialists I have all closed before I left work. Essentially I want to know if he will he be okay until Saturday latest unless I’m able to find one in between that time? Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

Also, I'm vaguely remembering that someone else over there had a similar problem, and I think Arcadia had a shipment of bad bulbs. They are normally a reliable company that sells quality products, but it appears they got a bad batch. Try some other type of bulb, like a LED, in that fixture and see if it works.

 

[wellington]

Also, I'm vaguely remembering that someone else over there had a similar problem, and I think Arcadia had a shipment of bad bulbs. They are normally a reliable company that sells quality products, but it appears they got a bad batch. Try some other type of bulb, like a LED, in that fixture and see if it works.

What type of bulbs is uva that anyone uses? I never heard of anyone having a uva bulb.

 

[Tom]

What type of bulbs is uva that anyone uses? I never heard of anyone having a uva bulb.

Incandescents all emit UVA, as do all florescent and LEDs. Companies that sell reptile branded products use this as a marketing ploy. "Don't buy a cheap bulb from the hardware store that is the exact same thing in a different package. Instead buy OUR "special" bulb that emits UVA for the health of your reptile..."

@Markw84 Will you please confirm that I am recounting this correctly here? Correct me if I am wrong?

 

[wellington]

Incandescents all emit UVA, as do all florescent and LEDs. Companies that sell reptile branded products use this as a marketing ploy. "Don't buy a cheap bulb from the hardware store that is the exact same thing in a different package. Instead buy OUR "special" bulb that emits UVA for the health of your reptile..."

@Markw84 Will you please confirm that I am recounting this correctly here? Correct me if I am wrong?

But this OP is replacing a fixture for it's uva bulb? Like they need a uva bulb like a uvb bulb is needed.
They were worried if their tort could go very long without a uva bulb.
I guess they could just be calling it that where most of us would just call it by the kind of bulb it is, incandescent, LED, etc.

 

[Tom]

But this OP is replacing a fixture for it's uva bulb? Like they need a uva bulb like a uvb bulb is needed.
They were worried if their tort could go very long without a uva bulb.
I guess they could just be calling it that where most of us would just call it by the kind of bulb it is, incandescent, LED, etc.

The bulb was likely sold to the OP as a "UVA" bulb by the pet shop, and some pet shop employee probably told the OP all about what bulbs to use, what substrate to get, and which little enclosure to buy.

You know. "Marketing".

 

[Wiwiwisjebd]

the enclosure is an extra large vivarium, 4x8 ft. The substrate I’m using is coco fibre. I have been using the Arcadia uva floodlight. I also have been using a uvb tube light if I can remember correctly it’s the arcadia desert strip pro one. I’m just anxious as I leave for work at 7:30 am and it’s now nearly 6 am so I’ll keep him warm with hot water bottle until I have to leave as I don’t feel comfortable leaving him on his own with it until I get back for 4pm. I’m hoping I can get a fixture somehow today. Thank you for your replies and guidance so far

 

[Tom]

the enclosure is an extra large vivarium, 4x8 ft. The substrate I’m using is coco fibre. I have been using the Arcadia uva floodlight. I also have been using a uvb tube light if I can remember correctly it’s the arcadia desert strip pro one. I’m just anxious as I leave for work at 7:30 am and it’s now nearly 6 am so I’ll keep him warm with hot water bottle until I have to leave as I don’t feel comfortable leaving him on his own with it until I get back for 4pm. I’m hoping I can get a fixture somehow today. Thank you for your replies and guidance so far

All of that sounds excellent! Here s more info and there is a heating and lighting breakdown at the end too:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Maro2Bear]

Getting back to your original question - UVA, UVB etc lighting is important for the overall health of your tortoise. Nothing dire is going to occur if you can’t provide for a bit of time. The important thing is to get your lights fixed & working as soon as you can.

UV Light for Reptiles - Brisbane Bird & Exotics Veterinary Service

UV lights for reptiles - Due to our busy lives, we tend to keep our pets indoors, without exposure to unfiltered natural sunlight.

bbevs.com.au

 

[Wiwiwisjebd]

I’ve managed to get a new fixture and lights. And the same problem has happened. I’m now thinking it’s more to do with the plug sockets they’re in.

 

[Markw84]

Incandescents all emit UVA, as do all florescent and LEDs. Companies that sell reptile branded products use this as a marketing ploy. "Don't buy a cheap bulb from the hardware store that is the exact same thing in a different package. Instead buy OUR "special" bulb that emits UVA for the health of your reptile..."

@Markw84 Will you please confirm that I am recounting this correctly here? Correct me if I am wrong?

Incandescent bulbs emit virtually no UVA at all. You do need a specialty bulb to get useful UVA and UVB for your tortoise. Currently, only long tube fluorescent are all I would trust for that.

UVA is a very important part of good lighting for tortoises. It directly contributes to health and well being and their daily and annual cycles. It also is a vital part of the visible spectrum to tortoises - totally changing the way things appear. Like you seeing in black and white vs full color. All the Fluorescent tubes you buy for UVB also emit UVA. In fact more UVA than UVB. that is why those tubes are so useful for our tortoise enclosures. We are all familiar with the value of UVB for D3 synthesis, but the value of the UVA provided is equally important.

 

[Wiwiwisjebd]

I just can’t seem to understand why the uva bulbs keep blowing which has caused the nee fixture to also blow. I’ve had the same fixtures and bulbs working for over a year and all of a sudden this is happening. Does anyone have any idea?

 

[Markw84]

I just can’t seem to understand why the uva bulbs keep blowing which has caused the nee fixture to also blow. I’ve had the same fixtures and bulbs working for over a year and all of a sudden this is happening. Does anyone have any idea?

You have never show us what you mean by UVA bulb. Can you please post the brand of the bulb? MVB, halide, incandescent, LED????

 

[Tom]

Incandescent bulbs emit virtually no UVA at all. You do need a specialty bulb to get useful UVA and UVB for your tortoise. Currently, only long tube fluorescent are all I would trust for that.

UVA is a very important part of good lighting for tortoises. It directly contributes to health and well being and their daily and annual cycles. It also is a vital part of the visible spectrum to tortoises - totally changing the way things appear. Like you seeing in black and white vs full color. All the Fluorescent tubes you buy for UVB also emit UVA. In fact more UVA than UVB. that is why those tubes are so useful for our tortoise enclosures. We are all familiar with the value of UVB for D3 synthesis, but the value of the UVA provided is equally important.

Thank you Mark. What about LED strips or screw-in type bulbs? Do they produce UVA?

 

[Wiwiwisjebd]

I’ve attached a photo of the bulb, the fixture and what the inside of the fixture now looks like. Thanks