UVB help having confusion here....

[ecstasyrs90]

Fellow tort lovers and keepers....I have been reading up on uvb bulbs and just would like a solid answer on what is safest and best to use for russian tortoises, sulcatas and box turtles. I read here exo terra 10.0 is bad and now I am worried because of seeing some of you post the eye issues and how they can get burned because of the output. What brand is safe/best....should I use strip ligting....We currently use coil uvb. :huh:

 

[lisa127]

When talking about eye issues, they are referring to the coil bulbs. So yes, you need to get rid of the coil bulb. I personally use the strip UVB flourescents and add an incandescent bulb for heat. I use Reptiglo bulbs, but Reptisun is good as well.

 

[ecstasyrs90]

Ok i am doing heavy research here and I am thinking of tryong zoo men reptisun 5.0.....yays or nays?

 

[mikeh]

Is that T8 or T5 you have in mind? 5.0 is adequate for box turtles. 10.0 for Sulcata and Russian.

 

[ecstasyrs90]

Well that just answered that. Ill get the 5 for boxies n 10 for others

 

[BloodyCouture]

would a 10.0 be good for a RF hatching/juvenile?

 

[mikeh]

Re: RE: UVB help having confusion here....

Well that just answered that. Ill get the 5 for boxies n 10 for others

would a 10.0 be good for a RF hatching/juvenile?

There are few things to take into consideration when deciding between 5.0 5% UVB and 10.0 10% UVB.

1) The distance from the tube to the top of the shell. (For examle T8 5.0 does not provide much beneficial UVB beyond 12" while on the other side of the spectrum T5 HO 10.0 should be placed at minimum of 12". 15-18" is the recommended distance.


2) Percentage of habitat the tube will cover with its UVB. (How much time will the tortoise actually spend under the UVB bulb) (If the bulb is on the cool side of enclosure and tortoise never frequents this area then it will never really benefit from the UVB)

3) T5 HO fixture and bulb provides about twice the UVB of T8 fixture and T8 bulb.
(5.0 T5 HO bulb puts out more visible light and about equal amount of UVB as 10.0 T8 at the same distance.)

If you provide the info on your set up we can narrow down the most ideal bulb for your torts.

 

[ecstasyrs90]

I will have to measure each set up and post. What do u recommend for a beardie? I have a coil uvb currently. Tank has hood on it so the distance between him and light is maybe only 16inches high. ( and no I am not a newbie here I am just looking for advice because I have read so much lately and all is conflicting and I just want the best for my pets now. I am a bit paranoid because I just had to put a russian tort who i took in from a coworker to sleep (probably kidney failure and extreme dehydration) and it is so devastating that I want to make sure all is perfect so my little ones are healthy and happy now)

 

[Tom]

The coil bulb manufacturers acknowledged an earlier problem, but claimed it was due to manufacturing inconsistencies and is now fixed. However, we continually see problems with these bulbs to this day. The problem is that not ALL of them cause the problem. So far, no one has a definitive answer about exactly what the problem is, why it happens or how to prevent it. In my opinion, the safe bet is to not use the coil types. Use a mercury vapor bulb or a long tube type florescent.

DeadHeadVet has a light meter and has been testing lots of bulbs lately. According to his meter they all stop putting off any measure able UVB after just three months, except for one florescent tube brand. PM him to ask which one, as I can't remember the specifics right now.