UVB Lighting for baby tortoise

[SoupHasCookied]

There are so many different opinions online of what UVB to get, it's rather overwhelming... I have a baby padloper tortoise (and a agma atra lizard, think of this as a smaller version of a bearded dragon if you don't know about it), what would be the best UVB to get them?

I am now moving off of coil bulbs, since I've been told they hurt the repitles eyes, so now I'm getting two of those long UVB lamps (check picture), what specs would you say work for my tortoise (and if you know about lizards, my lizard as well), currently for my tortoise what I think would be the right one is:
UVB 10.0
T5
24/26 watt?

And for my lizard:
UVB 10.0
T5
24-36 watt?

Would this be fine? Is there something else I should get instead?

 

[Blackdog1714]

HMMM wow a Padloper. I will call for assistance since I have no clue the specifics for a Padloper. Just the basic suggestions- warm/humid and not sharing the chamber with the lizard. @Yvonne G @Tom @Kapidolo Farms

 

[Lyn W]

Hi,
@TheLastGreen is in SA he may be able to help with you with where to buy and brands etc.
Some pictures of the torts whole enclosure to give an idea of size would help members advise you on set up too.

 

[wellington]

Wow, the strip florescent uvb light will be the best.
The tort is still small but for its size has bad pyramiding. This means to dry an environment.
Also he should not be housed with a lizard.
Even if the live in the same area in the wild, they should not in captivity. The wild offers much more space then anyone can in captivity. This offers both a lot of benefits to being able to live in the same area, our enclosures do not.
@Tom @Markw84

 

[TheLastGreen]

Hi,
@TheLastGreen is in SA he may be able to help with you with where to buy and brands etc.
Some pictures of the torts whole enclosure to give an idea of size would help members advise you on set up too.

Well, I don't use UVB lights for my torts, I take them outside, but using bulbs is easier and safer than taking them outside, I think Mark knows of a guy in the Western Cape that sells American UV bulbs. As far as I know there aren't any good UV brands here in SA, hopefuly Mark will be able to tell us if there are any good bulbs here

 

[Tom]

There are so many different opinions online of what UVB to get, it's rather overwhelming... I have a baby padloper tortoise (and a agma atra lizard, think of this as a smaller version of a bearded dragon if you don't know about it), what would be the best UVB to get them?

I am now moving off of coil bulbs, since I've been told they hurt the repitles eyes, so now I'm getting two of those long UVB lamps (check picture), what specs would you say work for my tortoise (and if you know about lizards, my lizard as well), currently for my tortoise what I think would be the right one is:
UVB 10.0
T5
24/26 watt?

And for my lizard:
UVB 10.0
T5
24-36 watt?

Would this be fine? Is there something else I should get instead?

The 10.0 T5 HO bulbs will work great for both of your animals. I would run the one over the tortoise for about 3 hours a day mid day, and the lizard bulb for about 6 hours a day in the middle of the day. You'll need a basking lamp for each for 12 hours a day, and ambient lighting to keep it bright can run on the same timers as the basking bulbs.

You need a Solarmeter 6.5 to check the UV output and adjust the mounting height of the UV tubes. Without the meter, we are just guessing. Also, your bulbs will likely last MUCH longer than what the manufacturer says for replacement intervals, and the meter can verify this for you. It will save you money over the long term.

 

[SoupHasCookied]

The 10.0 T5 HO bulbs will work great for both of your animals. I would run the one over the tortoise for about 3 hours a day mid day, and the lizard bulb for about 6 hours a day in the middle of the day. You'll need a basking lamp for each for 12 hours a day, and ambient lighting to keep it bright can run on the same timers as the basking bulbs.

You need a Solarmeter 6.5 to check the UV output and adjust the mounting height of the UV tubes. Without the meter, we are just guessing. Also, your bulbs will likely last MUCH longer than what the manufacturer says for replacement intervals, and the meter can verify this for you. It will save you money over the long term.

Thank you so much, Tom! Also, whilst I'm here, is that amount of watts important?

 

[Markw84]

Thank you so much, Tom! Also, whilst I'm here, is that amount of watts important?

The amount of the wattage is simply related to the length of the tube. It is the HO T5 10.0 that you are wanting.

Also keep in mind, outdoor time - just a few hours a couple of times a week will also provide the needed UVB for your tortoise. Soaking in a tub of water while outdoors is a good way to provide that. Just monitor water temp in the sun. You will want a partially shaded location.

Your tortoise is pyramiding considerably, so finding ways to provide a high humidity environment is best while they are young and growing. A covered enclosure to trap humidity and heat. Lots of plants to hide in. Some leaf litter the little Padloper can hide in. I love the Homopus areolatus. Although common where you live, we never see them in the US!

 

[TheLastGreen]

@SoupCookie I do hope you don't mind if I post this, could this T8 be suitable, also, is this UVB card quackery?

 

[Tom]

@SoupCookie I do hope you don't mind if I post this, could this T8 be suitable, also, is this UVB card quackery?View attachment 339528View attachment 339529

Any of the T8 bulbs produce very little UV even close up. The T5 HO bulbs are vastly superior.

Quackery? That made me laugh out loud. Those cards are near useless for our purposes. They measure a wide range of light, while our reptiles need a fairly narrow, very specific band for D3 production. The Solarmeter 6.5s are calibrated for this specific UV band.

 

[Markw84]

@SoupCookie I do hope you don't mind if I post this, could this T8 be suitable, also, is this UVB card quackery?View attachment 339528View attachment 339529

The T8 tubes really put out too little UV levels to be useful for a tortoise enclosure. I really only recommend HO T5.

The UV cards are useless for reading UVB levels. They give a sense of overall UV, but the UVA is a huge portion of the total UV so the reading is greatly inacurate. Also, they cannot be used at all on artificial light sources as the ratios of UVA to UVB is totally different than sunlight. Better not to use them and guess rather than be misled by the reading you would see with that.

 

[TheLastGreen]

Quackery? That made me laugh out loud.

Trust me, some people recommend using HO tubes that are normally used in aquariums, so currently it seems like there are a lot of quacks.??? (Perhaps it could work but I'm not sure?)