UVB requirement question

[PMQ]

If I was to take my tortoise out in the sun for an hour a day would it need an indoor source of UVB?

 

[Levi the Leopard]

IMO no you would not need it..

If you can offer your tortoise even a few hours a week, I don't think indoor UV is needed. I've never used any artificial UV lighting because my torts saw the sun daily.

Please make sure you offer shade at all times! UV bounces around and they can still benefit from being outdoors even in the shade. If your tort is stuck in full sun even on just "warm"days, they can easily and quickly over heat.

So, set up a good outdoor pen, make sure it recieves both sun and shade, then go buy something nice for yourself with the saved $$ lol

 

[wellington]

I second the NO you won't need UVB inside

 

[Flipper]

What about the winter months?

 

[PMQ]

What about the winter months?

I would get a UVB bulb for then

 

[PMQ]

would this dome be too big to provide a proper basking spot?

*dont mind the cool bulb, I'm not using it. It was left in there from the fixtures previous use

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Good job on NOT using the coil Yes, I use two of those amps for my turtles. I have a slightly smaller one for my russian, it's still 100w, but smaller in diameter. No, tortoises on;y need an hour or two of UVB a week to be healthy... but if possible, more would be great...

 

[PMQ]

Good job on NOT using the coil Yes, I use two of those amps for my turtles. I have a slightly smaller one for my russian, it's still 100w, but smaller in diameter. No, tortoises on;y need an hour or two of UVB a week to be healthy... but if possible, more would be great...

That dome in the picture fits up to 250W

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

WHOA, I definatley don;t have that one then!

 

[PMQ]

WHOA, I definatley don;t have that one then!

Haha yea that's why I'm thinking it's a little big for a 100w bulb

 

[jaizei]

The bigger dome will work just fine.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I agree, the big dome is fine to use. Better than the smaller domes in all honesty. Small domes really concentrate the heat and I don't like that. It heats up the fixture's base and the basking area is smaller. Large domes are the best to use IMO.

 

[Tom]

I agree with the above answers. An hour a day of ACCESS to sun (not sitting in full sun with no shade available) will be plenty of time for your tortoise to meet its UV needs. My tortoises regularly go for stretches of two or three weeks with no sunning during our "winters" with no ill effect.

That dome will work fine for any bulb that is less wattage than what is is rated for. So a 100 watt bulb is fine in a 250 watt rated fixture, but not vice versa.