uvb

[Kia Sumner]

Hi, can anyone help me..I have a 6 and half month year old Spur Thighed tortoise and I have looked online about this and got different answers..so what percentage uv bulb do I need?
Thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't know what you're really asking. The type of bulbs I use are the 5T tube-type fluorescent bulbs and in other habitats I use the 100watt Mercury Vapor Bulb.

 

[Zeko]

Hi, can anyone help me..I have a 6 and half month year old Spur Thighed tortoise and I have looked online about this and got different answers..so what percentage uv bulb do I need?
Thanks

If you are buying from a petstore, they come in 2%, 5% or 10%. On the back of the packaging tells you at what distance they are best at.

I use the 10%, as the tortoise is around 12 inches away.

 

[Ryan Kruse]

I would suggest 10% or one of the 100 series bulbs that are typically the tube fluorescent. Desert 100 etc.

 

[Kia Sumner]

10% it is then! Does the percent not depend on the age of the tortoise? Or just the distance from the tortoise?

 

[Zeko]

10% it is then! Does the percent not depend on the age of the tortoise? Or just the distance from the tortoise?

The % is simply indicating the amount of uvb coming out of the bulb. The higher the % the greater the amount, thus the longer range.

If you have/had a uvb meter you could determine which bulb to use for what distance. But as with most without meters, it's better to go with the higher % for desert species (10% for desert, 5% for tropical) and keep it in the distance ranges on the back of the box.

Just make sure to provide areas to hide from the uvb (plants, hides, logs, etc).

 

[Kia Sumner]

The % is simply indicating the amount of uvb coming out of the bulb. The higher the % the greater the amount, thus the longer range.

If you have/had a uvb meter you could determine which bulb to use for what distance. But as with most without meters, it's better to go with the higher % for desert species, and keep it in the distance ranges on the back of the box.

Just make sure to provide areas to hide from the uvb (plants, hides, logs, etc).

Ok thanks, yes she has a hand made home and has a darker sectioned area and logs as well. Thanks for your help

 

[Zeko]

Ok thanks, yes she has a hand made home and has a darker sectioned area and logs as well. Thanks for your help

And as a reminder, these bulbs are only good for around 6 months. They will appear to still work afterwards, but little to no uvb is emitted. It wears out. So, write the date you first started using the bulb and replace around the 6 month mark.

 

[Kia Sumner]

I read that also and planned to do so

 

[leigti]

How far away from the The top of tortoise will the bald be?

 

[Tom]

And as a reminder, these bulbs are only good for around 6 months. They will appear to still work afterwards, but little to no uvb is emitted. It wears out. So, write the date you first started using the bulb and replace around the 6 month mark.

I'm finding this to not necessarily be the case. I think the mfgs. would like people to buy new ones ever six months, but the only way to now if you really need on is to use a UV meter. I have 4-5 year old MVBs that I am still using just for heat and when I put a meter under one, I was shocked to see a very high UVB output.

 

[Zeko]

I'm finding this to not necessarily be the case. I think the mfgs. would like people to buy new ones ever six months, but the only way to now if you really need on is to use a UV meter. I have 4-5 year old MVBs that I am still using just for heat and when I put a meter under one, I was shocked to see a very high UVB output.

Really? With the Florescent tubes (which I think he was referring to) they dropped to around 1/4 by the 7th month when I checked. On the solar meter was roughly 40 at an inch away, compared to 200+ when first used. I'm not sure how much UVB they necessarily need, but I ain't risking it for a $20 bulb.

Maybe it's the cheap tubes we get up here in Canada. We don't have Arcadia or anything of that nature.

 

[Tom]

Really? With the Florescent tubes (which I think he was referring to) they dropped to around 1/4 by the 7th month when I checked. On the solar meter was roughly 40 at an inch away, compared to 200+ when first used. I'm not sure how much UVB they necessarily need, but I ain't risking it for a $20 bulb.

Maybe it's the cheap tubes we get up here in Canada. We don't have Arcadia or anything of that nature.

I've got a couple of 24" 10.0 tubes that are still putting out the same numbers they did 9 months ago when they were new. My arcadia bulbs are still only a couple of months old, so I'll keep checking those over time.

I think the smart move for someone in your kind of climate is to do what you have done and get a meter to actually check the output. If someone is dependent on indoor UV for most of every year, then actually checking the levels is the way to go.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Remember that UV, UVB can not pass through glass or plastic when setting up your light. I use ZOO-MED lights. The one for your tortoise would be their "10.0".