What is the best MVB for my RT?

[Alan RF]

Hi everyone! It's getting cooler in the UK and I'm back to work on Monday! I'll try and leave Mo in his outdoor enclosure but thinking towards mid September I'm going to need an MVB and wondered which make is the best to buy? I'm thinking about getting it from eBay? Or Blue Lizard reptile online?

 

[mikeh]

Mega-Ray

sent from mobile device using TFO app

 

[FLINTUS]

Swell reptiles are the cheapest now SPS have collapsed. Arcadia are by far and away the best available in the UK, and I know that nearly every UK keeper on the forums would agree with me-they offer a 1year guarantee as well. However, MVB's are not the best form of light/heat now, as tubes have developed a lot over the last year or so, so I would go for the Arcadia T5 Desert Kit and a separate basking bulb. This is what most of us are using(or the forest version) now rather than MVBs as a main source of UV. Are you not planning to hibernate then this winter?

 

[Alan RF]

Swell reptiles are the cheapest now SPS have collapsed. Arcadia are by far and away the best available in the UK, and I know that nearly every UK keeper on the forums would agree with me-they offer a 1year guarantee as well. However, MVB's are not the best form of light/heat now, as tubes have developed a lot over the last year or so, so I would go for the Arcadia T5 Desert Kit and a separate basking bulb. This is what most of us are using(or the forest version) now rather than MVBs as a main source of UV. Are you not planning to hibernate then this winter?

Thanks for this and yeah I've heard of Arcadia! His indoor enclosure might be to bright with a tube? He loves the basking light I put in he warms up after being outside all day then goes into his hide to bury himself deep under the hide. I'm not sure about hibernating but I'm sure he would ok if he did because he sleeps from 6pm till 8am each day! Wish my own children did this at his age lol! I need to look into the hibernating is it about October?? This is why I'm thinking lighting-MVB for September!

 

[Yvonne G]

Real sunshine!!

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OOPS! Sorry...My mind read "MVB" but my brain interpreted "UVB."

Have you seen this site:

http://www.uvguide.co.uk/

 

[FLINTUS]

That website is quite good and worth a read. Arcadia's lighting guide is also very good, are you on RFUK? The owner is on there and will be able to advise you on the best set up from them-honestly, not just for getting as much money as he can. Hibernation is quite dependent on the specific owner and tortoise, and since I don't keep Russians/Horsfields I will let someone who does explain hibernation. Horsfields are not shy of light so a tube will be fine, and be better in UV output than an MVB. What are you using for your RF? However, with Horsfields in particular it is particularly recommended as they can easily have too fast growth without it-in the wild they only eat for 3-4 months a year.

 

[Alan RF]

That website is quite good and worth a read. Arcadia's lighting guide is also very good, are you on RFUK? The owner is on there and will be able to advise you on the best set up from them-honestly, not just for getting as much money as he can. Hibernation is quite dependent on the specific owner and tortoise, and since I don't keep Russians/Horsfields I will let someone who does explain hibernation. Horsfields are not shy of light so a tube will be fine, and be better in UV output than an MVB. What are you using for your RF? However, with Horsfields in particular it is particularly recommended as they can easily have too fast growth without it-in the wild they only eat for 3-4 months a year.

No I'm not a member? For my RF I have the UVB tube and a infrared heat lamp (red) in a viv. mo the RT is in his tortoise table/wooden chest so if I put a UVB tube what about basking or heat? Remember I'm thinking only for a month as I'm sure ill hibernate him

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Real sunshine!!

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OOPS! Sorry...My mind read "MVB" but my brain interpreted "UVB."

Have you seen this site:

http://www.uvguide.co.uk/

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Can't beat real sunshine! Will check that out

 

[FLINTUS]

Ok, might be worth joining anyway as it is useful for UK keepers. If you put in a UV tube, just use a heat bulb and you're done.

 

[Alan RF]

Ok, might be worth joining anyway as it is useful for UK keepers. If you put in a UV tube, just use a heat bulb and you're done.

I will! Thanks ok will have a good look for a tube and heat lamp! Heat lamp is it better to get the ceramic emitter one or like Alan's a infrared heat bulb? Sorry for the questions but I want a happy Mo!

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Oh yeah and how bigger tube across a 90cm width? At the top there's a lat of wood to hold the tube on and that's 30cm above his ground level at the moment!
Please look at one of my other recent threads it has a photo of his indoor enclosure which I got a couple of responses lol

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'Help with indoor enclosure' thread !!

 

[FLINTUS]

I would go for a proper basking bulb white light.
For 90 cm I would go with a 36 inch T5 Desert 12% probably, as Arcadia always make the tubes slightly shorter.

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BTW, while Russians are not meant to like wet conditions, they are extremely hardy, and most keepers keep them out all year-minus a few days- until hibernation and then hibernate. As long as it doesn't drop below 5 much you should be OK. This is a great website for Horsfield's Tortoises.
http://www.tortsmad.com/index.htm

 

[Alan RF]

I would go for a proper basking bulb white light.
For 90 cm I would go with a 36 inch T5 Desert 12% probably, as Arcadia always make the tubes slightly shorter.

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BTW, while Russians are not meant to like wet conditions, they are extremely hardy, and most keepers keep them out all year-minus a few days- until hibernation and then hibernate. As long as it doesn't drop below 5 much you should be OK. This is a great website for Horsfield's Tortoises.
http://www.tortsmad.com/index.htm

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Flintus funnily enough I was told through a friend about a lady who lives in York who has her horsfield out all year round it even hibernates in the outdoor enclosure! My husband says I need to toughen up with Mo as I'm constantly checking temps outside. My plan this weekend is to fit a basking bulb in his outside house part, when I go to work, put him out in the house so he knows this is where the heat is, if he wants it! Then leave him all day to work things out himself.....I worry about him being cold and I'm hoping by putting him in the house every morning he'll know where to go should he get cold???? Now at the moment temps are 18 to 22 which is fine. If I do this then on a night say 5pm I can soak him then transfer him to his inside enclosure where they'll be say a basking light??? Because he'll of had UVB and this produces heat??? I'm buying a weatherproof sheet to cover the whole enclosure on a night. His outdoor enclosure will be wet each morning so that's why I'm putting him in his dry, warm house. What do you think?

 

[FLINTUS]

Well, because houses can be filled with nasties, I would make a specific boarded off section for him to warm up in. Another option would be to have a sheltered cold frame or something outside with a heat lamp in.

 

[Alan RF]

His outside house will be the same as he left it? Would I put a cold frame in this enclosure when he's got this wooden section of a house covered by Perspex ?? I've read that link about horsfield and everything it was saying is more or less what I'm doing but basically he'd be best outside all the time....

 

[FLINTUS]

Ok that seems good. Keep up the good work.