Zoomed T5 5.0 good choice for Burmese Brown

JoshSloane

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Hey everyone,

I'm trying to put together the correct lighting for a hatchling Burmese brown arriving next week hopefully. As of now I am thinking of going with a zoomed t5 5.0 bulb that is about 10 inches from the tortoises shell. I know these guys are forest species and dont love intense light. I am planning on constructing out of pvc a sort of cube frame that will go into the enclosure, and I will drape fake plants on top, and real plants on bottom to try to simulate a shaded rainforest environment with scattered light coming through. Also will have a CHE to get one side up to about 85. How does this sound?
 

Tom

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In general 5.0 bulbs don't make much UV. But you are using an "HO" bulb, so it should be better. Normally I run HO bulb farther away, but I don't run 5.0 bulbs because they tend to be so week, so it might need to be closer.

I think the only way for you to know if you are getting enough UV, or too much, is to put a light meter under your bulb. Short of that we are all just guessing.

https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html

This meter will also allow you to check your bulbs at 6, 12, 18 months, etc…, and only replace it when it needs to be replaced, instead of throwing out a perfectly good working bulb and replacing it every six months. I've got 10.0 tubes and 12% Arcadia HO tubes that have been running for 2 years and are still making good UV. The price of replacing all those bulbs 3 times already would have cost far more than the meter cost.
 

JoshSloane

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Ok, I wish I could afford a solar meter at this time. The reason I'm going with the weaker 5.0 bulb instead of the 10.0 is that I don't want to overwhelm the tortoises with UVB, as they only receive small amounts of light naturally under a rainforest canopy. I keep hearing that the Burmese browns generally hide from a ton of light.
 

Tom

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Ok, I wish I could afford a solar meter at this time. The reason I'm going with the weaker 5.0 bulb instead of the 10.0 is that I don't want to overwhelm the tortoises with UVB, as they only receive small amounts of light naturally under a rainforest canopy. I keep hearing that the Burmese browns generally hide from a ton of light.

I understand, but will the 5.0 make enough UV for your tortoise in your enclosure at that distance? I don't know.

Without a meter we are all just guessing. Sort of like guessing the temperature without using a thermometer. "Yeah. I think it feels sort of warm enough…"

In your case, using the HO bulb from 10" away, I'm also concerned that there might be too much UV, even though it is a 5.0. HO bulbs are much stronger than the "regular" types.

I think @leigti has that type of bulb and she's got a meter. Perhaps we can get her to chime in?
 

JoshSloane

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Well it would actually be easier to put the bulb up higher around 14 inches away from the animal, so that's not a problem at all.

Part of me just wants to forego a full time UVB bulb in the enclosure, and just get the burm outside when it's warm. I was thinking during winter that I could have a UVB box. Maybe have strip bulb positioned over a wooden box, and have a 1/4 inch thick piece of wood over the top with holes drilled in it to filter some of the light and allow for partial shade. Then let the tort hang out in there 30-40 min a week.
 

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