# Do tortoises need both a uvb bulb and a heat bulb?



## pocket (Jun 1, 2009)

Hello  

My boyfriend has 2 2year old horsefield tortoises.
Recently he took them to the vet and the vet said they are fine, but they
need a uv bulb as they only have a heat one. 

So we bought a uvb bulb that we saw on the tortoise shop website which is where he got them from.

Its an Arcadia 7% uvb 23w d3 compact reptile lamp.

We took the heat bulb out the lamp and put the uvb one in and everything seems fine, although we assumed it would give out heat, but we dont think it is giving out very much at all.

Is this ok, or do they need another heat one as well, or is the above uvb bulb enough?

thank you very much!


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## MissG (Apr 18, 2008)

Yes, they need both. UV lights give out very little heat.

The Heat bulb also needs to be on a dimming thermostat.


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## Paul Dunham (Apr 1, 2010)

Miss G's absolutely right, you should most definitely have a UV light completely separate to the heat source. Usually turned on for 8-12 hours daily to give them the degree of UV they require for their shells to develop properly. They used to call UV's cold lights which isn't strictly true, cooler would be a better description. They used to need changing every six months because after that time the levels of useful UV were gone. I'd check with your supplier to see if that is still the case.

All daytime reptiles benefit from having a UV light in their vivarium, even the species which can get by without it appear brighter and more agile. But as you know there are species which must have it or they will die.

To be honest most of the equipment sold for keeping reptiles is pretty inadequate. Both heating and lighting should really used separately to each other.


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## MissG (Apr 18, 2008)

Paul Dunham said:


> Miss G's absolutely right, you should most definitely have a UV light completely separate to the heat source. Usually turned on for 8-12 hours daily to give them the degree of UV they require for their shells to develop properly. They used to call UV's cold lights which isn't strictly true, cooler would be a better description. They used to need changing every six months because after that time the levels of useful UV were gone. I'd check with your supplier to see if that is still the case.
> 
> All daytime reptiles benefit from having a UV light in their vivarium, even the species which can get by without it appear brighter and more agile. But as you know there are species which must have it or they will die.
> 
> To be honest most of the equipment sold for keeping reptiles is pretty inadequate. Both heating and lighting should really used separately to each other.


Yep, ideally they still need replacing every 6 months to get their full benefit from them.
All reptiles, apart from snakes, need UV. UV can actually blind snakes.


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## pocket (Jun 1, 2009)

thank you very much everyone, so should we get another seperate lamp and have two lamps, or should we swap the bulbs round between heat and uv?


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## MissG (Apr 18, 2008)

They need them both, together. So a heat lamp up one end of the table on a stat and a UV tube somewhere around the middle of the table, where the tort can get within 6 inches of it.

Have both of them on timers to come on around 6-7am and go off around 8pm in the summer and 5pm in the winter.


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## Paul Dunham (Apr 1, 2010)

Rough Green Snakes need UV, but they are a rarity amongst snakes in that respect. Their also insectivorous.

Nocturnal lizards such as Leopard Geckos, Fat Tails Geckos, Tokay Geckos, House Geckos etc do not require UV.


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## tortoiselady (Dec 13, 2009)

i use 60 watt spot light bulbs for my heat lamps you can get them from wilco for £2.00 for 4 of them i have mine on from 8am till 4pm every day same with uvb lamp, tortoiselady


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## Paul Dunham (Apr 1, 2010)

tortoiselady said:


> i use 60 watt spot light bulbs for my heat lamps you can get them from wilco for £2.00 for 4 of them i have mine on from 8am till 4pm every day same with uvb lamp, tortoiselady


It's always much better to use separate heating to lighting. Some people use light bulbs as a sole means of heating their reptiles. Using no thermostat whatsoever. Obviously unless someone keeps a close eye the temperature they usually wind up over heating or during winter becoming too cold.

It seems a shame to me that species such as snakes with no eye lids, which prefer mostly living in the shadows should be subjected 24 hours a day light with very little cover in many case.


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## tortoiselady (Dec 13, 2009)

i dont use a therostat, as my tortoises live on tortoise tables and if they want to bask they go to the heat lamp and move wen they want cool end


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## Barnsey84 (Jun 6, 2012)

Hi I've just bought a tortoise and learning all the time, I've got a viv at the moment but I've ordered a tortoise table, doyou have a heat lamp and a separate uv bulb, thanks


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## Guest (Jun 6, 2012)

what sort of tortoise is it ?


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