Is this UV big enough for my tort?
 

Hello I have a Repti-glo 2.0 compact 26 watt UV light source is this big enough for my horsfield and can anyone tell me the range.?

I'm no expert but I think for UVB people usually get 10.0 or 12.0

I'm not well up on the compact lamps. I would guess the uv doesn't spread very far though lots of people do use them.

lamps
 

Look at my post - UV light sources.


Follow the link to You tube then look at the diagrams posted on T-I
Those wavy areas of colour are full size and indicate UVb strength.

You will see Frances pointing to the first light source which is a compact lamp.

Stop the vid at 40 seconds. Look for a UV figure between 1 and 3 on the chart (greens to yellows) You will see that from the top of the bulb to the green shading is a handspan. Thats how close the tort would have to be to get UVb benefit from that lamp. Also the tort may well be bigger than the illuminated footprint so not all of the tort would be bathed by UV light.

Stop the vid again at 2.06 secs and you see that with the tube the animal can be further away for the same UV levels and as its a 24 inch lamp it has a bigger sunbathing area.

Now go to 3.08 secs and the newest lamp has an even better strength and spread of UVb, more than that there is more gap between levels so its illumination is more even.

Unless you have small animals the little lamp just dont do it.

Look at the illumination of the other lamps in that post and notice that the strong spots whilst producing heat also produce smaller focused UVb ullumination.


Rom