Tortoises and uv

2steps · 07-07-2011, 01:45 PM

I am moving house in a few weeks and need to change my table set up quite a bit as the current table is built into an alcove in my current house rather than being a self contained unit, if that makes sense? My new house has a conservatory and I am thinking of putting Toby in there but wondered about heating and the uv lighting. The conservatory is about 50% glass and I was wondering if the uv from the sun was enough for a tortoise and would that just be in summer or does he still need a uv bulb as well and can a tortoise have too much uv light?
I can put him in another room but thought that if I can make use of it the natural uv light maybe better than from a bulb so it'd be worth taking advance of

Any help will be much appreciated

jodie · 07-07-2011, 01:51 PM

Hi
i also keep my torts in the conservatory which i thought would be fab for them but i have been informed uv will not pass through glass so a uv bulb will be needed unfortunately.

burnt toast · 07-07-2011, 01:53 PM

Hi my torts are in a conservatory. There are plus & minus's! Firstly UV doesnt penetrate glass so yes he will still need UV unless you can get him outside. The other thing you need to be aware of is that the temperature can suddenly & dramatically shoot up. I usually find its approx +10 degrees higher than outside. So I need to be very careful when its warm & tend to air on the side of caution & put them outside or be prepared to shoot home at short notice.

It does have good points ie its light & bright for most of the time, so dont tend to have them winding down for winter too early.

They are also quite hard uneconomical to heat insulate if you decide to over winter/have a non hibernating species.

2steps · 07-07-2011, 02:37 PM

Thank you both

He may well be better off in the house. I'm worried about leaving him outside to be honest in case he gets stolen or escapes etc I have a uv light now so it's no problem and I only recently replaced it.
Am currently trying to get the temp right in his new house and thinking of buying a ceramic heater than than the bulb I currently use

**Alan1** · 07-07-2011, 03:19 PM

There is a material called Plexiglas Alltop see here which allows UV to pass through. It can be used for conservatories. Osric Jonathan has a coldframe made from it. It's the bees knees

further info http://www.plexiglas-shop.com/plexig...btlox4r~p.html

You will find it very difficult to come by in the UK, I almost got a half sheet of it once in the Gateshead area but I wasn't convinced that the girl knew what she was talking about so I decided against it. There are lots of Plexiglas types but they are not the same as the Alltop. Jonathan's one is sold in Germany espectially for torts, they were even on German Ebay
http://samenkiste.shop-for-me.de/pop...287r3u01bp0rg3

Ozric Jonathan · 07-07-2011, 05:54 PM

As Alan says I have a plexiglass alltop coldframe. The one I have is made by Hoklartherm and its been excellent. It is expensive though. The one I got is the very smallest in their range. There must be some keen tort keepers with deep pockets in Germany.

**16 shells** · 07-07-2011, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ozric Jonathan

As Alan says I have a plexiglass alltop coldframe. The one I have is made by Hoklartherm and its been excellent. It is expensive though. The one I got is the very smallest in their range. There must be some keen tort keepers with deep pockets in Germany.

Remember when you got that one Johnathan, do you take it in, indi winter.

Ozric Jonathan · 07-07-2011, 10:39 PM

Hi. No it stays outside all year round. It's quite heavy once assembled and would be awkward to move about. It's tough enough too.

07-07-2011, 01:45 PM	#1
2steps Member Egg Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Lincolnshire Posts: 74	Tortoises and uv I am moving house in a few weeks and need to change my table set up quite a bit as the current table is built into an alcove in my current house rather than being a self contained unit, if that makes sense? My new house has a conservatory and I am thinking of putting Toby in there but wondered about heating and the uv lighting. The conservatory is about 50% glass and I was wondering if the uv from the sun was enough for a tortoise and would that just be in summer or does he still need a uv bulb as well and can a tortoise have too much uv light? I can put him in another room but thought that if I can make use of it the natural uv light maybe better than from a bulb so it'd be worth taking advance of Any help will be much appreciated

07-07-2011, 01:51 PM	#2
jodie Member Hatched Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 268	Hi i also keep my torts in the conservatory which i thought would be fab for them but i have been informed uv will not pass through glass so a uv bulb will be needed unfortunately. __________________ Jodie Testudo Marginata 0.0.2 Testudo Greaca Ibera 2.0.0 Rabbits 1.1.0 Cats 2.0.0 Hobbits 2.1.0

07-07-2011, 03:19 PM	#5
Alan1 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sunny Scotland Posts: 21,512	There is a material called Plexiglas Alltop see here which allows UV to pass through. It can be used for conservatories. Osric Jonathan has a coldframe made from it. It's the bees knees further info http://www.plexiglas-shop.com/plexig...btlox4r~p.html You will find it very difficult to come by in the UK, I almost got a half sheet of it once in the Gateshead area but I wasn't convinced that the girl knew what she was talking about so I decided against it. There are lots of Plexiglas types but they are not the same as the Alltop. Jonathan's one is sold in Germany espectially for torts, they were even on German Ebay http://samenkiste.shop-for-me.de/pop...287r3u01bp0rg3 Last edited by Alan1; 07-07-2011 at 03:41 PM.

07-07-2011, 05:54 PM	#6
Ozric Jonathan Senior Member Adult Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: West of Scotland Posts: 4,226	As Alan says I have a plexiglass alltop coldframe. The one I have is made by Hoklartherm and its been excellent. It is expensive though. The one I got is the very smallest in their range. There must be some keen tort keepers with deep pockets in Germany. __________________ Testudo Hermanni Hermanni (Corse) tortoises

07-07-2011, 01:53 PM	#3
burnt toast Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 5,245	Hi my torts are in a conservatory. There are plus & minus's! Firstly UV doesnt penetrate glass so yes he will still need UV unless you can get him outside. The other thing you need to be aware of is that the temperature can suddenly & dramatically shoot up. I usually find its approx +10 degrees higher than outside. So I need to be very careful when its warm & tend to air on the side of caution & put them outside or be prepared to shoot home at short notice. It does have good points ie its light & bright for most of the time, so dont tend to have them winding down for winter too early. They are also quite hard uneconomical to heat insulate if you decide to over winter/have a non hibernating species.

07-07-2011, 02:37 PM	#4
2steps Member Egg Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Lincolnshire Posts: 74	Thank you both He may well be better off in the house. I'm worried about leaving him outside to be honest in case he gets stolen or escapes etc I have a uv light now so it's no problem and I only recently replaced it. Am currently trying to get the temp right in his new house and thinking of buying a ceramic heater than than the bulb I currently use

07-07-2011, 10:39 PM	#8
Ozric Jonathan Senior Member Adult Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: West of Scotland Posts: 4,226	Hi. No it stays outside all year round. It's quite heavy once assembled and would be awkward to move about. It's tough enough too.

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