Does My Sulcata Tortoise Need UVB Lighting?
Yes. Sulcata tortoises need UV.
Sulcata tortoises need UVB light to produce vitamin D3 and to help properly absorb calcium and other nutrients. Without enough UVB light, they can develop metabolic bone disease, become lethargic and have a lack of appetite.
Prolonged absence of UV lighting can cause irreparable illnesses. So, UVB lighting is important for a healthy tortoise.
UVB Light Options for Tortoises
The best form of UV lighting is natural sunlight. If you have a baby sulcata, try to get it outside for at least a few hours a week. If the tortoise can get a few hours of outside time, you won’t need a source of UV light inside. Ideally, put a baby sulcata outside for one hour per one inch of length each day.
But when housing a baby or young tortoise inside, or if you can’t get your tortoise outside because it’s winter or another weather extreme, you’ll need a source of UV inside.
Purchase a UV tube or UV bulb for indoor use. There are many options available. When shopping, avoid the cheap, knock-off bulbs and tubes. The copycat versions can be dangerous for your tortoise. They can emit too high UV rays or emit UVC which is harmful.
Purchase Zoomed, Arcadia, Zilla or even Exo Terra brands.
Install UV Lighting in Indoor Sulcata Enclosure
When installing a UV source in an indoor enclosure, avoid putting the UV on top of a glass or screen lid. When using a screen, or mesh, lid, the tortoise will get some of the UVB rays, but not full strength. But, glass lids will block all UVB waves from reaching your tortoise.
You’ll want to fix the UV light source on the underside of the lid, keeping the UV within the recommended height range for the brand and product you are using.
The standard rule is keep UV fixtures no more than 12″ from your tortoise. But some products should be further away. For example, the Arcadia 12% HO UV tube should be mounted 20″ away, and the ZooMed T-5 UVB tube should be 16-18″ away.
Too close and the UV can burn new growth on your tortoise. The best thing is to use the product recommendations and a solar meter to measure UV output.
How Long Should UV Lighting Stay On?
When setting up a UV light source in an indoor enclosure, set the light on for 12-14 hours during the spring/summer and 10-12 hours during the fall/winter seasons.
