UV lighting is a MUST for raising a healthy tortoise. The best source of UV is natural sunlight (IE the sun), but for indoor enclosures, you’ll need artificial UV, like a UV tube or a UV bulb.
Do I Need a UV Tube if I Put My Tortoise Outside?
If the weather is nice and you have a save outdoor setup for a red foot tortoise, put your tortoise outside.
Even if you’re only able to put your red footed tortoise outside for just a few hours a week, the access to natural sun rays will actually eliminate the need for an indoor source of UV. Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t have an indoor source of UV; it just means you don’t necessarily need it.
If you can’t get your tortoise outside, you’ll definitely need an artificial UV source for an indoor red footed tortoise enclosure.
Artificial UV Source for Reptiles
When shopping for a UVB tube, you’ll find a few name-brand options at your local pet stores. But if you’re shopping online for a UV tube, you’ll find a lot of knock-off brands. Some cheap, knock-off options can be dangerous for your pet tortoise.
Some UV tubes can cause too high UV rays, the wrong wave length or the wrong type of UV. UVA and UVB is a must for a healthy tortoise, but some UV tubes emit UVC, which is harmful for tortoises.
So when shopping for a good UVB tube for your red footed tortoise, make sure to choose carefully.
Types of UV Tubes for Tortoises
There are two major types of tubes – T5 and T8. both are considered full-spectrum UV, however no artificial source of UV is truly full-spectrum. And the main difference between T5 and T8 tubes is diameter. T5 UVB Tubes have a 5 cm circumference, whereas T8 UVB tubes have a 8 cm circumference.
T-8 UVB Tube
ZooMed’s ReptiSun and Zilla UVB fluorescent tubes were probably two of the original sources of tubes for indoor reptiles. They’re also the more popular and common brands T-8 tubes. They are available in 2.0 UVB and 10.0 UVB. The T-8 tube is a sufficient source of UVB for a red foot tortoise.
T-5 UVB Tube
The T-5 UVB fluorescent tube emits a higher UVB output when compared to the T-8, and it can maintain the emissions at a higher level for taller enclosures. There are two major brands of T-5 UVB tubes – ZooMed and Arcadia.
Arcadia T-5 Tubes aren’t quite as easy to find as the ZooMed tubes. They can be purchased from online sellers, like Reptile Basics. The Arcadia T-5 UV Tube emits 30% UVA and 6% or 12% UVB, depending on the bulb. Arcadia produces a Forest and Desert tube for different UVB outputs. If you choose Arcadia, make sure to get a forest UV light for a red footed tortoise.
ZooMed T-5 HO Tubes are easier to find in the US. You can purchase them online or at your local pet store. The Zoo Med Y-5 10.0 HO (High Output) tubes emit about 5% UVB.
When to a Replace UV Tube in a Red Footed Tortoise Enclosure?
No matter which UV tube or the brand of UV tube, you will want to replace it every 6 months to a year because the emissions become weaker as the tube ages.
Before you throwing out a UV tube, use a solar meter to measure the bulbs output. You may be able to keep using the UV tube a little longer before it needs to be replaced.
Red footed tortoises are considered a Zone 2 reptile. They require partial sun and are considered occasional baskers. Replace the UV tube when the output falls below 1.0. The max UV output for red footed tortoises is between 1.1-3.0 UVI.
