UV is a MUST for raising a healthy sulcata tortoise. The best source of UV is natural sunlight.
If the weather is nice, you should have your tortoise outside. Even baby and young sulcata tortoises should spend time outside each day. Put baby sulcatas outside for at least an hour per inch of shell length. If you’re able to put your baby sulcata outside for even one hour a day, you won’t need a UV source inside. (That doesn’t mean you can’t have a good source of UV. It just means you don’t necessarily need it.)
But, if you can’t get your tortoise outside due to weather, you’ll need a UV source for an indoor sulcata enclosure.
When shopping for a UV 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. Don’t be glamoured by the cheap prices.
Cheap, knock-off UV tubes can be dangerous for your pet sulcata. Tubes by the unknown brands 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 sulcata, whereas UVC is harmful.
Types of UV Tubes
T-8 UVB Tube
T-8 UV tubes are the older style UV tubes. ZooMed’s ReptiSun and Zilla UVB fluorescent tubes are the more popular and common T-8 tubes. They are available in 2.0 UVB and 10.0 UVB. The 10.0 is weaker than the 5.0.
The T-8 tube is a sufficient source of UVB, but the T-5 UVB tube emits a higher UVB output and can maintain the emissions at a higher level for taller enclosures.
T-5 UVB Tube
There are two major brands of T-5 UV 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.
ZooMed T-5 HO Tubes are more readily available in the US. You can purchase them online or at your local pet store. The Zoo Med Y-5 10.0 HO tubes emit about 5% UVB.
Both the Arcadia and ZooMed brand UVB tubes should be replaced every 6 months to a year. There are claims that the ZooMed T-5 HO tubes continue to emit UVB up to 1.5 years, but the emissions become weaker, the older the tube is.
Use a good solar meter to determine when to replace the UV tube. You may find that after six months, your UV tube is still producing adequate UV output. Replace the UV tube when the output falls below 2.9%
