Arcadia 3D Basking Lamp UVA UVB

Post your pictures and any questions here of European tortoises e.g. Ibera Spur Thigh, Ibera Graeca, Marginated, Hermanns, Kleinmanni and we include the Horsfield tortoise. Also, do add pictures of Mediterranean tortoises you have seen in the wild.
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Ladybird_mt
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Arcadia 3D Basking Lamp UVA UVB

Post by Ladybird_mt » 03 Dec 2021, 10:41

Hello, I’ve got a couple of quick questions please. I have two Egyptian tortoises, each have an enclosure fitted with Arcadia 3D Basking Lamps 80W. The indoor temperature is 17C underneath the lamp it is 27C - do I need to switch to 100W lamps? I bought the lamps one year ago but only used them for 6 months, on the box it says I can use them for up to one year but how do I know when to change them? Do I really need to buy an expensive solar meter to check that there is enough light for the tortoises?

It’s not the first time I’ve used this forum - thank you for your time and patience - I try not to bother everyone so I usually end up going around in circles looking for answers elsewhere, before I come here and get so much help.

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lin
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Re: Arcadia 3D Basking Lamp UVA UVB

Post by lin » 03 Dec 2021, 13:31

Hi Ladybird.
I will ask the expert we have on Egyptian and get right back to you.

Lin

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lin
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Re: Arcadia 3D Basking Lamp UVA UVB

Post by lin » 03 Dec 2021, 13:58

Ok, I’m back.
The advice is to switch it up to the 100w for sure. You can always use the other one as a spare or summer light. You do need to be looking at 30+ for this species with enough space to go in and out of the basking zone.
Hope that’s helpful ladybird and please don’t ever think you are bothering us by asking tortoise related questions.

Lin

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Nina
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Re: Arcadia 3D Basking Lamp UVA UVB

Post by Nina » 03 Dec 2021, 14:23

Just a thought -- if you have the ability to lower the lamps a little bit (move them a bit closer to the floor of the table), then the temperature underneath them will be warmer, and you might not need to switch up to 100W.

Nina

Ladybird_mt
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Re: Arcadia 3D Basking Lamp UVA UVB

Post by Ladybird_mt » 04 Dec 2021, 06:02

Hi Lin and Nina, thank you very much for your replies!

Nina, I did try lowering the dome with the lamp, strangely enough, it actually got cooler, but I think it’s mostly because of the the room temperature itself which seems to change constantly. Here in Malta, we can have a stormy cold day and the next day it can be sunny and quite warm. What concerns me with lowering the lamp is whether it can damage tortoise eyes. Lamps seem to be very bright, I never look at them but the poor tortoises are underneath them and have no choice!

I will try the 100W lamp. Just before summer started it got quite hot in the enclosures so I switched to an Arcadia without heat and it was good at 33C so I can do the same with the 80W and 100W.

What about the UVB part of the Arcadia basking lamp - do you know if that part of the lamp begins to deteriorate at the same time as the UVA? I guess I would need the solar meter to check that.

Thanks again!
Anne Marie

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Nina
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Re: Arcadia 3D Basking Lamp UVA UVB

Post by Nina » 04 Dec 2021, 10:11

Hi Anne Marie,

So sorry -- I forgot that you are the tortoise keeper on Malta with Albert and Elliot! I remember when you had problems with it being too hot, and with them not eating -- and of course now it is cold (I think there is never a time when we don't have some sort of obstacle to overcome with our tortoises)!

Yes, the temperature in a room has a huge effect on the temperature in the table, and that must be why it was cooler on the day you lowered the lamp (bringing the lamp closer to the tortoises should definitely increase the temperature). And you are right that lowering the lamp too much could damage the tortoise's eyes. They do have eyelids to protect their eyes from UVB coming from above, but you should always follow the manufacturer's instructions regarding height.

When a lamp gets older, the UVB does deteriorate, and that is why they tell you to replace it after a year. What happens is that the UVB causes a coating to build up on the inside of the bulb over time, and that prevents the UVB from getting through (so the UVB is still being emitted, but it isn't getting through the glass). If the manufacturer said the bulb is good for a year, and you have only used it for six months, then I think it should be fine, but might be a bit weaker than when it was new, so you can probably safely lower it a bit without worrying about damaging the tortoise's eyes.

The only way to judge the quality of UVB getting through is with a solar meter, but I think that at six months the bulb should still be fine. I'm afraid I don't really know about UVA deteriorating, as we tend to concentrate on the UVB, but I'll do a bit of research and see what I can find.

Nina

Ladybird_mt
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Re: Arcadia 3D Basking Lamp UVA UVB

Post by Ladybird_mt » 04 Dec 2021, 13:05

No problem, Nina, I can’t expect you to remember everyone who writes here. Albert and Elliot are doing fine. Thank you for clearing up some of my worries, I feel a lot more knowledgeable now than before about the lamps. Perhaps next year I’ll invest in a solar meter to make sure that my tortoises are getting enough Iight. Anymore info you may find would be welcome. In the meantime, I thank you and Lin again for your help 🐢

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Nina
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Re: Arcadia 3D Basking Lamp UVA UVB

Post by Nina » 04 Dec 2021, 13:14

As you have a much better climate in Malta than we do in the UK, and if your tortoises are outdoors in good weather, then they will be getting high quality UVB from the sun, so I don't think you need a UVB meter if they are indoors for only part of the year, and you change the lamps according to the manufacturer's instructions (but of course new toys are always nice to have!). :D

I hope you, Albert and Elliot have a brilliant Christmas, filled with sunshine!

Nina

Ladybird_mt
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Joined: 29 Sep 2020, 08:19

Re: Arcadia 3D Basking Lamp UVA UVB

Post by Ladybird_mt » 04 Dec 2021, 19:18

Thank you, Nina, I always try to get them out in the sun when it’s not cold, natural is best.

Wishing you and your loved ones (tortoise/s and all) a merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year with lots of sunshine too!

Anne Marie

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