Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How do you know how much UV light you need to provide reptiles? I have seen different measurements such as 5.0, 25, and 50. What do they mean?
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two oregon newts
one male eastern box turtle
ten gallon tropical fish tank

And how do I know how much wattage to use? Is there some general rule?
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two oregon newts
one male eastern box turtle
ten gallon tropical fish tank

Wattage is for heat bulbs. While it varies in UV bulbs (not talking about combo bulbs like MVB's), it doesn't much matter since they are not your heat source. Larger bulbs will have a larger wattage rating.

As for how much, there is no set rate. Just use your best judgement. A diurnal, basking desert species will need more rays (a higher number on the bulb, 10.o instead of 2.5 ect) than a forest dwelling terrestrial inhabitant. For your box turtle, when given the chance, let it outside for some unfiltered sunlight (supervised).

I hope this helps,

Ian

It just depends on your reptile. However the information out there is limited. Here is a site that I found to be helpful. http://www.anapsid.org/uvtable.html, also: http://www.uvguide.co.uk/fluorescenttubes.htm