Habitat - Indoor :: Basking area and water temperature questions

[MyTurtle]

So I've taken a look in Turtle Talk and the website, and I'm kinda puzzled. A moderator said that "UVA - provides heat", but on the website it UVA and heat are different requirements (e.g. "Fluorescent Bulbs (UVA, UVB)" and "Mercury Vapor Bulbs, UVB Heat Lamps (UVA, UVB, Heat)"). So I want to ask if I have a UVA bulb do I have to buy a heat emitter, or is it fine?

Secondly I'd like my tortoise to have the "natural time for daylight", say, dimmer light towards the evening. Because I believe the range of light tortoises can see are different from us, would providing UVA and UVB bulbs make their world look bright all the time (at least when the bulbs are turned on)?

Thirdly, all the UVA and UVB bulbs recommended (or at least shown) on this website provides normal light, however I'd prefer my turtle to have natural light (as said above), so are there any UVA and UVB bulbs that don't give normal light?

Finally, if I really use the bulbs for say, 12 hours and suddenly turn them off for the night, would this harm my tortoises in the long run?

Thanks

[blulite]

hi, in answer to your questions,

1, uva does not provide heat, UVA & UVB are different spectrums of light which are emmited from the bulb and both are requirements for healthy growth. MVB (Mercury Vapor Bulbs) also proviide heat, but these are "really" expensive.

2, your tortoise wont see it as being brighter, as it will get used to the light after a short time and think it natural. the reason itneeds the UVB/UVA bulbs is to inhibit the production of vitamin d , stimulate appertite etc.. the best way to set your light is to use a reguar timer plug and set it to coinside with the current daylight times. so if the sun rises at 6am and sets at 10pm then set the timer to correspond. although there will be a level of increased light during the day, that is basically all he has if the UVA/B lamp s not switched on, by the time the natural sun is filtered throur windows and bounced around the room, filtered thrught the vivarium glass, then there is very little UVA or UVB left to constituts a healthy dose.

3, Normal light and Natural light are the same thing, UVA/B bulbs usualy come as a daylight type bulb. however, the compact bulbs give out more of a yelllow glow and the strips more or a white. it really depends on your preference, if i was to go for a more natural daylight effect, i would go for a strip. (personal opinion)

4, no, il a lot of tropical countries the sun sets and rises really fast. however, if you are concearned about your tortoise feelings towards just having the light switched off then you could set your timer to turn of the lamp half hour before sunset and half hour after sunrise. this way the night and day would fade in and out pretty much naturally.

i would also say that 12 hours is only really necesary if there is 12 hours of natural daylight outside. daylight really needs to be altered to suite the seasons. in the winter your tortoise will not hibernate due to changes in daylight as the temperature is still warm enough to have no need for hibernation.

hope this helps.

[MyTurtle]

Thanks a lot

[blulite]

your welcome