How much UVB time should they have?

[Madrigal77]

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I've got a couple of Leos in separate enclosures that I've recently switched to UVB lighting over regular D3 supplements. They both have Arcadia Shade Dweller setups. I'm concerned if they are getting enough UVB light.

I have the lights on a timer from 10am-10pm. They stay in their moist hides and will not come out unless I remove the lids on them. I remove the lids at 6pm every day to force them to come out. They tend to be pretty groggy at first and just lay there for about 10 mins . After that, they move to their warm hides and almost always stay there until 10pm when then UVB lights turn off.

Is 10 mins a day enough UVB for them? If not, how much should they be getting?

[acpart]

I think it's hard to know exactly how much UVB they need. I seem to recall that Arcadia feels that their shade dwelling lights may have UVB that passes through some solids (but I'm not sure). It certainly wouldn't hurt to use some D3 supplement maybe once every few weeks just in case.

Aliza

[Marillion]

Congrats on getting the best possible lighting for your Leos! You would be surprised (like I was) when you might some day catch them out and about during the time the UVB is on or even basking in the light. It's a rare occurrence but can easily happen when you aren't around. Dr. Fran Baines (likely the world’s foremost authority in the field of visible and UV light for reptiles) recommends a D3 supplementation once a month even for those reptiles that get enough UVB light during the day. However, too much of anything (including D3) can be dangerous. Your Gecko cannot get too much D3 from basking. They would self regulate enough to mitigate any harmful effects.

[adewey]

2-5% for 8 hours a day, ideally should cover 1/4-1/3 of your enclosure length

[Marillion]

The percentage listed on a bulb is not always accurate for what your reptile is actually getting. For example, I currently use a Zoo Med 10% MINI bulb. I checked with Dr. Baines about the suitability of this bulb when I started using it and she confirmed that she ran some tests a while ago that proved the exposure level at about 10-12" used on top of a wire mesh with this bulb was barely adequate for a Leopard Gecko. She still recommended D3 supplementation once or twice a month for me. My light stays on for 12 hours a day.

The Zoo Med 5% mini bulb would be completely inadequate for supplying any usable D3 at a distance of 10-12" on top of a wire screen. Naturally the full length bulbs by Zoo Med are MUCH stronger and that should be taken into account. If using the full length version of these bulbs I would stick to the 5% version as opposed to the 10% version (Zoo Med.)

The Arcadia Shade Dweller bulb which is the bulb actually developed for Crepuscular species such as Leopard Geckos is actually a 7% long fluorescent bulb. This is the one I hope to transition to at some point in the near future and is the best one on the market in my opinion.

[Elizabeth Freer]

The percentage listed on a bulb is not always accurate for what your reptile is actually getting. For example, I currently use a Zoo Med 10% MINI bulb. I checked with Dr. Baines about the suitability of this bulb when I started using it and she confirmed that she ran some tests a while ago that proved the exposure level at about 10-12" used on top of a wire mesh with this bulb was barely adequate for a Leopard Gecko. She still recommended D3 supplementation once or twice a month for me. My light stays on for 12 hours a day.

The Zoo Med 5% mini bulb would be completely inadequate for supplying any usable D3 at a distance of 10-12" on top of a wire screen. Naturally the full length bulbs by Zoo Med are MUCH stronger and that should be taken into account. If using the full length version of these bulbs I would stick to the 5% version as opposed to the 10% version (Zoo Med.)

The Arcadia Shade Dweller bulb which is the bulb actually developed for Crepuscular species such as Leopard Geckos is actually a 7% long fluorescent bulb. This is the one I hope to transition to at some point in the near future and is the best one on the market in my opinion.

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@Geecko123

[Madrigal77]

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Thanks for the replies everyone. I have been giving them D3 still once a month as recommended. I was just concerned that they might not be getting enough light since I don't ever see them use it, but it sounds like I don't have to worry.