It's okay for the temp to drop as low as 10degs at night for a Hermann so no worries for you there. She will move in and out of the heat as she thermoregulates - under the heat to warm up, out of the heat to cool down.

What %uv is your bulb? I know other people use them with no problems, it's just more common for tort keepers to use strips or the combined that's all.

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Hi - the uv bulb I'm using is 13W REPTI GLO 5.0 UVB coiled bulb.

Is this good enough or should I be looking at a decent strip light ?
If so, can you recommend me something good - and where to purchase ?

I assume that torts absorb the uv thro their shells do they ?

Many thanks,
Jason

I have both types of uv lights

One tort has a coiled bulb and the other has a strip light. Have to say I think I prefer the strip one as you get a better degree of light.

Both of mine are 10.0 though, I think this is the recommended size.

Most people use 10% uvb strip lights - but I believe that a 5% uvb bulb gives off more uvb than a 5% strip so would probably equate to about 7%. This is a good site for strip lights and of course there's the combined uv/heat mercury vapour lamp which many people have noticed an increase in activity of their torts after changing to.

Lighting | Kimbos Reptile World

Torts get D3 from a chemical reaction in their skin after exposure to uvb... without D3 they can't absorb calcium properly. Something called provitamin D is formed which is converted by temperature to D3 - so that's why you need uvb and a good basking temp for the tort to be able to convert it properly.

Hope that makes sense

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Tina - Yep that makes perfect sense !
I assume that they still absorb the uv if all tucked up asleep under the lamp ( ie it is absorbed through the shell also ? )

Thanks,
Jason