UVB bulb

Question
purchased UVB blub: Repti Glo l0.0 compact, UVB...13W for desert terrarium. Only one I could find that specified on the box...provides necessary UVB rays for optimal calcium metabolism.
Todd has not had light for about 10 yrs +....no other light source...he does have a heat pad under tank....I do take him out of his aquarium for sun light...he goes into the shade..is this due to the fact that he is not used of light....I don't want to expose him to this UVB buld for hours....vet gave me paper that states 12 hours....pet store suggested definitely gradually. What do you recommened. Thank you for your time, Sincerely, Maura Oh, Todd's size is 6 1/2 x 5 1/2

Answer
Hi Maura,

Is there any reason you can't house Todd outside?  Box turtles do very well outside, and not as well indoors.  In California, he should be living outside all year round in a well-planted pen.  You may be amazed to see how differently he acts if given the chance to live in a natural environment.  

It would help if you could give me more information on how Todd is currently being kept.  A glass tank isn't a good enclosure, but that's even more true if it's a small tank (less than about 100 gallons).  Box turtles need a lot of room.  The substrate should provide plenty of moisture, and there should be a basking light (not undertank heater) as well as a good source of UVB--and they do need to have the UVB on for 12-14 hours a day if not outside.  Unfortunately, the bulb you purchased is not a good UVB bulb.  The only ones I recommend are either the Reptisun 10.0 (tube bulb; must be changed every six months) or the ZooMed Powersun (heat/UVB in one bulb; must be changed yearly).  

Pet stores rarely know much about turtles and tortoises, so the information they give out is often very wrong.  One example of this is that they typically recommend a 20 gallon tank for box turtles and tortoises, which is far too small and creates an unhealthy environment for them.

This link might help you with the UVB:  http://russiantortoise.org/uvb.htm.  Here's information on box turtle care: http://aboxturtle.com/