Uv Light For Red Eared Slider

The uv a is the easy part.

Uv light for red eared slider.

While most common light sources offer a usable amount of uva by design they filter or do not emit uvb. Uva rays have uv wavelengths of 380 315 nm and are also referred to as long wave or blacklight. Why turtles need uv b light. Getting enough uvb light is critical for a turtle s health.

In the wild he wouldn t have 24 hour sunlight so why keep his uv light on at all times. An aquarium heater or over. It s something the turtles do in their natural habitat every day conditions permitting and need to do in captivity. Step 6 ensure the water temperature is appropriate for your turtles.

Red eared sliders require a water temperature slightly above room temperature ranging from 74 to 85 degrees fahrenheit. For indoor setups most turtle keepers provide uva and uvb through special fluorescent bulbs. They typically get these uv rays from unfiltered sunlight or a special lamp. Turtles need uvb light to maintain an optimal level of vitamin d3 production.

Aquatic turtles will need these uv lights year round for about 12 hours per day. If your yellow bellied slider lives outdoors it will not need supplemental uv lighting. While this is fine and required for the heat lamp your turtle needs regular day and light cycles just like he was in the wild. For people this type of uv causes the aging of skin and wrinkles.

Now that we know that a turtle needs a light source replicating the sunshine let s discuss why turtles need uv light. According to a study conducted by the journal of veterinary medicine in 2006 that measured levels of 25 hydroxyvitamin d3 in red eared sliders those that basked under a uv b light had significantly higher amounts of the vitamin than those that did not after a 4 week period. The sun s rays will be sufficient. Red eared sliders need to bask for a number of reasons and it serves many purposes besides feeling good.

One mistake many first time red eared sliders make is keeping the lighting on in the tank on at all times. Since uvb is a necessary element for red ear sliders special bulbs are required to provide them. They come in different. Also note that fluorescent bulbs need to be replaced about every 6 to 10 months.

Uvb rays are not in the visible light spectrum and uvb bulbs will continue to emit light after they have stopped emitting uvb. Without uv light red eared sliders cannot properly metabolize calcium and can develop life threatening metabolic bone disease. When paired with a basking light provides heat these combination lights satisfy your red eared slider s heat and lighting requirements. This is the most abundant type of uv and it can penetrate glass.

These wavelengths are shorter than that of visible light though turtles can see into this range. Basking essentially means drying out and absorbing the uv rays of the sun. The uvb providing protion of the light bulb has a shorter lifespan and will fail before other elements of the bulb.