Habitat - Outdoor :: How do turtles do on screened in porches?

[zuse]

How would a turtle do in an open-type container (be it a tub or whatever) on a screened in porch? The UV-B rays would then reach it, right?

[fishandcandy]

Screens will filter some of the UVB rays. It depends on the size of the screen holes.

[sonyj]

The holes in the screen should be around 1/2 inch not to filter out the UVB rays.

[DanielRES1180]

So are you suggesting to put them in a cooplike thing made out of chicken wire with water in it?

[marisa]

I don't think that's what was being suggested if you look at the initial post. Aquatic turtles should be in a container--stock tank, whatever, with a basking area. The holes of the screen that's enclosing the porch should be large enough to let in sufficient UVB rays. Regular mesh screens don't; something like hardware cloth with 1/2 inch holes would. I don't know how strong chicken wire is; the holes are even larger, but I wonder if that wouldn't present other problems with letting in unwanted creatures as well.

[zuse]

I was just wondering since it's a room that has screen instead of windows for sunlight to go through... but the cats can't get inside.

[marisa]

Again, how big the holes are in the screen will determine how much UVB rays are let in (or not). Just curious, but what direction does the porch face--south, west, etc.?

[zuse]

That also makes no sense... because I'm going to have to get a screen to cover a tank if I use an aquarium. And I'm not going to put lights over an uncovered tank as much as I enjoy electrocuting myself.

It's regular sized screen. I don't know which way the porch faces.

[marisa]

You can use a screen to cover a tank if you want. If it has something like 3/8 inch holes (which you can find out by measuring them with a ruler), it will block out something like 30% of the UVB rays from a light from what I've read. Since lights aren't as strong as the sun, depending on the light, that can be a lot of UVB rays to block out. If you use a screen with really small holes (like 1/8 of an inch) you really do block out most of those UVB rays. You have to check the size of the holes of the screen. Screens compromise the amount of UVB rays received. It's up to you as to how much that will be.

[missibsu]

I have a glass cover over my tank with a small section removed where my UVB light is in my hood. It's high enough over the water that I have never had an issue with it. How else do you propose have the UVB reach the basking area? Seems to me that screen isn't really feasable. Once you get it big enough to let the rays through, you still have enough room to let water through as well.

[Andrew7769]

i bring my turtl outside sometimes on nice days personally i dnt think those lights are totally foolproof and it cant do him any harm basking like he would in the wild

btw i give him shade and if it looks like he is overheating i just bring him inside also he loves to run around in the grass

[missibsu]

When you take your turtle out to bask, do you have a water source for him?

[marisa]

Some people cut the screen where the light will be so there will be no barrier between the light and the turtle.

[DanielRES1180]

I can't imagine leaving the top of the habitat uncovered here, since there are tons of cats (and dogs) in this place. Chicken wire seems to be my only option, next to that metal fencing more resistant than chicken wire. Everybody knows cats are smart and sly, and dogs can get to be obnoxious at a point, but I somewhat doubt cats will be picking at turtles in a pond, I still believe my Chihuahuas will be picking at them, but I can just put up a board 2 feet high and they won't notice a thing. Anyway what should the overhead cover be made out of?