Habitat - Outdoor :: Getting Enough UVB?

[Yaddle]

My turtle goes to his outside kiddie pool on the weekends. I don't think he likes it very much. He usually just hides under what I give him to bask on. But he does swim around some in there. I have only seen him basking once or twice. I'm just wondering if he is getting enough UVB when he swims of if he has to actually bask.

I planned on letting him just go outside on the weekends for the summer for his UVBs before I bout a UVB bulb this fall.

Thanks

[vieniebebe]

maybe you can just try to take him out without the pool, so he runs around.That way he will defenitely get UVB.Also give him cuttlebone afterwards

[missibsu]

Your tutle should be offered more UVB than just on weekends. If you are going to go that route, try to split up the outside sessions. Without getting out of the water the amount of UVB actually reaching him is diminished.

[Yaddle]

Your tutle should be offered more UVB than just on weekends. If you are going to go that route, try to split up the outside sessions. Without getting out of the water the amount of UVB actually reaching him is diminished.

Hmm, I was going by this:

With a few hours of sunlight a week, it may not be necessary to have a dedicated UVB light, although a UVA basking lamp is still required

http://www.redearslider.com/index_lighting_basking.html

[missibsu]

All I was saying is, split it up some. It's kind of like exercise. If you are going to exercise 3 days a week, don't do it every Fri, Sat, Sun. It would be more effective to do it Mon, Wed, Sat. It would be more consistant over time. That's just my thought though.

[steve]

With a few hours of sunlight a week, it may not be necessary to have a dedicated UVB light, although a UVA basking lamp is still required

Yes, sunlight is great but taking him outside for an hour a day over 5 days is better than 5 hours one day a week. One day a week is obviously better than no UVB at all but a 3-4 hour stretch is a bit much for out door basking (depending on weather/temperature conditions). Considering that your turtle is not completely basking at that time, he may not getting all the UVB you intend for him to have.

[marisa]

If you're turtle is outdoors in direct sunlight, all he needs is about an hour - 1.5 hours several times a week. He will be getting some UVB rays even in the water, and some even if he's in open shade.

[knite]

We humans get enough UV rays for vitamin D3 with only breif exposure each day and somehow we are able to process all our calcium. And we don't bask on platforms to get it...

My point will be that to not worry. Sunlight is quite strong and, like marisa said, your turtle will get UVB even submerged 10 feet down under water.

[marisa]

Not 10 feet under water, but if a turtle is swimming/floating near the top of the water in unfiltered sunlight, he will still be getting UVB rays (the rays from the sun can penetrate several inches into the water).

FYI, I've read that humans need only about 15-20 minutes exposure to the sun to get their Vit D needs met for the day. But, sun exposure increases the risk of skin cancer. And with age, the ability of the body to make Vit D decreases.

I don't believe humans process all the calcium they ingest---it's harder to absorb than some other minerals. And many people are calcium deficient because they don't get enough in their diets.

[CountryGirl68]

To add to Marisa's post, the calcium we absorb goes to our bones inside our bodies. For turtles, the calcium goes primarily to their shell. When humans don't absorb enough calcium, it causes brittle bones; in turtles, it can cause soft shells.

[kornygerm]

* i did not want to post a new topic, sorry*.

We have some firewood, that we dont use anymore, so i try to do it as an enclosure for my turtle to bask on land,she doesnt likes it or something, because she finds a way to to escape and keep going through the garden.I placed it over a dry land,maybe she would prefer to be on the grassy side, or have some water.Because shes shedding and i think its better to have her outside while that happens.

still, im considering a kiddie pool for an option.

[SpotsMama]

My turtle spent a lot of time in a kiddie pool last summer and really loved it. I piled some rocks in the middle for him to bask on. Just make sure the water is deep enough that it doesn't heat up too fast, and that your turtle can't escape and that cats, dogs and racoons can't get to him.

[kornygerm]

I have two wenier dogs, so i have to lock them up when the turtles are outside, they dont get along too well.I remember a long time ago when we put them in a kiddie pool and it was fun to watch them swim around, i dont know what we did to it though.

[SpotsMama]

Around here you can get a nice big one for around $10. I went through several last summer. As one started to leak air, I'd throw it away and get another.

[DavidY]

Sunlight can penetrate several feet into the water (coral reefs rely heavily on sunlight for photosynthesis), but the UV does diminish rapidly the deeper you get. At a foot below the water's surface, your turtle should still be getting plenty of UV.

And like Steve mentioned, a few hours of sunlight once a week is better than none at all. But if you can spread it out over a few times a week, it would be better for the turtle.