Equipment Review and Discussion :: turtles in a tropical country

[dumbork14]

hello!

my RES Dumbork is 9 mos. old.

my main concern for dumbork is the absence of UVB light. i've been scouring all the aquatic pet shops, even checking online, but it seems that UVB lamp/light is not available in our country. i know that this light is very essential to a RES because it helps generate calcium, providing strength to the shell and bones.

because of this, i've talked with a distinguished vet from the University of the Philippines (UP), and said that as long as dumbork gets a minimum of 30 minutes of full, unfiltered morning sunlight per day, he will be okay, since the philippines is a tropical country. he said that even in the cold months (june-December), we don't achieve winter temperatures.


do i still need to buy the lamp?

thanks!

[VeipaCray]

Our job as turtle keepers is to replicate their natural environment to the best of our ability to ensure our turtle friends have just as happy/healthy of a life under our watch as they would in nature.

Natural sunlight is great for a turtle, but you may need more than 30 minutes a day. Do you still need the lamp?.... not if you can get your turtle into the sunlight most every day.

[dumbork14]

thanks!

[darla1699]

@dumbork- how big is your turtle now? How do you get your turtle some sunlight? I'm from Manila and have been thinking about how to get my turtle some sunlight. Our house doesnt have any veranda or rooftop where I can leave my turt.

[darla1699]

@dumbork - I got a UV bulb from sulit.com but it is a tube type (flourescent type). Havent used it since I got it since I had difficulty finding a hood to fit the bulb. My first aquarim was just 10 gal and now got a customized tank.

[darla1699]

@dumbork - I've read an article in this forum that you can provide D3 supplement if the turt does not have sufficient exposure to sunlight or UVB.

[dumbork14]

hi darla! dumbork is now 2 inches (a bit small?). i bring him outside, on the roof, every weekends only, because i have work. i feel guilty about this. this is the only way he gets sunlight. i also found a website in cebu that offers UVB lamp with basking light (2-in-1) for Php 1700. i'm planning to buy that. about the D3 suppement, i cannot find any in all the petshops. i've tried bioresearch, furry tails (under the sea and other creatures), and the small time pet clinics near our area. for now i've tried cuttle bone but he won't eat it.

i suggestthat you bring you bring him literally outside your house where he can get sunlight. you just have to watch for pets, birds and other people touching your turt. i tried this method once, but almost immediately dumbork became the main attraction on the street, that's why we switched to basking on the roof instead

thanks for your reply!

[darla1699]

dumbork, I was able to buy the calcium with D3 supplement at cartimar. It is just one store there which sells this. Cant remember the name though. Maybe you will enjoy touring all the petshops there till you find it. Bioresearch and cartimar have been my favorite shop for 4 months now. My expenses reverted from shopping for clothes, shoes and bags to buying turtle stuff. My credit card bill significantly decreased since I had my turt.

I tried bringing my first turt outside to get sunlight and yes all the people passing by couldnt resist looking or asking. lucky you have a rooftop.

[dumbork14]

nice.thanks for your reply. will try to visit cartimar soon. can you remember the price of the D3 supplement?

[darla1699]

It's 400 pesos for a 56 gram bottle. Bought mine 2 months ago and still havent used half of it. I only dust the pellet every two weeks so as not to overdose the turtle. I think the recommended dosage is somewhere in this forum

[darla1699]

@dumbork- How long have you had your turtle? My turtle is the same size. Had him for 4 months now.

[dumbork14]

i've had him since october 2011.

[dumbork14]

finally bought my UVB lamp! so happy!




the UVB 50.0 is 26 watts, while the basking lamp is 60 watts. corrrect me if i'm wrong, but 10-14 inches away from basking area during burn in, how about the basking lamp? thanks.

[devilduck]

Looks perfect. I need one of those deep dome lights. I'm sick of all the light my bulb is spilling all over the room.

[VeipaCray]

Looks perfect. I need one of those deep dome lights. I'm sick of all the light my bulb is spilling all over the room.

Yeah those bulbs are blinding if you accidentally look directly at them.