Equipment Review and Discussion :: UVB bulb and Calcium Phosphate

[TurtlesOwner97]

Hi, I bought my exo terra 100 uvb bulb 13 watt 4 months ago, the pet store assistant told me that I only need to replace this bulb once per year, is this true? I'm kinda confused with this. And I have a type of turtle pellets that contain calcium phosphate, does this mean that I'm overdosing them with calcium? Or I don't need a uvb bulb anymore with such turtle pellet?

Here's how the bulb looks like:

[ljapa]

A turtle needs a vitamin called D3 to metabolize calcium to bone. D3 is actually formed by basking under UVB and heat.

So, yes, you need a UVB. On many, the coating that allows the UVB through begins to break down because of the uv flowing through (think of clear plastic left out in the sun that becomes opaque). Without a UVB meter, you can't be certain how much UVB is getting through. Many here suggest six months to be certain.

EDIT: good article. http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Reptile ... formation/

[TurtlesOwner97]

A turtle needs a vitamin called D3 to metabolize calcium to bone. D3 is actually formed by basking under UVB and heat.

So, yes, you need a UVB. On many, the coating that allows the UVB through begins to break down because of the uv flowing through (think of clear plastic left out in the sun that becomes opaque). Without a UVB meter, you can't be certain how much UVB is getting through. Many here suggest six months to be certain.

EDIT: good article. http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Reptile ... formation/

Thanks for the help, I'll definitely replace my uvb bulb every 6 months to ensure my turts are healthy!