These wavelengths are shorter than that of visible light though turtles can see into this range.
Uv light for red eared slider.
Also note that fluorescent bulbs need to be replaced about every 6 to 10 months.
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.
Since uvb is a necessary element for red ear sliders special bulbs are required to provide them.
They come in different.
In the wild he wouldn t have 24 hour sunlight so why keep his uv light on at all times.
Without uv light red eared sliders cannot properly metabolize calcium and can develop life threatening metabolic bone disease.
The uv a is the easy part.
Step 6 ensure the water temperature is appropriate for your turtles.
For people this type of uv causes the aging of skin and wrinkles.
For indoor setups most turtle keepers provide uva and uvb through special fluorescent bulbs.
The uvb providing protion of the light bulb has a shorter lifespan and will fail before other elements of the bulb.
Uvb rays are not in the visible light spectrum and uvb bulbs will continue to emit light after they have stopped emitting uvb.
An aquarium heater or over.
Getting enough uvb light is critical for a turtle s health.
Basking essentially means drying out and absorbing the uv rays of the sun.
The sun s rays will be sufficient.
This is the most abundant type of uv and it can penetrate glass.
If your yellow bellied slider lives outdoors it will not need supplemental uv lighting.
Replace uv light bulbs every six months.
It s something the turtles do in their natural habitat every day conditions permitting and need to do in captivity.
While most common light sources offer a usable amount of uva by design they filter or do not emit uvb.
Aquatic turtles will need these uv lights year round for about 12 hours per day.
Turtles need uvb light to maintain an optimal level of vitamin d3 production.
Why turtles need uv b light.
Red eared sliders need to bask for a number of reasons and it serves many purposes besides feeling good.
Red eared slider turtle uv light learn about proper uv lighting and slider turtle basking lamp options.
They typically get these uv rays from unfiltered sunlight or a special lamp.
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.
These bulbs are specially manufactured to emit uvb rays and have special glass casings that allow the rays to pass through.
Uva rays have uv wavelengths of 380 315 nm and are also referred to as long wave or blacklight.
