Red Eared Slider Uv Lighting

If your yellow bellied slider lives outdoors it will not need supplemental uv lighting.
Red eared slider uv lighting. The uv a is the easy part. It s something the turtles do in their natural habitat every day conditions permitting and need to do in captivity. The red eared slider also called the red eared terrapin is an american breed of turtles widely spread across the usa and is quickly becoming an invasive species in many parts of the world it is also the most popular breed of pet turtle in the us and is widely kept as pet around the world. They typically get these uv rays from unfiltered sunlight or a special lamp.
Since uvb is a necessary element for red ear sliders special bulbs are required to provide them. Staying in the water too long can also increase the chance of turtles contracting shell rot. The fixture is calibrated in such a way that the uv exposure and the heat produced by the basking lamp are balanced. When you keep a turtle as a pet you can t have on without the other.
The sun s rays will be sufficient. These bulbs are specially manufactured to emit uvb rays and have special glass casings that allow the rays to pass through. For indoor setups most turtle keepers provide uva and uvb through special fluorescent bulbs. When paired with a basking light provides heat these combination lights satisfy your red eared slider s heat and lighting requirements.
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. Red eared sliders need to bask for a number of reasons and it serves many purposes besides feeling good. Considering the total number of turtles and tortoises traded globally this breed is the most commonly.
I ve noticed that a few turtles seem to be kept awake by red light but not by blue so i usually choose blue. Using lamps other than those for which the fixture was designed can create an unbalanced lighting condition. Also note that fluorescent bulbs need to be replaced about every 6 to 10 months. 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.
This is even more critical for semi aquatic species of turtles such as red eared sliders and painted turtles which live around 75 of their lives in the water. Replace uv light bulbs every six months. Red eared sliders and lighting go hand in hand. The sun is what makes life on this planet possible and every living thing on this planet requires the sun s ultraviolet rays to some degree.
But that s not the only reason they need sunshine. Light is needed for warmth. Basking essentially means drying out and absorbing the uv rays of the sun.