uv lamps tortoises

uv lamps tortoises

Turtles are reptiles and belong to order Testudines. They are cold blooded animals and unable to maintain their body temperature with respect to the external environment. Like other reptiles turtles hibernate under the cold conditions. After completing the specific time period they come on land where can move freely.

Turtles have a hard bony shell present outside the body. The shell is very heavy and allows only slow movement. It is mainly made up of a protein called keratin. There are different sizes of the turtles. They vary from large size to the small size.

Turtles can live in water as well as on the land. However they spend most of their time on the land. Like other reptiles they lay eggs on the land. The eggs may be elongated or spherical. The eggs are buried in the sand where they later on hatch and give rise to the young ones.

Turtles as Pets:

Turtles are the best choice to be kept as pet but they need special care and attention. Both land and aquatic turtles can be kept as pet. Keeping turtles as pet is a great fun but to look after them is also very important.

You should pay special attention towards your pet turtles. There are different species of turtles that people prefer to keep as pet. The aquatic turtles need specific environment to live in healthy condition.

Turtles should be avoided from the reach of the children. They can damage their habitat. Often children take them out of their dwelling place for longer time which can put severe threat to their lives. As children are greatly fascinated by the pets therefore they should be allowed to play under the supervision of their elders.

Factors Affecting the Health of a Pet Turtle:

There are many factors that are considered to be appropriate for good health of the turtle. Proper light, moisture, clean water and basking lamp should be provided while raising the turtle at home.

Water:

Pet turtles should be kept in a large tank having a minimum capacity of 40 gallons of water. Moreover they should be kept in the clean water. For this purpose chlorination should be done to make the water free from the microbes. Clean water environment will ensure good health and long life of pet turtle.

Lightening and Temperature:

Adequate lighting and temperature are very much important for survival and health of pet turtles. Proper arrangements for keeping heat conditions to the narrow limits should be made. It should be maintained between 24C0 to 29C0. Proper light can prevent the bone diseases. To fulfill the need of light UV lamp shout be adjusted in the tank.

As turtles are cold blooded animals so it takes ample time to adjust their body temperature. Turtle should not be taken out of the tank more often for playing. The sudden changes of the environment can cause health disturbances.

The water can be infected by the fungus that can severely damage the health of turtle if ingested. To avoid this problem a piece of wood should not be used.

Feed of Turtles:

Like other pet animals, pet turtles also need proper diet to maintain good health. The diet should be balanced and should contain variety of things. The diet should comprise of frozen fish like trout, goldfish etc. Dried dog or cat pallets, earthworms, snails and mollusks can also be included in the diet.

The diet you chose for your pet turtle should have proper nutritional value. Commercially available diet should be avoided as the ingredients used may be impure which can greatly affect the health of turtle.

PowerSun UV - 100W $54.99 The PowerSun UV is a self-ballasted mercury vapor bulb with two main components. The first is a standard incandescent filament, which is the first to light. The second is a mercury vapor arc tube, which takes a few minutes to heat up. There will be a noticeable change in hue (or color) when the bulb is completely warm and fully functioning. Because the PowerSun UV is a self-ballasted bulb it can be used in any ceramic socket that is rated to handle the wattage. The PowerSun UV has nickel-plated threads to ensure that it will not corrode in humid reptile habitats. This new bulb also incorporates a short neck design, unique among mercury vapor lamps, that allows it to better fit into clamp lamp type fixtures. PowerSun UV projects useable UVA & UVB radiation a far greater distance than conventional fluorescent tubes. This makes it ideal for large enclosures and reptiles with high UV demands. PowerSun UV has all of the benefits of our award winning ReptiSun bulbs with the added benefit of increased intensity and heat. UVB radiation has always been the safest, most effective way to ensure proper levels of vitamin D3 in captive reptiles and the PowerSun UV will continue to emit significant levels of UVB for all of its 10,000-hour average life (over 2 years with normal use.)

Powersun UV Lamp - 160W $59.99 The PowerSun UV is a self-ballasted mercury vapor bulb with two main components. The first is a standard incandescent filament, which is the first to light. The second is a mercury vapor arc tube, which takes a few minutes to heat up. There will be a noticeable change in hue (or color) when the bulb is completely warm and fully functioning. Because the PowerSun UV is a self-ballasted bulb it can be used in any ceramic socket that is rated to handle the wattage. The PowerSun UV has nickel-plated threads to ensure that it will not corrode in humid reptile habitats. This new bulb also incorporates a short neck design, unique among mercury vapor lamps, that allows it to better fit into "clamp lamp" type fixtures. PowerSun UV projects useable UVA & UVB radiation a far greater distance (up to 6 feet) than conventional fluorescent tubes. This makes it ideal for large enclosures and reptiles with high UV demands. PowerSun UV has all of the benefits of our award winning ReptiSun bulbs with the added benefit of increased intensity (50 microWatts/cm2 UVB!) and heat. UVB radiation has always been the safest, most effective way to ensure proper levels of vitamin D3 in captive reptiles and the PowerSun UV will continue to emit significant levels of UVB for all of its 10,000-hour average life (over 2 years with normal use.) Size: approx 4.75" diameter with 6" height

LumenMax 3 UV Protected Replacement Glass $29.99 Tempered glass replacement panels for use on LumenMax 3 Double ended HQI reflectors, available in UV Protected tempered glass as the HQI lamps do not contain UV inhibitors. Please call customer service to determine shipping costs at 1-888-THAT PET. Item is dropshipped directly from the manufacturer.

Replacement Aqua UV Sterilizer Lamp - 57W $56.89 Replacement UV lamp for the 57 watt Aqua Ultraviolet UV. Aqua Ultraviolet has the longest lamp life on the market with 14 months of continuous use. The Lamps are designed and made from the highest quality hard quartz glass that transmits higher UV intensity and maximizes kill rates. Four-pin single end connection allow for easy safe lamp changes.

LumenMax Elite UV Protected Replacement Tempered Glass - 3/16 in. Thick $29.99 Tempered glass replacement panels for use on LumenMax HQI Elite reflectors, available in UV Protected tempered glass as the HQI lamps do not contain UV inhibitors. Please call customer service to determine shipping costs at 1-888-THAT PET. Item is dropshipped directly from the manufacturer. Item is dropshipped directly from the manufacturer.

UV Lamp - 4W $16.99 Replacement 4 watt UV bulb for Eheim UV sterilizers.

Replacement UV Sterilizer Lamp for Advantage UV 2000+ - 15W $37.89 Replacement UV bulb for the Advantage UV 2000 PLUS.

Replacement Lamp for Advantage UV - 8W $36.89 Replacement UV bulb for the Advantage UV 2000.

Replacement UV Lamp - 20W $59.99 Replacement UV lamp for the Supreme Clarifier/Sterilizer.

UV Lamp - 8W $19.99 Replacement UV bulb for Hawaiian Marine. Long-lasting, durable, sturdy construction.

Red footed tortoise hatchling w/soft shell?

My friends RFT is almost a year old and not well.Seemed to be doing fine but it started having a hard time moving around – come to find out his little shell is soft.
My friend seemed to be doing almost everything right. Humidity around 80% ,high temps,heat lamp.Diet is good and supplimented with d3.
The one thing he didnt have but now does is a uv light.
My question is…… Will this cause permanent damage? Is there anything additional he should be doing to help?

What are the calcium levels like and is there any pyramiding?
He should have had the UV light from the beginning. Granted, red foot tortoise hatchlings do hide a lot, so they wouldn’t be exposed to much UV other then when they are out of hiding to eat. Also, does he place the tortoise into warm water on a daily basis?
What greens does he feed? Does he feed fruit at the same time?

I feed my tortoise according to this guide …

http://www.redfoots.com/ydiet.htm

Tortoises will have a tendency to eat the foods they like better, so if you want your tortoise to eat enough greens, you have to feed them just greens or they will pick the fruit out and eat mostly that.

What temp is it on the cool side versus the basking side? Does he have sphagnum moss kept moist for the tort to bury itself in to stay humid?
That site is a great one to read through to make sure your husbandry is right on.
Because the shell is already soft and the tortoise is already having issues, it would be best to bring it to an experienced reptile vet.
I doubt that it was the lack of a UV light alone that caused the problem, though I would certainly consider it a contributing factor. Chances are there are problems with your friends husbandry in terms of diet, temperature and humidity also.
Soft shell is normally the tortoise equivalent of metabolic bone disease, but, if the shell is discolored at all or in any other way unusual, particularly on the underside, you will want to bring it to a vet to check for the possibility of some kind of shell rot or fungal issue…