What lights do aquatic turtles need?

UVB lighting is a must for turtles. A lack of UVB light can lead to serious health complications and can even be fatal. A basking bulb is also necessary and should be placed all the way towards one side of the turtle habitat (aka not in the middle of the tank).

Do turtles need light 24 hours a day?

Turtles also need a light source throughout the day. It is best to mimic the natural pattern of light and dark in your turtle’s tank. Therefore, having approximately 12 hours each of light and darkness each day should be sufficient.

Do you leave a turtles light on all night?

In general, the “daytime” lights (that is, the basking and UVB lights) should only be kept on for 10 – 12 hours a day. When the daytime light is not on, either a night light or no light at all should be used.

What UV light is best for turtles?

Best UVB light for turtles

How often should I feed my aquatic turtle?

The frequency of feeding depends on the age and size of your red-eared slider. Smaller or juvenile turtles will eat heartily every day. As they get older, adult turtles may be offered a good-sized portion of food every two or three days.

How long should you leave a light on for a turtle?

It’s recommended you leave the lights on for 8–10 hours a day, turning them off for 10–12 hours. The easiest way to achieve this is to use a timer. Turtles are also ectothermic (cold-blooded), so rely on their environment to regulate their body temperature.

How long should my turtle light be on?

Do you keep basking light on at night?

light. UVB lights should be kept on during the day and turned off at night and should be used along with calcium supplements. Do not keep UVB lights on all the time as this can cause another problem, hypercalcemia (too much calcium).

How many hours of UV light do turtles need?

Too little UV exposure results in metabolic bone disease, stunted shell growth and premature death. Your turtle will get adequate UV light if you leave the light on 10 to 12 hours per day.

What happens if turtles don’t get light?

If your turtle doesn’t get enough UVB light, they will develop serious health conditions. In cases of severe deficiency, death is an unfortunate but probable consequence. Without the ability to absorb the essential calcium, their bones and shell will become weak.

What kind of light do you need for a turtle?

For aquatic turtles, most experts recommend using a 2.5 percent, 3 percent, or 5 percent UVB lamp. These lamps are often called “Tropical UVB lamps or “Swamp UVB” lamps, and are the type you should use for aquatic turtles. I suggest that you not use “Desert UVB” or 10 percent UVB lamps for aquatic turtles.

How to take care of an aquatic turtle?

1 Fresh, clean, chlorinefree water should be available at all times. 2 Feed daily; need to be fed in water to eat. 3 Consider a separate feeding tank as aquatic turtles are messy eaters.

How big of a UVB lamp do you need for a turtle?

It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s better than nothing. When using any UVB lamp, it’s important to place it at the right distance so that the turtle will get the right amount of UVB light. Usually this is about 12 inches for a UVB 2.5 lamp and about 18 inches for a UVB 5 lamp.

How often should you change your Turtle Light?

If turtles or other reptiles are deprived of UVB light for too long a time, they will die. So please be sure that you can afford to buy a UVB lamp and replace it every six months or so before you get your turtle. I say this because many captive turtles don’t have enough UVB light simply because their keepers simply can’t afford one.