Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I know it is necessary, both for shell growth and digestion, that turtles 'sun' themselves. Problem is, I can't get my turtles out in the sun, and only have a spotlamp. Sunlight is scant where I live too(Taiwan.)

Well, I've been giving my turtles a calcium supplement, ie., powder, with their food. I've also devised a way of putting them in a rubbermaid for about an hour or so on my balcony, which unfortunately doesn't get more sun than this.

I've been told, however, that 20-30 minutes of exposure to sunlight a day is just about perfect, will help combat MBD, and wonder if the calcium powder along with this will do the trick. Anyone care to comment?

If you can get 30 minutes of sunlight per day (make sure they
have access to shade so they do not overheat) and use a UVB
source like the Reptisun 5.0 inside, you will not have problems as long as they are receiving a good varied diet.

My turtles stay inside in the winter with a UVB source and
stay out all summer and they have never had any health problems.

Hope this helps
Linda

I beleve sun is needed for vitamin D3 to be produced by the body. Vitamin D3 is found in most commercial foods. If your turtle is eating food fortified with vit D3 and calcium, you should have no problems theoretically. I don't recommend substitutes for the sun at all, I still think you should get the turtles out in the sun as much as possible, just don't worry about doing it daily or weekly...only monthly with commercial foods containing vit D3 and calcium. A friend of mine actually had 3 RES that he never put in the sun although he always planned on it. 4.5 years later they are still healthy and champ turtles.

Happy herping!
Jeff
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Jeff M.
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1.2 tri-colored hogs
2.4 w.hogs
1.2 albino RES
2.4 spotted turtles
0.1 puppy
--->2.7 albino mice feeder breeding colony

I also have my RES for six years now and never had a problem. I take them out to the sun every once in awhile (not on a regular basis, and not during the winter), but I still have a UV lamp (8% UVB) that I change every 6 months, and I do feed a variety of foods including commercial ones. Hope this helps

I also had a turtle for about five years that'd never gotten natural sunlight, it's shell turning out to be immaculately shaped. The reason I posted this, however, was because last year I'd had my turtles in an outside pond. But now, due to a move, I must put them in the proverbial 'dog house', an aquarium. I love ponds, need to find a means whereby I can build one again, but now live in a studio apartment so must do with I've got.

So I'm curious about what someone had once told me, about the turts getting just 30 minutes sunlight a day. I can do this, because I have a little pubilic veranda out back where I live. It's not always sunny, however, and I wonder. If they don't bask, would the sunlight still benefit them?

Besides from all this, I use ReptoMine as their main diet, so I take it this is one of the 'commercial foods' not mentioned. I also use a varied diet including about 18 different types of food.

Thing is, I once had a bf came down with MBD. Sad site indeed, don't want it to happen to my turtles. I do, however, have a UVB bulb, although I'd heard UVA is most crucial, right?

Thanks for your comments.