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Just wondering if I should turn the uva/uvb light off at anytime during the day???

>>Just wondering if I should turn the uva/uvb light off at anytime during the day???

my vet told me to put my lights on a timer (if I did that, I would also have to put my filter and heater on a timer too) but I don't. I turn my lights on in the morning, and turn them off in the evening when I got to bed usually. Since my turtle likes to bask during the day, I just make sure his lights can't fall in the tank with a metal screen cover (I have cats who knock things over).

Best to keep on during day, turn off at night in my opinion. Others might have different opinions, but my turtle seems to have a nice little schedule going on.

The turtes need a definite photoperiod to stay healthy. I
follow a 12 hour on and 12 hour off with mine in the winter time.
Mine are on timers that control them automatically. In the
summer time mine are outside so they follow the normal summer
time photoperiods. If you need heat at night you can use a
red bulb. This color does not seem to bother them.

Hope this helps!
Linda

Do you have a pond or just a tub that your turtles go into during the summer? I'm thinking of getting a large tub for the summer time for my turtle.

>>The turtes need a definite photoperiod to stay healthy. I
>>follow a 12 hour on and 12 hour off with mine in the winter time.
>>Mine are on timers that control them automatically. In the
>>summer time mine are outside so they follow the normal summer
>>time photoperiods. If you need heat at night you can use a
>>red bulb. This color does not seem to bother them.
>>
>>Hope this helps!
>>Linda

I went to Farm and Fleet and purchased a very large cattle
trough. These are used for water and feed. They are of course
whether resistant and very durable. For the size they are
cheap too. I place a large boulder type rock in the center
for basking and then the back half has a board draped for hiding
under. I also have it enclosed in a 6x6x6 dog run with a top
to keep predators and neighbor kids out. I lock the gate too.

If you put them in something like this. Do not forget to make
an overflow hole for rain. I was very happy I did this when
during the night there came a huge downpour! I woke up and
heard it and went running out to the pond thinking the worst!
There I was standing in a downpour in my PJ's at 3am and my
turtles were just fine. Had I not thought about this they
would have either been washed away or worse.

Boy, I am going on and on

Linda

>>
>>Boy, I am going on and on
>>
>>Linda

LOL... don't worry... if I didn't control myself I would be typing really long messages. Half the time I have to edit before I send. Cattle trough sounds interesting. I was thinking along the lines of a large tub on a table to keep my dogs away. As it is, I can't handle my turtle when the dogs are around because they keep on jumping in my face. I only have 1 turtle. I'm not planning on getting another because the 1 was an accident. I do worry that he might be lonely but I can't afford to start keeping turtles with all the other animals I have. As it is, if I ever have to move out the only pets I will be able to take is my 1 cat and my turtle. The other 3 cats and the 2 dogs of my mothers would have to stay or find new homes. I've just been thinking about what the best thing would be for my little turtle during the summer time. I never would have thought about putting overflow drain holes. Thats really a great idea.