Reptile & Amphibian Forums

OK I need to swiutch my UV light. Or at least I want to to make sure I get an high enough output. All I really want is to know what you've used to raise babies to adults. As long as it works I'll be happy. How far away it is from the animals would help too.

UV lights should be within 12 inches of the animal or the animals should have a place in the cage where they are within 12 inches of the light. i use whatever bulb has the numbers 10.0 after it and i can't for the life of me remember the name right now
-----
vonnie
***The scientific theory I like best is that the rings of Saturn are composed entirely of lost airline luggage.
— Mark Russell***

we have never used full spectrum lighting for either monitors or Uros. we use a good supplement, MinerAll with D3, but no fancy expensive bulbs. we have raised terrifically healthy animals, and hatched terrific healthy babies.

full spectrum lighting is NOT a necessity when the animals are setup and fed well.
-----
robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

dust with the Minerall as in how many days a week and how much? Is that the only supplement you use?

Hey, I´m a member of the Green Iguana forum and don´t know much about Uros, but I just red your post and wanted to know if UVB rays are as important to Uros as they are to Igs, because even with a perfect diet, Green Igs still need the UVb lightning.
Take care,
Later,
Dan

Typically, neither of them spend their whole day (or even half of it) basking. Uromastyx spend a lot of time underground, surfacing only to forage for food, bask for a couple hours, poop, and occasionally mate (for the most part). In the burrows they are safe, they are in a humid environment (because they cannot thrive in an environment that has no area of higher humidity...they will suffer dehydration), and they are comfortable.

Iguanas are similar, in that they do not naturally bask the day away. Typically they are in the trees searching for areas that are not covered by shade, so they only get to come out into direct sunlight a handful of times each day. That's why I personally believe that mercury vapor bulbs are not a good idea, because people do not typically give their pets areas where they can get into some shade. They either have to choose between being warm and in the UV, or being cold and being out of it (if even given that choice). It's just not natural to force them to be under that much UV for that long.

Anyone that thinks reptiles would naturally spend their long days basking is misguided. Reptiles (for the most part) only need to bask a few hours a day to be able to digest their food (and in the wild, to be able to get enough d3 to use the calcium they take in). If they stayed out in the sun all day, they would fall victim to predators, not to mention dehydration.

So with that in mind, UV is not necessary for most (if not all) desert reptiles, due to the fact that in captivity they are given the d3 necessary to use the calcium they take in. I would think it may be a similar situation with iguanas, but I am not familiar with that area, so my comments specifically on that are not very valid. I think that the biggest problem that leads to MBD in iguanas is just that the owners really aren't supplementing enough. Most UV lighting does not give out markable amounts of UVB, and I think you already know my stance on the mercury vapor bulbs

Yes, I don´t like the mercury vapor bulbs either. I use the "Vita Lite" fluorescent bulbs. And you are right when you say that reptiles don´t spend the whole day basking. And that´s why I use the "Vita Lite" bulbs. They don´t produce much uvb, and twelve hours of these fluorescent bulbs would be the same as two-to-three hours of direct sun light. I don´t know about uros, but igs can´t get D3 vitamin by eating supplements(with D3). They still need the UVb to absorb the calcium.
This subject is always very hard to discuss. Some will say that the lizard will do well if given the right diet, some will say that even with the perfect diet they still need the UV rays.
I don´t know what is right or wrong, so I provide both to my igs.. and until now they seem to be doing great.
Anyways, thank you very much for the info.
Take care,
Later,
Dan

Sounds like you're doing things right then. If you're ever in doubt as to whether or not to use UV, and there is a lot of conflicting information about it, I would use it just to make sure the reptile is getting everything it needs.

I have been using an Exo Terra 8.0 light on my Mali kids...

None.

As well as at home as in our Reptilezoo (www.iguana.nl) we do not use any UV-bulbs at all. We add vitamins and minerals etc. to the food. Under these circumstances we breed U. acanthinura.

Same story for our Green Iguanas. And those we breed very succesfully. Last year we bred the sixth generation in captivity.

-----
Hello from the Netherlands... this is my Uro-Website