Do i need the uv light if the tank is by a window?

Question

it's summertime, and with the high cost of running my air conditioner and the whole "going green" movement and cutting energy usage, i'm looking for ways to avoid using unneccessary electricity.

so with that in mind, i'm wondering if my red eared slider really needs his uv light. his tank is positioned right in front of a big bay window that gets sunlight about 95% of the day (there's enough sunlight that you can't even tell that the uv light is on). i turned it off a few days ago to see what would happen, and the tank still grew algae so i know that it is getting uv rays... but i don't want to harm the turtle in any way. is the uv light necessary?

Answer 1

UV light is vital.. he needs it to live a healthy life. UV rays can NOT pass through glass!! Even screen filters out a large amount of the UV rays. So yep he needs you to leave his light on!

Answer 2

uv does not pass through glass or screen. however, if you leave the window open and the rays hit right on the basking area all day it will be fine.

uv does not give off heat, hence why you need a heat bulb also.

Answer 3

sadly as the others have mentioned, UVrays dont penetrate glass AND are nessesary for a full and healthy turtle-like life. the UVB bulb IS nessesary unless you either A)want a disfigured turtle with MBD who will die a premature and painfull death or B)you take yourturtle outside to bask 30min every other day. to prevent MBD!![metabolic bone disease]

buy a little plastic kiddie pool, put some water and a rock/log so the turtle can fully get out of the water and bask. i used to do that with my old turtle, we ironicly had one of those turtle kiddie pools. natural unfiltered sunlight is always good if you are a reptile ::] [unless your nocturnal...then its a diffrent story!!]

not a bad idea, use the uvb during winter months[if you have those where you live..] and have someone/urself take the guy for a little sun. will save energy and money since you should only have to buy a UVB bulb once a year!! [uvb bulbs last 6months..right??]

Answer 4

Yes, UV light is necessary and yes, you still need a UV light as well as another light to provide the proper gradient of heat in the turtle's enclosure. Glass, plastic, and, as said above, even screen reduces if not stops all rays of UV. Perhaps enough gets through for algae to grow; it's probably not enough for your red ear.

Most lizards and turtles (excluding most nocturnal species) need UV to process and produce vitamin D. I heard in turtle it also helps to keep a healthy shell.

Also, in my opinion, keeping tanks in direct sunlight is a bad idea more so if the temperature is hot outside. Its better to provide heat (and UV in this case) by bulb. Keeping tanks in sunlight can make your temperatures fluctuate depending on the time of year and day. It is also more difficult to keep a proper temperature gradient. Too high and your reptile can become stressed.

Hope that helps and good luck.

Answer 5

yes the light by the window is ok,,

I have had 2 sliders for 36 yrs now plus a 7 yr old and a 5 yr old. This is how I have taken care of them for 36 yrs. Great pets.

I have had them in a stand alone 150gal pond from sears..for about 6 yrs now..

Here is some important and a lot of info. If he or she is small get feeder guppies or small feeder goldfish, frozen brown worms ..or live brown worms from a fish store. petco and or petsmart do not carry live worms..

Red-eared sliders, Gender especially juveniles, can be difficult to s*x. Gender in adults is determined by external physical characteristics and behavior. In Comparison to females, males have longer fore claws (which are use in courtship), a longer tail length, a longer distance from the body to the vent opening, a tail that is thicker at the base and generally a smaller body size and shell length. Turtles are considered juveniles till after 5 yrs old.

Their Home

The minimum enclosure size for hatchling re-eared slider should be a 20-gallon aquarium. As a general rule, the water depth should be at least 2 times the turtle's length, with several extra inches of air space between the surface of the water to the top edge of the tank to prevent escapes. For 4 to 5 inch long sliders, the recommended minimum enclosure surface area is 50 gal plus tank with an extra square foot for each additional turtle.

What to Feed

In the wild, re-eared sliders eat both animal and plant sources of food. However, juveniles are mainly meat eaters but still love the greens.

In captivity, the diet for juveniles should consist primarily of a commercial aquatic turtle pellet. Hatchlings and juveniles should be fed on a daily basis; however, they should be offered no more than they will consume during a single session to minimize water contamination. The diet can be supplemented with live fish of an appropriate size (guppies, goldfish), tubiflex worms and earthworms. Plant matter, in the form of chapped leafy greens or finely chapped mixed vegetables, can be offered once weekly but may not be readily accepted until they grow older. Fill tank with approx 20 feeder guppies and or 10 to 15 small goldfish. you’ll know when to replenish the live food supply. just count what’s left

For adults, 20% of the diet may consist of commercial turtle pellets. Plus 80% of their diet is fresh alive fish to catch in their water which also gives them exercise when trying to catch to eat. Adults should be fed greens kale, romaine, red leaf lettuce, mustard greens, dandelion, watercress, parsley. Swiss chard, shredded carrots, shredded squash, thawed frozen mixed vegetables and miscellaneous fruits. Adults can be fed every two to three days. NO iceberg or cabbage!!

Vital Statistics

Total Body length: 5-8" average, up to 12 inches max.

Life span: 15-25+ years

Males have the longer foreclaws..

Water quality and Filtration

Sliders are voracious feeders and tend to foul the water quickly with their messy eating habits and frequent defecation. Therefore, a system needs to be in place for good water quality. Partial to full water changes can be performed. Many different filter systems are available ..

Common Health Problems

If you take proper care of your red-eared slider by providing excellent housing, nutrition, lighting, and heating, it is unlikely to ever become ill or injured. However, it’s still important to familiarize yourself with ailments common to sliders so that you can quickly identify them in your own slider, should it become ill. The following are some of the most common medical problems among red-eared sliders.

Fungal Infections

“Fungal infections are fairly common among red-eared sliders, especially younger ones. If you notice what looks like a light layer of cotton on your slider’s shell or eyes or in its mouth, this is most likely some form of fungal infection. Although their appearance can be alarming, most infections in their early stages are fully treatable at home. If a fungal infection remains untreated, however, it can spread across the entire body and cause serious harm to your turtle.

To treat a mild fungal infection, immerse your red-eared slider in a warm saltwater bath for about half an hour each day, using a soft sponge to gently scrub the infected regions. You can also treat patches of fungus with topical applications of a mild antiseptic, such as povidone-iodine. As long as the problem isn’t severe, you should notice signs of recovery within a day or two, and a full recovery in about 10–14 days.

If your turtle has a persistent fungal infection that home treatment isn’t curing, take it to the vet for treatment. Several medications are available that can address a fungal infection if it hasn’t spread too far.”

Shell Rot. First make a dry box to keep the turtle in, shell rot needs water to grow.

Keep it warm and give it plenty of light.

Scrub the shell gently with a toothbrush and water.

Let the turtle swim for about 20 minutes a day in something other than his pond..clean water.

1-2 times a day take a cotton ball apply Hydrogen Peroxide to it then to his shell. It'll start bubbling which means its cleaning it. it. DO NOT get it in his eyes.

Then clean the shell and apply providone-iodine sollution to the shell, coat the shell and don't clean it off untill he is readly to swim the next day.

** Keep this up for several weeks and it should go away. .

Respiratory Infections

“Slider turtles and other aquatic species are susceptible to respiratory infections. Most respiratory infections that can affect sliders are mild and easily treatable in their early stages, but there are also some particularly virulent infections that can kill a turtle very quickly without veterinary attention. Sliders usually develop respiratory infections when their tank is too cold.

Symptoms of an infection include a runny nose, wheezing, lopsided swimming (an ailing lung changes the turtle’s buoyancy), lethargy, and a refusal to eat. If you identify the illness in its early stages, you may be able to treat it by removing the sick slider from its quarters into a new, clean tank (especially if you keep multiple sliders, since the majority of respiratory infections are contagious) and keeping it a few degrees warmer than normal. Warmth is the most crucial factor in treating respiratory infections in the home. If the condition persists for more than a few days or worsens, bring your slider to your veterinarian, who will treat the infection with antibiotics.”

Contact the “herpetologicalsocieties.com“.

your a good Parent to be concerned

Answer 6

i have a red eared slider, i've had him since i finished 3rd grade, i'm now going into 10th, the first year we had him we had a light but then we put him near a window and hasn't had a light in 5 years, your turtle will be perfectly fine without that light.

Answer 7

a UV light it a light that you use when the temp is to low so if you are sore that the Temp be what the slider needs you do not have a need for an UV light

as you say. it is summertime so you should build him a outside enclosure instead. when the Temp is okay and no wind you can put him there.

UV lights do not provide sunlight if you want that you ll have to get a uva and uvb proved light and sliders do net deed them if they can get outside

check thishttp://gallery.pethobbyist.com/data/6330...

Answer 8

you need the light! dont be cheap when it comes to an animal they cant tell you what they need.