Will my turtle be fine with just two regular house lamps for now?

Question

I don't and cant get any lights from stores for my turtle cause of a money problem right now, and there is no sun out side!! Is it okay to just have two regular house lamps shining on him for now? Can he survive on that for the time being?

Answer 1

The house lamp provides heat only. A UVB light allows the turtle to make its own vitamin D. Eventually, you might want one. In the meantime, make sure your turtle's diet is high in vitamin D. Liver is a good source.

Answer 2

i didn't have and lights on my turtles and they were fine //no sunlight then to keep there eyes from matting pour water over there head once every couple days//

Answer 3

yes he can survive ..just remember he needs the vitamin D the rep lite or sun gives off...

Get the  UVB/UVA light soon. He should be fine for a couple weeks.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29035692@N0...

The bigger the environment the bigger the healthier the turtle. Remember 10 gallons for every inch of turtle. I have used kiddy pools and plastic pond liners from most nurseries and worked great.

Did you know that they need to bask under a reptile light UVA/UVB for 8 to 10 hrs a day for the vitamin D that they need to grow. So that means getting a turtle dock also.

Leave the heater on 75 to 78 degrees always.

Their water needs to be clean otherwise they get sick easily from dirty water cause they p**p allot.

Total Body length: 5-8" average, up to 12 inches max. Life span: 15-25+ years

Males have the longer front nails and are used in mating. And are considered mature at about 5 yrs old. You can’t start sexing till about  3” across.

You need a good filter system! Gravel larger than they can swallow.

You need to feed them feeder guppies, goldfish or minnows for protein and calcium daily drop 20 or so in the tanks and watch them disappear in a few days!

This way when they swim for their dinner they get exercise also!

They sleep at the bottom of rivers, streams. lakes or ponds or your tank to avoid predators like coyotes,  foxes, owls, hawks, possums, raccoons and even some wide mouth bass.

TOSS in a bird cuttle bone in the water for calcium. it will dissolve real slow and if they eat it that’s fine!!

They can have garden worms, meal worms, crickets, flies, crayfish small frogs, dragon flies and  anything that moves only as a treat.

They need leafy greens Romaine, Butter lettuce. (Iceberg and cabbage are bad for them, any other leafy greens will do) for vitamin A that they need at least 3 to 4 times a week.

You probably already know that they get sick easily, shell rot, respiratory sickness, lopsided swimming, coughing, blowing bubbles from their nose.

**Swollen cloudy eyes means lacking in Vitamin A. Which we all need for good eyes. Google ‘vegetables with Vitamin A.

I wish you luck.

Answer 4

No.  Turtles need UVA/UVB light to maintain a healthy shell, which house lamps do not have.  As his owner, you need to find a way to provide the right kind of environment for your pet.  Cut something that is not a necessity from your budget to pay for the bulbs, borrow money, babysit, sell something on eBay, etc.  If you care for your pet, I'm sure you can find a way to afford it.