How long should a turtle basking light be on

Turtle is a wild animal though we humans are trying to pet them for a long time. It is crucial to provide a proper environment to the turtle if you are keeping one as a pet. The surrounding on the turtle must illustrate its habitat for the well-being of the tiny creature. One of the critical parts of a turtle environment is the basking place. Though turtle mostly lives in water, they require basking regularly for sunlight and get warm.

If you have turtles in your house, then you must prepare a basking area for them alongside the tank. The primary part of the basking area is the basking light. One question that may arrive in your mind is how long you should keep the basking light on. In today’s article, we will try to clarify this question as well as describe some of the other vital queries about the basking light.

In the wild environment, a turtle basks around ten to fourteen hours every day. As in the capitation, we will try our best to recreate its environment; you should keep the light on for the same period.

How long should a turtle basking light be on 1

Why is basking light important?

Some people things the lights on a turtle tank are just for keeping an eye on them. But the lights are essential in some other ways, as we discussed earlier. Here is some of the prevailing importance of the basking light in turtle habitat.

Like the other reptiles, the aquatic turtles require three variations of the light, which include UVA, UVB, and the sunlight. They also need the same depth of warmth that they would get if living in the wild. The heat is necessary to increase body temperature, which is required to fight the germ. The sunlight and UVA lights are needed for the well-being, breeding, activity, and mood of the turtle. On the other hand, the UVB light is vital for the production of vitamin D3, which is crucial for the shell and growth of the turtle.

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More so, they require circadian rhythms, which is the day and night we people need for a cyclic lifestyle. Without the basking light, the natural sleeping habit of the turtle will be disturbed, its immune system will fall, and it will become stressed.

The UVB light is also crucial for the production of calcium in the turtle body and other nutrients. If there is not adequate UVB light around the turtle, they will experience shell problems as well as metabolic bone diseases. Without the UVB light for a long time, they can even die. The UVB lights also require changing after using it for six months.

How to set the basking light

Before discussing how to set the basking light, we want to let you know some safety precautions to follow about the turtle lights.

Firstly, never look at the turtle lights directly. That is very important as you end up damaging your eyesight. The turtle basking light is exceptionally bright, and they produce UV rays, which are also harmful. Staring on the basking, UVB lights can even cause blindness. You should set the light in a way so that you can never look at them directly. More so, people sitting around the room should not be able to see the tubes as well as the glares from the light directly.

Another important thing is setting the light strongly so that they can never fall off on the water in any chance. In case they fall, the turtles in the tank can get electro ducted as well as you. Secure the lights in a way so that it doesn’t gall off.

How far away should the light from the turtle?

Now let’s talk about how we will set up the lights. While setting the lights, one of the critical things to consider is the distance between the turtle and the rays. That is because you want to maintain the right temperature for the turtle. As the lights can cause excessively high or low temperature, it won’t be very good for turtle health. Usually, you will require maintaining a temperature of 85 to 90 degrees in the tank.

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If you are setting a 50-watt light, then make sure that the distance is around 5 to 7 inches from the basking area. If you are setting up a 75 watt light, then you should maintain a length of 7 t0o 9 inches. For a 100 watt bulb, the minimum distance should be around 10 to 12 inches.

Note that the properties mentioned above are a general rule of thumb. Make sure to check the instruction manual that arrives with the valves from the manufacturer for a better idea. More so, the material used in the basking area also plays an essential role in the distance of the light.

Should you use a regular bulb for turtle aquarium?

There is a massive difference between the UV lights and the usual lights. The main reason behind we are putting the lights in the turtle basking area is for supplying the heat and UV rays. The regular bulb may supply adequate hit to the area, but at no cost, they can produce the UV rays. As we said earlier, there are different bulbs for creating the UVA and UVB lights. The normal bulb cannot provide the rays.

Basically, we need to supply the UV A and UV B in the area from any sources. The natural source of these rays is the sun. So, if it is possible to put the basking area under direct sunlight, then you can rely on it instead of the UV lights. Else, you will require using these bulbs. One convenience of the UV lights is they can provide both the rays as well as the necessary heat for the turtle.

It requires some extra works to maintain a turtle when compared with the other pets. However, the beautiful tiny create worth every bit of it. Hopefully, the above instructions will clear all your confusion about the turtle basking light.

Resources: http://www.turtleforum.com/forum/upload/index.php?/forums/topic/1112-how-long-should-basking-light-be-on/

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