UVB Lighting/D3 Supplements

Geode890

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Hey all! Newbie asking another question again. :p

Currently, I have a 26 watt, Reptile UVB 150 Desert UVB bulb from the ExoTerra brand. It's right around a foot above the substrate, and thus probably somewhere from 8-10 inches from the actual tortoise shell. It does sit on top of a rather "open" mesh screen (a screen with very fine wire so less light is obscured), although I've read this makes very little difference, if the mesh is "open" enough.

My tortoise is right around 4 inches, and male I believe, so he is still growing, to my knowledge. Should I be supplementing his UVB bulb with calcium powder that has D3 in it, or is it preferable to stick with just pure calcium powder?
 

Kapidolo Farms

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I use a rotation of supplements, 5 days with D3 one day plain Calcium Carbonate and one day no supplements.

Vionate, layer crumbles, Vionate, Calcium carbonate, Layer crumbles, Vionate, plain - one week, the next week is

Layer crumbles, Vionate, Layer crumbles, Calcium Carbonate, Vionate, Layer crumbles, plain.

The layer crumbles and vionate have D3 and calcium, but to a lesser extent than the amount of Calcium carbonate I add.

I do not use UVB light in many of the enclosures, I see no difference in development.
 

Geode890

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Thank you for your input! As I have a UVB light, I think that I may try to get a calcium+D3 powder and use it in place of one dosage of pure calcium, so he gets one dosage of calcium, one dosage of calcium+D3, and once dosage of a multivitamin one a week. That should account for the presence of a weaker UVB bulb, without over supplementing him, I believe.
 

narendramehta9657

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I use a rotation of supplements, 5 days with D3 one day plain Calcium Carbonate and one day no supplements.

Vionate, layer crumbles, Vionate, Calcium carbonate, Layer crumbles, Vionate, plain - one week, the next week is

Layer crumbles, Vionate, Layer crumbles, Calcium Carbonate, Vionate, Layer crumbles, plain.

The layer crumbles and vionate have D3 and calcium, but to a lesser extent than the amount of Calcium carbonate I add.

I do not use UVB light in many of the enclosures, I see no difference in development.
If i dont use uvb light and only supplement calcium d3 is it okay
 

Kapidolo Farms

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There seems to be a growing consensus that it works okay for forest species and/or those that eat many insects. There are other species that spend much more time in open sun, even as babies, so for them I think using only D# in the diet might be risky.
If i dont use uvb light and only supplement calcium d3 is it okay
 

narendramehta9657

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There seems to be a growing consensus that it works okay for forest species and/or those that eat many insects. There are other species that spend much more time in open sun, even as babies, so for them I think using only D# in the diet might be risky.
I have seen many breeders using only uva light /heating and the rest work is done by vitamin d3 suppliment and they are kept totally indoor for lepord tortoise
 

ZEROPILOT

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If i dont use uvb light and only supplement calcium d3 is it okay
UVB light helps turn Calcium into D3.
Some believe that using Calcium WITH D3 can replace UVB lighting altogether.
I have no experience to go against that. In fact, it sounds feasible. Especially for a few species that require less UVB with a good diet such as Redfoot.
D3 is required for bone health, etc. How it gets into your animal may not matter. But I'd still feel very uncomfortable not using a UVB source.
(I am currently nursing back to health an animal that I got recently that is suffering from MBD. Caused by insufficient intake of D3.)

I think this topic is worthy of it's own thread.
 
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narendramehta9657

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UVB light helps turn Calcium into D3.
Some believe that using Calcium WITH D3 can replace UVB lighting altogether.
I have no experience to go against that. In fact, it sounds feasible. Especially for a few species that require less UVB with a good diet such as Redfoot.
D3 is required for bone health, etc. How it gets into your animal may not matter. But I'd still feel very uncomfortable not using a UVB source.
(I am currently nursing back to health an animal that I got recently that is suffering from MBD. Caused by insufficient intake of D3.)

I think this topic is worthy of it's own thread.
Thanks for your perfect answer to my questions ??
 

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