Absorbing calcium

[Pure Tortoise Power]

So uvb light allows tortoises to produce vitamin D3, which helps absorb calcium. But I've seen from some stores selling calcium powder that also contains vitamin D3? Are those trustworthy? Can they somehow replace uvb light? Would there be any problems caused by such product?

 

[Toddrickfl1]

So uvb light allows tortoises to produce vitamin D3, which helps absorb calcium. But I've seen from some stores selling calcium powder that also contains vitamin D3? Are those trustworthy? Can they somehow replace uvb light? Would there be any problems caused by such product?

From what I understand vitamin D3 can only be processed with UVB. Therefore the calcium powder with D3 is useless without adding UVB. I could be wrong but this is what I've gathered. @Markw84 would be the one who can answer your question better. What I do know for sure though is NO, you can't replace UVB with calcium and D3 powder.

 

[Markw84]

Good dietary D3 can indeed be used by tortoises. In a long past experiment, I raised several sulcata hatchlings with not UVB light, indoors for over a year. I used a commercial pellet with Calcium and D3. None showed any signs of MBD and xray showed normal bone density. All still pyramided, both the slow grown controlled diet amount and the fast grown, as I was not at that time closing in on humidity and desiccation as pyramiding issues.

But for your question - yes dietary D3 works well with tortoises. I do stll prefer UVB and natural D3 via that metabolic process.