Calcium!!!

[jnirvello]

how do you guys advise I give my tort calcium from the sun? It’s gonna be high 60 low 40 this week in Florida and I can’t gice him any outside time because it’s way too cold and the sun is definitely not strong enough this time of year

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

UV lighting will do or vitamin D3 will do it also

 

[jnirvello]

I’ve been told UV lighting can cause babies to go blind. Everyday he’s outside for an hour except for this week because of the cold

 

[jnirvello]

@Tom @Yvonne G what should a night time temp be for a baby sulcata? It’s getting into the 40’s in FL for the week and I have a heater and a heated night light. The night light does not give off much heat tho... just for the area underneath. His enclosure is at 85 right now

 

[Markw84]

Nighttime temps for a baby sulcata should be set to a min of 80°f.

Where you are located in Ft Myers, you do not need to worry about providing artificial UVB. You should still be able to get a UVI reading of 3-4 midday there, which is plenty for your little tortoise to synthesize D3 with just a few hours a week. If there is a cloudy or cold spell, a period of 2-3 weeks is not a problem with no exposure.

The issue with blindness was associated with bulbs when the technology and manufacturing techniques were still developing back 10-12 years ago. Most of the problems were with a few types of compact fluorescents. There is not a problem with UVB bulbs manufactured today. But, in your area, you don't need any.

 

[jnirvello]

Yes I’m in Fort Myers. He is outside for 1+ hours daily between 3-5 as soon as I’m off work. His enclosure tonight is 83-85 and his body temp is about 78-80 bc he’s in his hiding box. I have a space heater in the room and it’s very comfortable in there.

I have t had a uvb light for a while in there since I was told it can hurt their eyes. He’s outside daily so I was told it’s unnecessary.

 

[Markw84]

Yes I’m in Fort Myers. He is outside for 1+ hours daily between 3-5 as soon as I’m off work. His enclosure tonight is 83-85 and his body temp is about 78-80 bc he’s in his hiding box. I have a space heater in the room and it’s very comfortable in there.

I have t had a uvb light for a while in there since I was told it can hurt their eyes. He’s outside daily so I was told it’s unnecessary.

I would add a bit of Mazuri regular tortoise pellets (5M21) to the diet. It has calcium and D3 and is an excellent way to ensure proper vitamins and minerals. Most all tortoise learn to eat and love it quickly when softened in a bit of water. Also, if you ever have to give your tortoise oral medications, it is an excellent way to get them the medication - simply put the drops of medication on a few Mazuri pellets and they will eagerly eat it up.

All my tortoises get used to eating Mazuri as part of their diet as hatchlings.

 

[jnirvello]

Yes!!! I feed it to him at least 2-3 times a week and i give him 3 pellets. He eats it all. He hasn’t been eating much yesterday or today but he did eat cactus and some weeds I grow for him. Maybe it’s the weather?

 

[TechnoCheese]

The only type of uv that has the stigma of hurting eyes is the compact/coil type. The long strip lights are the best.

 

[Tom]

Yes I’m in Fort Myers. He is outside for 1+ hours daily between 3-5 as soon as I’m off work. His enclosure tonight is 83-85 and his body temp is about 78-80 bc he’s in his hiding box. I have a space heater in the room and it’s very comfortable in there.

I have t had a uvb light for a while in there since I was told it can hurt their eyes. He’s outside daily so I was told it’s unnecessary.

Ambient of 83-85 is good, but the tortoise still needs a basking area that is about 95-100 on one side of the indoor enclosure.

 

[TechnoCheese]

I believe they can go up to 2 weeks without uv and be fine, so if it’s just that week he should be okay

 

[jnirvello]

Ambient of 83-85 is good, but the tortoise still needs a basking area that is about 95-100 on one side of the indoor enclosure.

But for his night time temperature in this weather.. 85 is ok!!!

 

[Tom]

But for his night time temperature in this weather.. 85 is ok!!!

85 at night is a little on the warm side, but its okay. I'd use a thermostat to regulate it, and set it a little lower.

What is the daytime ambient, and basking area temp?

 

[jnirvello]

The temp is usually 85ish. His basking area gets up to 100

 

[Bee62]

how do you guys advise I give my tort calcium from the sun? It’s gonna be high 60 low 40 this week in Florida and I can’t gice him any outside time because it’s way too cold and the sun is definitely not strong enough this time of year

I think you mixed some things:
1. Torts must eat calcium ( cooked egg shells or cuttle bones )
Calcium should be available every day for the tort.
2. Torts need UVB rays to produce vitamin D3, sun or artificial
UVB
3. Vitamin D3 is needed that the eaten calcium can get into the
bones and the shell of a tortoise

Calcium, Vitamin D3 and UVB are together necessary for a healthy tort.

 

[jnirvello]

Whag should his body temp be, at night??

 

[Bee62]

Whag should his body temp be, at night??

When the whole enclosure is 80 F at night the body of the tort will be 80 F or only a little bit lower too. That will be alright.

 

[Miscally]

Goliath is now happily munching on cuttlefish, does he need any other supplements?
He has a good full spectrum UVB light on twelve hours a day as it's too cold for him to go out here yet.

 

[Stuart S.]

Goliath is now happily munching on cuttlefish, does he need any other supplements?
He has a good full spectrum UVB light on twelve hours a day as it's too cold for him to go out here yet.

I sprinkle vitamin D3 powder on my tortoises food twice a week. Cuttle bones are great! Calcium plus beak maintenance [emoji1362]

 

[Miscally]

I sprinkle vitamin D3 powder on my tortoises food twice a week. Cuttle bones are great! Calcium plus beak maintenance [emoji1362]

Thank you. He has natzura everyday which had calcium and vitamin D. Does he need the supplement?