Free UVB

[Maro1]

So there is a lot of talk about UVB bulbs on this site. As well as any place that deals with UVB loving animals.

Do we know how much time an animal needs outdoors weekly to get the UVB it needs? I rotate my animals weekly to give each time outside. I have also heard it said that 10 minutes a day in a (Screened) windowsill is plenty of UVB.

So what do we know for sure?

 

[james.w]

From my understanding there is no set time of natural sun needed. There are too many factors, what type of lizard, where in the world you are located, amount of cloud cover that specific day, what season it is. All of these things determine how much UVB is provided by the sun or how much is needed.

 

[Maro1]

I found this site. I have just started to look at it. Looks like a lot of information.
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/whatreptilesneed.htm

 

[james.w]

I read through the page you posted and I find something interesting. Many people here are debating over which MVB is best and the "need" for a solar meter, but nobody know how much UVB tegus/rhinos need. There was a section that said the minimum for a green iguana is 10Mw, so I think even a fairly old UVB bulb would provide this. Not saying we should keep our herps at the minimum amount of UVB, but it is possible the amount that the SolarGlo or PowerSun put out are the perfect amount and the MegaRay is too much. It is even possible that they all put out too much and we are wasting our money when all we "need" is a tube UVB.

These are just some thoughts I had after reading this page.

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10Mw is supposed to be 10uW.

 

[jerobi2k]

there is def. no need for a solar meter at all, it all depends on the owner. its also up to the owner to decide which route they would like to go in order to bring UVB to their pets enclosure. once you choose the method of UVB just replace the bulb as the manufacture recomends and at the end of the day you are pretty much covered. this will always be a debatable topic, just like substrate and range of diet. talk to your friends talk to breeders and pick a route you see best. Ive only used tube uvb for a loonnng time and never had any health related issues in my household due to lack of. recently I started using Mercury Vapor Bulbs just to try something new and I like them, I also use a solar meter and Temp gun just so I can monitor things to my and my pets liking, how you determine each is purely up to you

 

[teguboy77]

Well i mean i guess if your reptiles kept inside you should maybe think about a solar meter,i mean i agree i dont think to much uvb is good but at the same time i dont think to little is good to,alot of sun loving reptiles that bask in the sun aren't getting low uvb amonts lets face it.And to own a solar meter is up to you i agree there to but if you buy a uvb bulb and it says you should replace it every 6 months and it still putting out over 50mw of uvb then the bulb would still be good from what i've read.So you wouldnt have to replace it rite at 6 months,i just dont get how a guy like myself keeps my rhino inside helps montior the uvb output so i know when the bulb is in need of replacement.And you wouldnt know if a old uvb bulb is even putting out 10mw if you have no way to tell the amount of uvb its putting out without a solar meter.And your rite if you think your reptiles doing fine with a uvb bulb and its healthy then thats up to the person,myself i'll use my uvb bulb and know exactly how much uvb my rhino is getting with my solar meter since in time they all decay,and we all cant be 100% sure every uvb bulb is working correct all the time.Hust my opinion.

 

[james.w]

I respect your opinion and way of keeping your Rhino. What I am saying is nobody knows how much or how little UVB any reptile needs. I mean 10 minutes at 150uW may be equal to 30 minutes at 50uW. It is all a guessing and visual game.

 

[Maro1]

I read through the page you posted and I find something interesting. Many people here are debating over which MVB is best and the "need" for a solar meter, but nobody know how much UVB tegus/rhinos need. There was a section that said the minimum for a green iguana is 10Mw, so I think even a fairly old UVB bulb would provide this. Not saying we should keep our herps at the minimum amount of UVB, but it is possible the amount that the SolarGlo or PowerSun put out are the perfect amount and the MegaRay is too much. It is even possible that they all put out too much and we are wasting our money when all we "need" is a tube UVB.

These are just some thoughts I had after reading this page.

---

10Mw is supposed to be 10uW.

---

Those are good thoughts James. I mean to each his own but how can we provide the UVB necessary without spending money uselessly? I have moved many of my animals outside for the summer. It's a lot of work but keeps cost down on bulbs. One thing I know is that all of my animals seem much more alive when they are out as compared to the winter. I know our country is built off of the need to "Buy and Sell" that's why I like Free Sun while I can get it!

 

[teguboy77]

Yeah i mean you have a point james w,but i would think if a reptile in the wild is basking under the sun once it gets to the rite desired temperature it will look for some retreat in the shade and it will get enough uvb and promote d3 into the skin,how much uvb is needed who honestly knows but the sun puts off a good amount of uvb,as for people that keep are peptiles inside we have to stimulate the sun for our reptiles wheather is 10mw or 150mw.Now i posted this before from reptile uv 50-250 uW/cm2 mimics the natural environment enough to keep your UV-dependent BASKING reptiles healthy, depending on the species, according to the latest research.Now this is just what the site say,not me saying this.

 

[james.w]

I agree that the animal will get out of the sun once it is at the correct temp, which I feel my lizards mimic in their enclosures. The numbers you are posting 5-250uW is what I am talking about, different species will receive and use different points in that range, depending on what part of the world they are in, the amount of cloud cover that day, whether they have thick/thin skin, and whether they bask in direct sunlight or in the shade. Lets say your bulb is putting out 180uW at your basking spot, but in the wild Rhinos only get 100uW, how do you deal with that? Or the other way around, lets say my bulb is putting out 75uW, but in the wild my Rhino would get the same 100uW, what do I do? I am saying since we have no idea how much UVB they are getting in the wild, it is near impossible to replicate it in our homes. All we can do is guess and watch our animals to see they look healthy.

Did you read the info on the link Maro posted?

 

[teguboy77]

Yes i did look what Maro1 posted,and it you have a great point,i just been using good uvb on my reptiles wheather it was tegus i had,green iguana,my rhino and it seems to work for me.At the same time i think its a good idea to have one basking spot and a none basking spot to give your reptile the opinion to get out of the basking area and let the lizard make it choice but again you have a great point.

 

[Maro1]

All we can do is guess and watch our animals to see they look healthy.

This really what it comes down to. we may all use different options to get there. I like the sun! It's free and my animals seem to respond well.

 

[Jason]

a little food for thought:
In humans fare skinned people only need about 10 minutes of sun on there hands and face (without sunscreen) to produce a healthy amount of D3 (that's right we make our own too)
The darker your skin is the more time you need in the sun to absorb enough UVB to produce the same amount of UVB.
I'm not sure how that would translate to reptiles; but i would figure it would be, at the very least, somewhat similar.

 

[Toby_H]

I've drawn the same conclusion that seems to be suggested here... we really do not know the "ideal" UVB levels so I do not get lost in seeking the "ideal" level...

My Tegu lives outside in the summer months and does not spend very much time basking in direct sunlight. This gives me the impression that a Tegus UVB levels are not that high.

In the cooler months my Tegu lives inside where he has a 10.0 UVB flourescent tube bulb... I see no signs that would suggest he is anything but completely healthy...

 

[teguboy77]

Yeah i use the megaray for my rhino,but have used 10.0 reptisun bulbs in the past on other reptiles and i keep my reptiles inside all year and i never had health problems.

 

[james.w]

a little food for thought:
In humans fare skinned people only need about 10 minutes of sun on there hands and face (without sunscreen) to produce a healthy amount of D3 (that's right we make our own too)
The darker your skin is the more time you need in the sun to absorb enough UVB to produce the same amount of UVB.
I'm not sure how that would translate to reptiles; but i would figure it would be, at the very least, somewhat similar.

I think this would translate into the thickness of the reptiles skin as stated on the link posted.