The Importance Of The Sun For Water Turtles
All living beings need the sun to survive, directly or indirectly. In the case of water turtles, which are cold-blooded, natural lighting is vital for their metabolism. We will tell you more in the next article.
Why is the sun important in water turtles?
Unlike mammals, reptiles are cold-blooded. This does not mean that your body can perform all functions with a low temperature, but rather that it needs to warm its fluids in some way. How do they do that? Through exposure to the sun and various sources of heat.
Therefore, sunlight is very important for water turtles, one of the many species included within the group of reptiles. Every day, chelonians need at least two hours in the sun to avoid decalcification of their bones, to make digestion and for their entire metabolism to function.
While fluorescent and UV lamps and tubes are sold in pet stores, these are just a supplement to natural light or a solution for cloudy days. But nothing in the world should replace the action of the original ultraviolet rays.
Ideally, a turtle should receive sunlight in the morning hours and avoid staying in the same place during midday or during the hottest hours.
There are many cases of chelonians with burns due to the owners having the fish tank or the habitat next to a window where the sun shines all day. It should not be forgotten, in addition, that the reflective effect of glass increases the chances of injuries to the shell or extremities.
In addition, some veterinarians recommend that sunlight ‘reach’ without any filter, this means that we should leave the window open and that the rays enter through the top of the tank, not through the sides.
If we are at home, we can even remove the turtle from the aquaterrarium and place it on the ground, where it receives the most light. We must always take into account their needs and, therefore, we must put a stone where you can lie down or delimit the ‘allowed’ area so that the whole environment is not dirty.
Artificial light and temperature in fish tanks
Water turtles thermoregulate through the heat they receive from direct exposure to the sun, but also with the temperature of the water where they live.
The habitat must have a temperature that ranges between 23 and 30 ° C and have areas at different temperatures, from cooler to warmer, so that the turtle can ‘choose’ where to stay according to its needs.
For this, two systems can be combined: one for general heating to provide a warm environment (for example, a heater with a thermostat) and one for a heat source to radiate in a specific area.
Did you know that reptiles in general and water turtles in particular measure time based on the light they receive? In this way they can regulate their biological cycle. Although the main source of light is the sun, this can be complemented with artificial sources in the form of fluorescent or ultraviolet tubes, the same ones that are also used, for example, with iguanas.
There are different types of artificial lights for water turtle tanks, which have a maximum useful life of one year (they must be changed after that time) and must meet certain requirements. To begin with, they cannot be closer than 50 cm away from the animal. In addition, they must be turned off at night, between 10 and 12 hours in winter and 8 to 10 hours in summer.
Finally, remember that artificial ultraviolet light does not pass through the glass of the fish tank, therefore, it must be placed inside. As the owner of a water turtle, you will have to offer everything it needs, including sunlight on a daily basis.
