Is UVB a good idea?

[BossLady]

Ive owned leopard geckos for about 5 year now and have always used 15 watt day and night limps for the day/night cycle, and a UTH for the heat.

I recently revamped my bearded dragons cage, lighting, and supplementing due to the fact that I got him a MVB. while Im not going to get a MVB for the leos it did make me wonder how beneficial it would be to give the geckos a UVB source. Obviously if I do that I will need to revamp their supplementing schedule aswell to compensate. Ive been reading for the past few days about people who like and dislike it and from what I can gather a 2.0 UVB cant hurt them, and will hopefully only help.

so what are your thoughts? UVB may not be necessary but have any of you seen positive results from LOW UVB emitting sources? which bulbs (specific brands) did you use?

 

[Enigmatic_Reptiles]

I don't see the need since they are never looking to bask to obtain it. Their skin has evolved to be less absorptive due to the lack of need to do so. Also how would you ever be able to determine any adjustments on their supplementation without knowing how much is truly being obtained by the UVB. That being said I honestly don't think it would harm the gecko at all and really wouldn't change much (besides them hiding more often while the light is on). However, I have seen some leos which don't mind the light at all and will stroll around all day, so you never know. So go for it if you would like but personally I wouldn't reduce my supplementation.

 

[BossLady]

thank you for your input.

Right now theyre getting dusted with D3 twice a week but the more I research into it the more Im realizing that many feel this could be more than needed. obviously not harmful, but hey less supplementing I have to do the better.

As far as the UVB, I purchased a UVB meter alongside my MVB for my dragon. that was a hefty investment but Im hoping it pays off.

I too have a few leos who simply dont care whether the day light is on or not and I even have one little female who will even bask on a rock directly under the 15 watt on a regular basis. she will also tend to doze nearby the rocks but still out in the open.

Im obviously not SET on getting a UVB light in there as they certainly arent cheap but hey it doesnt hurt to look into it.

I was actually under the impression that the leos have thinner skin than say a dragon, and therfor soak up more UVB in less time than thicker skinned lizards because they dont often catch the suns rays.

who knew this would be so complicated??

 

[katie_]

Ive heard of theories that too much UVB can do some damage of their eyes. I havent seen any studies, so this might just be a myth.

 

[BossLady]

I would think high doses of it might be, but I wouldnt dream of putting the same amount of UVB on the leos as I do my dragons. but it is still a theory to look into.

unfortunately I dont know anyone who personally uses them with geckos and that is why Im still hesitant to do so. hopefully someone who has experience with their own geckos and UVB can chime in.

 

[gothra]

I have looked into this topic a while back, I do believe providing them with a UV source is more beneficial to them. I think the best setup is the one that most closely resembles their natural habitat. We dusting their food with supplements is not natural; and it is impossible to control the dosage. Having said that, I don't have UV lighting for my geckos; this is due to the number of geckos I have and the costs to install the lighting.

You can refer to this thread for more information. Frances is a former vet and is specialized in reptile lighting. As far as I remember, she is using Arcadia 12% (equivalent to Zoomed 10.0) for her leopard gecko.

 

[gothra]

Ive heard of theories that too much UVB can do some damage of their eyes. I havent seen any studies, so this might just be a myth.

Constant and direct UV into their eyes will do damage, therefore it is important to locate the UV source directly above the reptile's head; so they can't look directly into the lamp. Another thing is the quality of the UV lamp; basically the UV spectrum consists of UVA, UVB and UVC. The part of the UVB spectrum that is useful for producing Vit. D3 in skin is 290-315nm. Most UV lamps are safe and won't go below 290nm (UVC is below 280nm and will cause cancer and do serious damage to reptile skin and eye). However, there are also bad quality lamps that gives out lower wavelength UV - this is when the lamp becomes harmful.

 

[BossLady]

A very interesting read, gothra. Frances was experimenting with high emitting UVB outputs over a few feet while my current gecko tank is at a height of 18".

I wonder if a 2.0 bulb (lets say a ReptiSun 2.0) or a 5.0 would be more appropriate at that height? the ReptiSun recommends it being placed 12 inches away from the animal so would 18 inches be a stretch, or perhaps just right? hmm...


*EDIT* nevermind, I read too fast LOL. I wouldnt have guessed to use a 10.0 on them! interesting indeed

 

[katie_]

I would think high doses of it might be, but I wouldnt dream of putting the same amount of UVB on the leos as I do my dragons. but it is still a theory to look into.

unfortunately I dont know anyone who personally uses them with geckos and that is why Im still hesitant to do so. hopefully someone who has experience with their own geckos and UVB can chime in.

I use UVB for my cresties, although many people say its not needed. They however are known to bask during dusk and dawn, so they would be exposed to it.